Multiverse Crisis MUSH - User contributions [en]

6741/Far Reaches of a Wayward Heart

2019-08-16T06:15:24Z

Parasaurolophus: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2019/08/16 |Location=Ga-Rei Japan |Synopsis=Unpleasant business as a youkai takes over a school. |Cast of Characters=1098, 685, 998 |pretty=yes }}..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2019/08/16
|Location=Ga-Rei Japan
|Synopsis=Unpleasant business as a youkai takes over a school.
|Cast of Characters=1098, 685, 998
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' It's late at night, and the area around the school where the communication went out, presumably by accident, is eerily quiet only ten minutes after the transmission. There's no movement nearby, though a policeman crouches in the bushes about a block away, hand shaking as he holds his radio. "This is Officer Yamamoto. I've found the site, but I'm not getting any closer. I can make out movement and..." He covers his mouth and nose with a hand and silently nods at something he hears back over the radio. "..roger. Will await assistance." 

:'''{{#var:685|Shigure (685)}} has posed:'''     A few minutes after the radio call went out, a tall, black-haired woman wearing a modified shrine maiden outfit clicks along the street on strange platform clogs, that look like ship hulls. She has an ethereal grace about her, but no weapons of any kind of be seen at the moment. She comes to a stop near the bush where the officer is hiding, red eyes gleaming faintly in the shadow of her bangs. "Battleship Yamashiro, ready to sortie." she says, seemingly to noone in particular. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     "Yamamoto again," that familiar, tired voice sounds out. Passing his hiding place is the equally familiar petit brunette, in a somewhat less conspicuous semi-stylish outfit inspired by a student's uniform. Normally the sort of girl that the police would direct away from a violent incident, but most girls aren't carrying a hammer quite that large.     Lexicon swings the weapon down and plants it at her feet, "I won't ask you to put yourself in danger, but what details can you give us?" 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' So focused is the officer on watching the building in question - a middle school, from the looks of it, that he doesn't notice the approach of others until they speak up. He jumps a bit, backpedaling slightly as he sees Yamashiro... and then letting out a breath as he notices Lexicon. "Ah... sorry. The last time I saw a miko outside of a shrine, she was trying to eat someone's face off." That is a long story for another time. ...blink. "Did you say Battleship Yamashiro?" Yamamoto shakes his head and holds a hand up. "Answer me later. Hello, Lexicon. Isayama and her team are on the way. Not sure I can tell you much, though. I was sent here on reports of gunshots, then... well, you probably heard the transmission, huh?" He stands up and adjusts his hat, glancing toward the school again. "It's been completely silent since I got here, which is all the more reason to not get closer on my own." Screeching tires around the corner betray the arrival of a vehicle before it can be seen. A large humvee, far too large to fit in a single lane inside the town, squeals around the corner and comes to a stop, driven by a man with a white mohawk, white beard, and white eyes. The door slides open, and Yomi hops out, worry on her face turning to a smile as she sees who else showed. "Lexi! And..." Yomi's eyes squint, and she peers at Yamashiro for a moment. "A...friend of Shigure's? You have a similar feel about you." 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     "This one's mostly harmless," Lexicon gestures to Yamashiro, "We've fielded together before. It was an entirely different country though." Eyes lift to peer up at the school building, "Sounded like a monster to me, but the monsters around here are pretty different from the viruses I'm used to. A lot more crafty, tricky, and manipulative. Little shits."     Said in a complete deadpan. Not bitter at all.     "Going all quiet could mean things are resolved, but it more likely means whatever it is settled things with our predecessors and is now waiting in ambush." Tires screeching draws her attention, glancing back over her shoulder, "--That would be Isayama." And once the exorcist has stepped out, Lexicon raises one hand in a greeting wave. 

:'''{{#var:685|Shigure (685)}} has posed:'''     Yamashiro looks toward the Officer, nodding briefly, before turning to the approaching vehicle. She doesn't flinch as it screeches to a halt nearby. The Battleship nods to Yomi. "Battleship Yamashiro. Second in command of the Fifth Strike Squadron, Secretary to Flagship Shigure." she replies, bowing politely, before looking back at the school.     Her brow furrows, and her rigging materializes in a flare of blue-white light. A catapult unfolds from one of her turrets, and a small float-plane loads onto it, with help from little fairies. "Type 0 reconnaisance floatplane. Launch." The silence is broken by the piston engine striking up, and with a burst of steam, the plane is fired into the air, where it climbs and begins to look over the area before anyone gets too close. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "Thanks for the ride, Iwahata!" Yomi waves back toward the humvee, and the driver gives a grin in return. "I'd love to stay and help here, but it looks like this bungle caused a chain reaction and stirred up a nest of Category Ds across town. I'm going to help the rest of the extermination squad with cleanup." Yomi gives him a nod and another wave, and he returns the gesture to Yomi, the officer, the ship, and the girl with the hammer, one at a time, before peeling out again. "Right, so. If the Paranormal Disasters Countermeasure Headquarters team went in there first, they almost certainly made whatever problem was there even worse. Best be careful, right?" Yomi wrinkles her nose a bit in distaste and lets out a sigh. "I bet they didn't even make it to the front doors... but given we've had some missing persons reports here lately, I'm betting the cause is holed up inside." It really is very quiet on the school grounds, but the recon plane can see at least part of the reason why: there are about a dozen dead soldiers lying on the ground. It's hard to get an exact count, though, considering some have chunks missing and a few are in multiple pieces. 

:'''{{#var:685|Shigure (685)}} has posed:'''     Yamashiro closes her eyes, 'seeing' through her plane's cameras. She doesn't balk at the scene she can see, but it isn't pleasant. "Count about twelve bodies... they are, not intact." she says, opening her eyes and tasking the plane to circle and continue surveillance. "They were mown down by something that was not kind in how it killed them." she says, the catapult folding back into its storage place, then a few lighter emplacement folding out of the turret caps, giving her a 'bristling with guns' appearance.     Yamashiro looks to Lexicon, giving the DCC a nod, before stepping forwards. "Miss Lexicon and I shall take the lead. Whatever is in ther ewill have to contend with my armour and her hammer. You can identify and neutralize it once it shows itself." 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     "First that high school, now this," Lexicon shrugs towards Yomi, "It seems like the Paranormal Disasters Countermeasures team is better at causing them than countering them. But at least they make it obvious where the danger is." Gripping her hammer one-handed, she hefts it up and rests it over her shoulder, "Yamamoto, stay here and keep watch. Alert me on band 23.44 if you see anything." She gestures at his police radio before turning and stepping onto school grounds.     Between the Silver DCC and the avatar of a battleship, this party should be a good sight more resiliant, at least. Glancing towards Yamashiro, "Let me know if your plane spots anything unusual--" And the other shoulder, towards Yomi, "And your eyes. You see all kinds of shit I don't when it comes to these spirits." 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Yomi brings her hand to rub the bridge of her nose as she hears the damage reports. "I knew it. I just knew it. They always go in half-cocked and never watch their flank. Only a handful of them are ever competent and those ones know better than to work with the rest." The exorcist takes a deep breath and nods. "Depending how squeamish you are, I suppose you could take the eyepiece from one of the dead ones. He's not going to be using it anymore." One hand falls to her sword's hilt as the three walk toward the school. "Bad news is that I can't call Ranguren here. He'd probably destroy the building." She gives a quick glance toward the battleship. "Make sure you're precise with those guns, okay?" As they cross the gates, the light seems to reflect eerily in places, especially near the bodies of the soldiers. A few of them shake unnaturally, and Yomi points toward one of them. "Category C specter. Probably just a standard ghost, but don't let them get too close. They're probably what did this." The specters, at least, don't seem in too much of a rush to attack. A few of them stand up and lurch forward, their glowing blue forms visible even to those without spirit sight whenever the moonlight hits -just- right. "I really need to see if Master Michael or Director Jinguuji can figure a way for you to see them more clearly." Even though the specters are advancing, they don't seem to be a large threat... at least not until one rises up from the ground right behind Lexicon and lifts its arms to grab for her... only for those arms to flop to the ground as Yomi draws her sword and lops them off, then slashes through its head. "-That- is probably how they got these guys. They're not all that smart, but they can be sneaky like that. Let's take care of them before we check out the inside." 

:'''{{#var:685|Shigure (685)}} has posed:'''     Yamashiro says, "Securing main armament. Secondary batteries, prioritize accuracy over fire rate." her tone is commanding, but she's clearly not talking to either of the others when she speaks... the crew, for lack of a better term, salute, and the smaller turrets all traverse out from centerline, while the larger turrets lock forward and secure flat. She won't be lobbing 16inch shells, but plenty of 5 and 8 inch, as well as 12.7mm, 25mm and 30mm bullets from her secondary batteries.     As the specters start shambling along, Yamashiro sets her feet, and allows her secondaries to open up on the approaching near-invisible enemies.. They fill the area with tracer fire, making up for the lack of visibility with sheer volume of outgoing fire... they do take some time to aim when they get the brief glimpses of the things moving, but they're not waiting for the 'perfect shot' every time. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     Ghosts. A bit harder to see than the ghost-like viruses she's encountered. Par for the course, all the monsters in Yomi's tokyo are terrible. Lexicon narrows her eyes with a noise of frustration. The annoyed expression quickly disappears when Yamashiro just becomes a singularity of small arms gunfire a few meters away-- "Damn!"     A ghost is dispatched behind her, as the DCC swings her hammer up and behind herself in preparation, "Well, it's hardly time to get shown up by the gunshow..! Thanks for the cover, Isayama--" With her free hand, the DCC scatters motes of blue-white light. These rapidly grow as she sweeps her hammer down into them, scattering the objects as magical bolts that ricochet off the courtyard walls and anything else solid enough to not just be punched through, "GEFAHRLICHTERN!" 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' With magic flying around everywhere, it's easier to see the specters. The glow from the magic blasts and tracer rounds seems to illuminate them better, showing them to be mostly nondescript blue humanoids. There are no faces, only openings roughly similar to mouths. They also, despite being ghosts, seem to be affected by both physical and magical attacks, though the former takes a bit more to take them down than the latter. "Aim for the heads. If you can completely destroy their head, they won't come back up. See how a few have bullet holes?" It's hard to tell because of their lack of full solidity, but some do have holes in them that don't seem to slow them down much. Probably from the soldiers. Speaking of soldiers, some of the bodies start to.... move. And then stand up, joints craking as they bend ways they should not be bending. In the light of the magic and tracer shots, there looks to be something like a faint blue jellyfish attached to their heads. "...ugh. Category D." Yomi darts to the side, making sure to stay clear of the projectiles, and puts her sword right through the face of one of the soldiers. As it slumps down, the exorcist glances back and makes a face. "I know they look human, but they're already dead. Don't feel sorry for them, and don't go easy on them." The front doors of the school push open, and two more walking corpses shamble out. A night janitor and another soldier. Yomi lets out a soft curse. "I need to get inside and find the source or we'll be fighting these things all night. Can I count on the two of you to clean up out here?" 

:'''{{#var:685|Shigure (685)}} has posed:'''     "Suppress the enemy fleet." says Yamashiro, balling a fist up and summoning one of her main battery shells into it, before ramming it down the mouth-hole of a Specter, triggering the fuse manually where it detonates in the head, blasting it clean off the body. "Roger." As the bodies start to move, Yamashiro just wades straight in, palm-striking to break necks, or just delivering kiloton-backed punches in a near dance-like swath through the Cat-C and Cat-D's. Tracer fire, and smaller caliber explosive shells continue to rain from her secondary batteries all the while, if not killing, then staggering from the impact at least. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     Aim for the heads. Well, it seems like competing with Yamashiro for area saturation isn't going to work then. Lexicon sweeps her hammer back in recovery, producing an object with a blue-white glow in her free hand, "Go in and sort this out, Isayama. We'll hold the line out here." Opening her fingers, she reveals the symbol-shaped crystal, then presses it to her breastbone.     In a flash of digitized light, and without a relay this time, Lexicon's switched into her Digital Divinity. The hammer is now an axe, its blade shining white energy, "Just my luck, I'm in a cheap Japanese zombie movie now..! If only I had a camera, maybe I'd make a movie about it-- TANZERIN TROMBE!     Freshly transformed, Lexicon hurls herself into a spin with the leading edge of her axe moving in wide circular sweeps. While she typically does this at shoulder-height, this time she's aiming a bit higher. Aiming for necks. Even if that doesn't kill the things, it'll make it easy enough to finish the job. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "Thanks, both of you." She's seen now what Yamashiro can do, and she knows quite well what sort of violence Lexicon can get up to. Yomi isn't worried about these two being as stupid as the soldiers were. Still, a warning wouldn't be bad... "Just be sure you destroy the heads of the specters and the things on the Category Ds' heads. They might pop back up and surprise you if not." Yomi pauses again and lifts out her phone. "I'm going to have this with me so we don't have another shapeshifter pretending it's me. See you two soon." The exorcist waits for an opening before dashing toward the door and disappearing inside. The Category D zombies aren't really a massive threat, though they do have a tendency to get back up again if the bulb on their head isn't destroyed. The C specters have some limited intelligence and seem to be fond of the tactic of sinking into the ground and popping back up behind. As long as Lexicon and Yamashiro watch each others' backs, there shouldn't be much surprise, though, and their numbers thin as the two of them take out more of the specters. It's not easy due to their numbers, but they don't prove too much of a danger against seasoned fighters who pay attention to their surroundings. As more fall, though, a strong scent begins to waft through the air. It smells like blood and death and a tinge of burning hair. About fifteen feet up, the air begins to shimmer as if from heat, and smoke wisps up from... something. The top of the wall surrounding the schoolyard suddenly crumbles down in one place, and a giant round footprint forms on the ground. And then another footprint, far to the side and in front of it. As the heat and the smell grow more intense, the invisible form shimmers into full view, a black.... thing with red markings on it, two elephantine feet, a long tail, and flaming spines sprouting along its back. The squared head has no eyes, but a fang-filled mouth opens and lets out a screeching roar. 

:'''{{#var:685|Shigure (685)}} has posed:'''     Yamashiro has 360 'vision' thanks for her turrets, and their fairy operators. The banks swap priorities when they spot a spectre bearing down on Lexicon's back, withering it down with concentrated fire.     As the numbers start to thin, the ground shakes under the footsteps of something massive, and then the wall crumbles under the weight of it stepping down. Yamashiro grits her teeth, "Primary battery, all turrets, traverse, bearing 280. Load type 91 Armour Piercing. Elevate 12 degrees, prepare to fire, sequential spread. Two second delay."     Yamashiro speaks into her radio. "We have a new player, some kind of large monster just broke down the east wall." Yamashiro's turrets unlock, swivel into place and elevate, the lower pair ratcheting out on their gimbals to provide a better spread. She sweeps her arm forwards, and intones. "FIRE!" causing each barrel to belch out a plume of flame and smoke, launching a shell at the large beast, one after another with a two beat space between each barrel discharging. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     Small fry are small fry-- Knocking them down, cutting them up, smashing the pieces one can get to before they can reconstruct themselves. Lexicon sweeps her axe out of her spinning attack, holding it up high and behind herself. She eyes one of the less-completely-destroyed specters picking itself back up, "It isn't hard to knock 'em down. It's getting the fuckers to stay down that's the trick."     Rumbling and then a wall entrance. Lexicon whirls on the new challenger's arrival, the symbols in her pupils shining in the evening light, "Oh, did we kill enough mooks to spawn the boss?" She casts a glance at Yamashiro when she hears what she presumes to be heavy artillery loaded. The axe is lifted, braced with both hands, "Hold still for the big guns, giant flaming jackass! LATENT KATASTROPHE!"     When Lexicon brings her axe down, blue-white energy pulses into the ground where the blade impacts, dashing off at right angles like circuitry. Moments later, ice erupts around the Kasha's legs in an attempt to hinder its movement. Not just blocks around the feet, but various icy spines and spikes breaking out through cracks in the courtyard stonework as well. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' The kasha staggers as a pair of shells slam into it, cracking its skin and showing a glowing red underneath the black hide. It roars in confusion as ice sprouts around it, having never encountered anything like that attack. Several of the ice spines pierce one of its legs, though its weight and large feet seem to give it very good balance despite having only two legs. It lets out a roar and lurches forward, lowering its head... but instead of charging, its neck bends down further, until its head touches the ground. The tail pushes it off, and the kasha begins to roll forward like a giant flaming wheel, leaving tracks of singed grass and cement walkways as it rolls straight toward Yamashiro! 

:'''{{#var:685|Shigure (685)}} has posed:'''     Yamashiro tchs as her volley doesn't find any critical weakness. And Lexicon's follow up doesn't seem to slow it down either. "Reload, 15 seconds. Type 91 armour piercing." The turrets gimbal back in against her back, and start to emit clanking sounds as shells and powder charges are loaded up and secured.     But that's when the beast just starts doing its blue hedgehog impression. "Too fast..." She can't dodge it coming in that fast, and so just braces and claws her hands, ready to just bodyblock the thing.     The flaming spikes crash into her, and with a groan that sounds part human, part metal fatigue, the battleship skids back, digging furrows in the ground as she grasps at the rolling Kasha, slowly arresting its momentum while it burns at her body, scorching her miko outfit. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     When the beast starts its rolling charge, Lexicon digs her heels in, crouching. Those square-shaped wings burst from her back, panes of light, and the DCC surges right at the Kasha's side with Yamashiro straining to hold it. Her axe swings back, trailing mist and blue-white magic, such that when she brings it forward the head is rapidly encased in ice--forming a colossal blade from the head of her axe.     "Get the FUCK outta here with that! TODESSTOSS!" 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' The kasha isn't used to anything it rolls toward being strong enough to actually stop its forward motion. It jerks as Yamashiro catches it, the flames along its spine burning hotter against the battleship. Its legs extend back out from the wheel shape and plant on the ground, and its head unrolls and lifts until it's just over Yamashiro's head. As the kasha opens its fang-filled mouth, the ice axe slams it on the side of the neck. There's a loud sound of two hard things hitting together as the black hide on that entire side forms cracks that glow a burning red. The kasha shakes its head and takes a step forward, staggers on the side Lexicon hit it, and uses its tail for balance as it once more opens its mouth and lowers its head to bite at the two! 

:'''{{#var:685|Shigure (685)}} has posed:'''     Yamashiro takes a half-step back, just as her turrets emit a resonant CLAK, as the breaches are sealed. She lifts red eyes, blazing in the dim light, as the barrels lift to point into that gaping maw. "I hope you're hungry." she growls, firing off a volley at point blank range, pumping all eight barrels out in rapid succession. The secondaries that are still functioning open up as well, filling the Kasha's face with a large amount of 'Ow', like a dog trying to bite a porcupine. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     That got some headway. The icy axe blade shatters on impact, surrounding Lexicon with mist and shards as she wheels back. Briefly appraising Yamashiro's tactic of point-blank gunfire, Lexicon shifts her axe and raises it overhead. "EIN SCHLAG!" With that shout, she brings her axe down near the neck. With Yamashiro filling its face and throat with explosives, her intent is to straight up decapitate the thing. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Though it was intending to bite Yamashiro in half, the kasha was not expecting a mouthful of high explosive armor piercing shells. As explosions erupt inside of it, the youkai staggers back again, smoke starting to rise both from its mouth and from several ruptures along its neck and side. It lets out one last roar before Lexicon's axe finds its neck. There's some slight resistance from its tough hide, but the blade manages to cleave right through. There's no blood, as the creature seems to be made only of ash and fire, and the two parts of it fall to the ground, unmoving. 

:'''{{#var:685|Shigure (685)}} has posed:'''     Yamashiro drops to one knee after her point-blank shot. She breathes heavily, and waves Lexicon off. "Go help Yomi. I'll finish the rest off out here. My equipment is ill suited for combat in confined quarters." she says, traversing her secondary battery to fire on whatever remaining spectres and zombies are still milling around. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     Lexicon follows through completely with her axe, throwing her body into a somersault. Once she's upright again, she nods once to the battleship, "Got it!"     Lexicon twists in midair, dashing into the building. Past the door, her Digital Divinity fades and she hits the ground at a run, carrying her hammer one-handed, glancing through classroom doors as she moves down the hallways, "Isayama, give me a direction to go in!" 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Near the doors, the interior of the school doesn't look too damaged. Further in, though, there are deep gashes in the walls, bits of what looks like webbing hanging here and there, and... Shishiou, Yomi's sword, embedded in the wall. When the exorcist responds through the radio link in her phone, her voice sounds a bit distant, as if she's not holding the phone near her mouth. "Nurse's office! Bring my sword!" There's a loud crash and a growl that doesn't sound like like it was made by someone about Yomi's age, though it definitely isn't her voice. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     "Shit," Lexicon's curse is low, under her breath. She plants her foot against the wall beside Shishiou, grasping the hilt and yanking the blade free. Now dual-wielding, she makes for the administration--where the nurse office would be. All the damage is noted, but pushed to th eback of her mind for a moment. The only thing that stays up front is the webbing.     Son of a bitch, she thinks to herself, is this another of those shape-shifting spider bastards?     Rearing back, Lexicon kicks the nurse office door open, lunging into the room in the same motion, brandishing both weapons, "This better not be more shapeshifter shit!" 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' The nurse's office is a mess. Cabinets are overturned, curtains are torn down, more of that webbing is hanging from the walls and ceilings, and most of the bed frames are dented in. Yomi's phone is open and on the floor near a wall. Yomi herself looks to be in about the same condition as the room. Her uniform is torn in places, her hair is a mess, and there are sveral cuts on her face, arms, and sides. She's also trying her best to keep someone pinned down, a girl who looks a bit younger than her, wearing a middle school uniform... and with four extra, clawed arms. She probably couldn't manage at all against so many limbs, but her opponent doesn't seem to be able to match her strength... though it's still all she can do to keep those clawed arms from taking swipes at her. "It's not, but... I can't put her to rest without Shishiou!" 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     Welp. Lexicon makes a snap decision. Her friend is struggling to pin someone down who has far too many limbs, and is getting mangled in the process. And will need her hands free to do the thing that makes this monster disappear. She doesn't think too long about it, either. She simply tosses her hands up, discarding her hammer and Shishiou to hit the floor on either side.     "Time to tag in," is all she says before the small brunette leaps right into the melee. With her high strength and incredible endurance, wrestling the middle schooler should be a simple matter, and frees up Yomi to collect her weapon and do the thing, "I'll take over, sword's right there!" 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' The exorcist pauses for a moment as Lexicon wastes no time in coming to her aid. "Lexi..." It's only for a moment, though, before she reaches down to take hold of her sword. When the younger girl sees what's happening, she starts to struggle more, but she's no match for the DCC's strength! "Lexi... please look away." Yomi closes her eyes briefly and takes a step forward, hand shaking slightly as she lifts her sword. Her eyes slowly open, and she looks down at the girl on the floor. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to save you." There's another pause, to give Lexicon enough time to look away if she chooses, and Yomi brings her sword down through a point just below the youkai's neck. The wound is messy, there's a lot of blood, and... a red gemstone rises up from beneath the cut skin, cracks, and shatters. "Don't touch the shards. They're the cause of this whole mess." 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     Lexicon obligingly does look away. It's not that she's squeamish about non-digital death or viscera. It's entirely out of respect for Yomi's request. While this may spare the Exorcist's emotions, it does little to spare Lexicon's wardrobe, due to the messiness of the strike and the DCC's proximity. She flinches, but once the body goes limp, she releases it.     "Eugh," the complaint can't be helped. She examines her hands, then the shards littering the floor, "I'll avoid that... Your organization has a cleanup crew for stuff like this?" Turning her head, she fixates on the exorcist, "Because I think you might need to not be in this room right now." 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Once the deed has been done, Yomi flicks her sword quickly to the side to fling the blood from it. Silently for now, she walks over to get her phone and taps a few keys. "Yes, I'll let them handle it. I think you're right. I need to step outside." Of course, Yomi only makes it a few steps outside the nurse's office before leaning against a wall and sliding down to sit on the floor. Her hand presses to her forehead and she lets out a long breath. "...she was the sister of one of the girls in my class." 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     Lexicon collects her discarded hammer, dismissing it as a code string as she follows the exorcist out of the nurse's office. She hesitates when Yomi slides to the floor, perplexed, until the relationship is explained. The confusion gives way to concern, and the DCC glances downward in silent thought.     After a long, quiet moment, Lexicon joins Yomi on the floor, right beside the taller girl. An arm is looped around Yomi's shoulders, a tangible gesture of support. No words, only contact.     Lexicon knows just how distraught that elder sister is going to be... but she knows that Yomi did everything she could. And that's the message she can't put to words, the message she instead tries to convey with her presence. 
}}

6684/MECC: Yomi Isayama vs. Starbound Flotilla (Moonfin)

2019-06-20T04:46:53Z

Parasaurolophus: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2019/06/19 |Location=MECC Fighting Stage 3 |Synopsis=Yomi Isayama vs. Moonfin (Starbound Flotilla) |Cast of Characters=1098, 672 |pretty=yes }} {{P..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2019/06/19
|Location=MECC Fighting Stage 3
|Synopsis=Yomi Isayama vs. Moonfin (Starbound Flotilla)
|Cast of Characters=1098, 672
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' The finalist matches! While Yomi has always been confident in her fighting abilities, she didn't expect to get this far. Most of her fighting is against monsters, not people, so this entire tournament has been a learning experience. As she walks out onto the stage, Yomi takes her sword's case from her shoulder and sets it down by the entrance. She pulls out the sheathed blade and strides toward the center, awaiting her opponent and the signal to begin. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Moonfin, the soft-blue fishman, arrives with an activation of the MECC's systems that's quite stylish. Water crashes dramatically at the edge of the arena. Only the Starbound Flotilla could pump a small lake's worth of water into the facility, reality-warping zone or no. Moonfin steps dramatically out of it, ascending a staircase built below. Around him, several tiny islands rise, and trees rapidly grow from the earth using esoteric technologies until they bloom into cherry blossoms and begin to cascade their fresh flowery payload onto the field. This isn't even the MECC's field stuff, this is just the Starbound Flotilla doing homemade theatricality. He raises both arms out wide, calmly encouraging the crowd to cheer.     His armor is a stylish mix between a samurai's armor and a diving suit, an aesthetic that matches an elegantly-crafted katana sheathed at his waist in what looks like a diver-style piece of industrial equipment. He draws it in one clean motion, whips it just barely above the surface of the water such that it stays dry while still kicking up a stylish slicing wake, and then steps to his corner of the arena and takes a ready position.     "Finally." He says. "Someone who understands the proper path for this. Your chosen weapon may not be crafted with our quality, but that you model it at all after the superior form of Hylotl arms is worth some small measure of respect." His ready stance gets a little more taut, like a trebuchet about to fire. "Small. I shall test that you have the strength of soul and sharpness of wit to make a superior weapon into a superior technique. Now, human face the strength of the seas! En garde!!"     When the starting chime goes off, he takes off with microthrusters in his armor, moving in fast and hard to rush Yomi down and do his best to strike her with a barrage of wide swipes to feel out her defenses and keep some distance. But not enough distance that he's not constantly moving in for a sweeping blow against her, with that enhanced, high-tech powered blade! 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Wow, that really is a theatrical entrance. Yomi looks sufficiently impressed, one hand resting on her hip as she watches the water flood in and islands sprout. Once the new terrain has spread enough, she neatly hops to one of the small islands, tapping her foot down for a moment to test how solid it is. Her opponent is most definitely not human, but Yomi isn't quite sure just how inhuman he is. No better way to find out than to cross swords, though. "Mmm. Thanks for the compliment. I think." She smiles in amusement, bringing her hand to the hilt of her katana. "Shishiou is a family heirloom, so it's more accurate to say that it chose me. It's a great deal older than I am, though. Or you..." She pauses, looking her opponent up and down. "...probably." As Moonfin charges in, Yomi draws her blade, bringing it up quickly to meet the first of the swipes. Sparks fly as blade clashes against blade, and she manages to parry several of the slashes. One finds a way past her defenses, though, cutting across her upper arm and drawing blood. The exorcist leaps back for a moment to gain some distance, landing in a slight crouch. "I can already tell you're good. I'll give you that much." She shifts her weight slightly, then rushes forward, feet barely touching the ground as she moves. The first strike with her sword is a feint, and she follows by swinging her katana's shealth as if it were a backhand blade. One foot plants in the ground, and she brings Shishiou back again, a powerful slash diagonally upward as she recenters her weight. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Impact. Moonfin is forced to take the strike dead-on, despite an effort to maneuver. There two key things to note. The first is that his blade seems to be in motion before the feint is even complete, as if the motion were automatic! The second is that, even after he's forced to change the direction of his parry, he barely seems to respond to the sheath strike, letting it crush against his armor, denting it badly. He can only hold back and blunt the blow from the upward strike, as layers of armor shear away from his body. "A blade of history! Then, perhaps I will do my best to leave the blade un-damaged when I cast your exhausted form from this bracket! I have the utmost respect for such value!"     He's launched a bit upward and back by the force of blunting the blow, skidding and shedding bits of ablating armor. He stops the momentum by plunging his blade into the sand, kicking up a wave of it. "Anyone can tell that I am good. The question shall be whether you can see the details of it. Now, let us take this seriously. Third Sea Hylotl Style: Crashing Waves in Storms." This heralds a barrage of strikes from all angles, as Moonfin blasts in and now adds a strafing, multi-angle assault. He darts in tight circles around Yomi's stance, lashing in with thrusts that are increasingly difficult to get a good defensive angle on. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Though she's fought armored monsters before, Yomi knows how important it is to test just how protective that armor is, against both bladed and blunt strikes. This first attack gives her a pretty good idea. "You have a lot of confidence, huh?" Moonfin is just so jovial, though, she can't be upset at it. Grinning back at the Hylotl, she tightens her grip on her blade. "Don't worry. Shishiou has been through a lot. Besides, Master Michael would kill me if he had to retune it so soon." The exorcist quirks a brow. Now he's taking it seriously? As her opponent crashes in again, Yomi is more ready for him than the initial offensive. Her katana flashes as she parries blow after blow, occasionally using the sheath to block a strike at the wrong angle for her sword. It's not without effort, and she grits her teeth as she strains against the powerful attacks, waiting for just the right moment for an opening. As soon as she sees an opportune moment, Yomi quickly drops down to a crouch with her weight on one leg, sweeping the other toward the side of a knee in an effort to knock him off balance. As she rises up, she throws her sword's scabbard high into the air and takes in a breath, pulling back her free hand. It takes only a moment for her to gather chi focused in her palm, though there's no visible effect other than the motion of air as she thrusts her hand forward at Moonfin's midsection with crushing force. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Moonfin looks like he's just about to take the strike to his leg, the sweep -- but he doesn't! "First Sea Hylotl Style: Still Waters." He plants his sword in the ground, forcing Yomi's kick to strike the flat of the blade and har his arm instead. The chi force strike washes over his body as he moves the way water moves when it's struck; dispersing, angling, blunting the strike so that it falls apart on his chest, despite the sparking and sputtering of the mechanisms in his armor.     "You respect your master. Or perhaps simply fear them. Either way, I demand to see the heights of their handiwork, and to strike it down with style and grace." He pulls his blade out, drawing it and flicking sand off it to one side. "Fourth Sea Hylotl Style: Ice Reclaims the Breaker." His approach now involves dozens of low sweeps mixed with insane flipping overhead strikes that seem like they're there to accentuate the danger of this: That Yomi might stay in place, and start losing track of a good direction to get space in! 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' This man knows how to handle himself against both a swordsman and a martial artist, that much is apparent. Yomi can feel the force of her blow being redirected even as it strikes, and quickly pulls back her hand after impact. Keeping an eye on her opponent's sword, she raises her arm, catching the scabbard she threw upwards a moment ago. "Master Michael is a great weaponsmith. If you want to know who taught me to fight..." Despite how solid her opponent seems to be, he's quite fast. Yomi quickly steps back from the first sweep, raising her blade to counter an overhead strike. Blades clash, and she pushes back, straining against Moonfin's strength. "That... would be my father and my cousin." The angle is bad, though she manages to block the second strike. The third catches her at just the wrong moment, as her footwork to avoid being knocked off her feet brings her to stand on an uneven patch of the terrain. The exorcist lets out a yelp as Moonfin's blade draws blood again, this time on her left shoulder. As she twists from it, his next sweep manages to knock her off her feet, and she slams hard into the ground. Yomi's fighting style relies more on speed and precision than power, and this close fighting gives an advantage to her opponent. She slams her scabbard down into the ground and kicks her legs up, flipping back to her feet and getting a little distance from Moonfin. "Style and grace I'll grant you... but I don't intend to be struck down so easily." Her foot digs into the soft ground below her, and she dashes forward with surprising speed. Rather than striking at Moonfin, she darts past him, stopping to turn and slash at the back of his armor. The exorcist lets her momentum keep her spinning, and she lifts her other leg, kicking toward Moonfin to throw him off balance. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Moonfin tumbles, but he refuses to lose balance. The slash at the back sparks, granting him a halo, or a cowl, of sparks. He transitions cleanly from a tumble into a roll, then into a micro-thruster-powered flip onto his feet. "I think not." He says. "For you misunderstand entirely. I shall not grant you an easy defeat. No, the defeat you are granted shall be tremendously difficult. When you fall, exhausted and beaten in this arena, it shall be with grace and with style. But it shall not be effortless. It shall need countless years of skill, and an unthinkably precise eye. It shall need speed and engineering of the highest order. That is what it takes to make /beautiful artwork/, and that is what I shall make of your defeat."     He takes a dramatic pose. "SO! Here is the first of three strikes! And upon the third, you will certainly fall! Strike me down before then -- pour your heart into stopping me before my opus is made. Halt my artwork, but do not struggle to perservere through it, for if you stand after my work is complete, all it will earn you is a more ugly defeat still! I say again: En Garde! Second Sea Hylotl Style: Tumultuous Waters!"     His blade begins to blaze with power, charging up something dramatic. It's so strong that the shockwaves of stray energy are enough to be a strike of their own. The battering, bruising impacts of the waves lash out at Yomi! 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "I... thanks?" Yomi looks perplexed, but she thinks that's a compliment. Of sorts. "So you treat swordsmanship as art. I can respect that... even if I don't personally share the same feeling." When he poses, the exorcist slides her foot back, preparing to guard against a dramatic attack... which is not what she expects. Her left arm comes up, despite the injured shoulder, and braces against the shockwaevs of energy. Yomi winces as her arm is jostled, hair and uniform whipping from the pressure of that energy. "Three strikes, was it? I may just have to foil your plans." She takes a breath and begins gathering chi again, but this time channels it into her sword. "Win or lose, this fight has taught me one thing. I need more training..." Violet eyes close briefly, she takes a deep breath, then opens her eyes again and charges forward. Her sword flashes out, making a quick strike for Moonfin, though it isn't a particularly powerful one. "Ranguren!" Misdirection. Should her opponent focus on her, he might not notice the Divine Beast's appearance until too late. Fading into existance from nothing, the great nue takes solid form, breathing out puffs of steam. It kicks up sand and debris behind it as it leaps, paws outstretched to swipe at the armored swordsman and try to crush that armor some more. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Moonfin parries hard, blunting only a little of the strike from Yomi's blade. "Hmph!" He sounds imperious, especially haughty about it. "Is that all?!" It isn't. It's only when the armor's visor reveals his third eye opening to focus on the sound of the beast that his whole body braces. "Ghhh--!" He can barely get the blade between him and the paw. "Blunting" it would be too generous, it's more like he reduced the brutal strike as it shears off chunks of durasteel. He goes flying back, but does not tumble. "A beast of legend, then... I respect your choice in creates that might grant you assistance, but no host of myth can hold back my blade. This is not enough! Pour your heart into halting me, or you will stand no chance! TWO! Fifth Sea Hylotl Style! Lightning Striking Waves!"     He kicks up a wave of sand as he bounds towards the Nue, leaps high, and flickers as he falls with more speed than gravity ought to grant him, blade down. There's enough force in the impact that it'll likely impact even Yomi, but he intends most of all to disperse Nue, drive it out of the fight, or otherwise render this battle once more a one-on-one. No matter what, he'll kick up a huge wave of sand with whatever impact happens -- the perfect cover to lash out towards Yomi with a terribly sudden slash meant to jar her arms right through a blocking blade, to batter her, to sort of... challenge her directly.     "Listen well! When the third strike falls upon your form, do not dare to blink! Do not miss a moment! Your challenge is not to win, your challenge is not to /outlast/ the strike. Your challenge is to simply /see/ the strike! Your challenge is to witness the artistry, and I shall not forgive it if you should not see it!" Once he's done with his battering barrage, he takes a harsh, offensive stance. That final assault will come the very moment she launches her own! 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' As the armored swordsman leaps, Ranguren takes a few steps back, all of its eyes focusing on him. It's not fast enough to avoid the strike completely, but it does manage to avoid what could have been a lethal blow. Still, the blade strikes deep along its side, and the Divine Beast lets out a roar of pain. The shockwave is enough to keep Yomi from immediately charging in, and she's forced to stand her ground and bring her sword down toward it, dispersing some of the force to either side. It still hits hard enough to send her skidding back a short distance, though she remains on her feet. "See the strike? I think I can manage that." If nothing else, Moonfin has been... interesting to fight so far. Never has she encountered someone so obsessed with the literal art of the blade. She's not going to disappoint him by missing his attack, but she also isn't going to allow it to strike as intended. "Ranguren! Come back!" The nue glances briefly at Moonfin, then takes a few steps back and seems to fade away. It reappears behind Yomi, however, crouching as if ready to pounce again. "Since you have demanded it... I'll put everything I have into this strike. I trust you'll do the same." Taking a breath, the exorcist closes her eyes briefly to center herself, driving the scabbard of her weapon down into the ground next to her so she can grasp Shishiou with both hands. Behind her, Ranguren opens its mouth and lets out a loud roar, the force enough to send Yomi's hair whipping around her. Her foot slides back until it's touching the Divine Beast's paw... and then violet eyes snap open. Yomi kicks off her nue's foot and propels herself toward Moonfin. She holds her sword back as she charges, only bringing it up just before she reaches her opponent, and brings it down in one powerful slash. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Moonfin... sheaths his blade. "Good. Let this be a fitting conclusion." At last, someone to match his technique's true nature. Microthrusters rumble, build, and suddenly seem like they're going to explode with force. The building energy in Moonfin's blade reaches a peak. The shockwaves coming off of it are the perfect match for Ranguren's roar, and sand is tossed in all directions in two perfect, swirling storms. The trees atop the small islands have all simultaneously begun to shed their blossoms. The air suddenly is still; each petal falls naturally.     And Moonfin is behind Yomi. A clean line of petals is sliced in half, from where he was, to where he is. His blade is out ahead of him, the tip a single millimeter from Ranguren. His strike is complete. He pulls his blade back, stands straight, and draws the blade along the sheath gently, before beginning to slide it in. As he does, only then can either brain process the details of what happened. A lashing blade in a perfect, precise arc. A speed so great, so intense that it split atoms in the air as it did, cleanly knocking nitrogen in half along a fine-tuned monomolecular razor's edge. Her strike crashed against him, and sparks had flown. A deep gash in his armor, from shoulder to hip, shows where it barely managed to keep the cut a shallow strike as Moonfin's blow wove around it like water slipping around a blade. Blood pools in the sand beneath his feet, and water washes it away as waves come in.     But what happened with the clean, horizontal slash that arced out towards Yomi so quickly? It's hard to say just now. One has to sort the memories, and puzzle it out after the fact. Exactly what happened will be much easier to see and to know, indeed, the moment Moonfin's blade finally slides all the way into the sheath, gently coming to rest with the hilt in place. As it slides its final inches, he says, "Sixth Sea Hylotl Style: Burial at Sea."     Click.     Cue spray. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Just a few fractions of a degree. That's how far the angle of her strike was off. But that meant the difference between a deep cut and a shallow one. As petals fall, Yomi comes to a stop some distance past Moonfin. She snaps her blade out to the side, standing firm for a moment and closing her eyes. ...and then she staggers forward, collapsing to one knee. Her chi falters, and Ranguren fades away again, still staring at Moonfin the entire time. With a wet sound, Yomi coughs up blood and lowers her head, free hand resting on her knee in an attempt to keep from falling over. She gave her all to that final strike, and she could tell that her opponent did as well. She wasn't going to pass out without at least acknowledging the fight. "...I saw it," comes a soft voice, the loudest Yomi is able to muster before slumping forward. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Moonfin breathes out a breath he's been holding for an agonizingly long time. "Good. I reward the efforts of your heart with the beauty of your defeat. Let it be remembered and admired. You fought well." He says, as if it were some kind of ceremony. He turns and bows that unique sort of haughty, arrogant bow of a rival samurai's victory. The haughtiness is broken only by a short wince, a sharp breath drawn as he feels the pain of the gash along his body. "Tch! ...Perhaps too well."     He turns back away and strides back into the water from whence he came, giving the Shrine of Adversity the space it needs to get to work on restoring Yomi Isayama, letting his diving gear take over, and exiting the arena with all the drama he can muster. That one was a /good/ one. Too close for comfort, but every artist risks and suffers. It was a /satisfying/ conclusion. 
}}

6615/MECC: Yomi Isayama vs Alea

2019-05-25T23:42:31Z

Parasaurolophus: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2019/05/25 |Location=MECC Fighting Stage 4 |Synopsis=Yomi Isayama vs. Alea |Cast of Characters=1098, 6835 |pretty=yes }} {{Poses |Poses=:'''{{#var:..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2019/05/25
|Location=MECC Fighting Stage 4
|Synopsis=Yomi Isayama vs. Alea
|Cast of Characters=1098, 6835
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' With only one match left in her primary pool, Yomi is... a bit relieved, actually! She doesn't hate fighting, but exhibition matches are a bit different from real combat in the field, and it's been exhausting to have to avoid certain things. But today's match is at least someone she knows more about, as they're from the same place as Lexicon. She's never met Alea in person before, but she's heard stories... perhaps she'll get to confirm them today. After leaving her sword's case by the side of the arena, Yomi strides toward the middle of the stage. She makes a polite bow toward Alea, then falls into a ready stance, hand resting on the handle of her sword. As soon as the signal is given, the exorcist charges forward, drawing Shishiou at the last second for a quick opening slash. 

:'''{{#var:6835|Alea (6835)}} has posed:'''     Alea's making her way in, the pillar of code surrounds her as she transforms into Emerald Soul. The bow is returned and she twirls her spear, smiling. "Good luck to you." she comments, striding towards the middle of the stage, at least until the sudden slash towards her direction. She ducks back, the sword knicking her and drawing some code out of her.     There's a smirk, "Alright, no words, huh?" she bounces slightly and dashes herself in this time, coming in with a rapid flurry of spear stabs, nothing special with this one, a testing set of stabbings. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "Didn't want to distract you from the start." Yomi grins at her opponent as she takes a step back, and her sword quickly moves to deflect some of the incoming stabs. She doesn't fight polearm users very often, but she at least knows that she has to keep her distance when not coming in for an attack. Several of the stabs are deflected, though one scores a scratch along her arm, cutting through the sleeve of her uniform. "I'm sure you can tell me aaaaall about your rivalry with Lexicon when we're not fighting anymore." Yomi waits for an opening, then reaches to push the spear aside with her hand, using the momentum to close in again. She raises her katana and continues her forward step into a spinning slash, then brings her sword back again for another strike, trying to land her hits before Alea can bring her spear back in against someone so close. 

:'''{{#var:6835|Alea (6835)}} has posed:'''     Emerald Soul is trying to get those stabs through but the deflections are actually quite annoying! "Fine fine, we'll just stab each other until we can't move, how boring we have a boss battle without dialogue!" she frowns, "It makes for poor sales." she mutters, a grin as one strike finally gets through, but the last deflection actually sets her up to get a retaliatory strike from a spinning swordswoman!     The next strike from Yomi makes her skid back a couple feet, kicking up dust from the ground, her torso sporting some good gashes from the attempt... "Well, I would ask if you're serious but..." there's a green ring opening up behind her and she steps to the side, "Sylhet Spear!" she shouts, a giant spear made of intertwined tree trunks, sporting a metal point launches from the spell circle in an attempt to spear the swordswoman! 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "Well, we -could-..." Yomi can't help but laugh at the pout, though. "What's this about sales now?" She knows these matches are being broadcast, but isn't really sure if banter between the combatants gets picked up by the cameras. "You can feel free to talk if you want, though. What's on your mind?" As the portal to the spear dimension opens, Yomi takes half a step back, not knowing just what is going to come out. When she sees the giant spear launching forward, the exorcist leaps up at the very last moment, flipping up and over the spearhead and landing on the tree trunk shaft. With her sword out to one side, Yomi dashes along the spear shaft and jumps again, up and over Alea, to land in a crouch on the other side. One hand presses against the ground for leverage as Yomi spins around, swinging her leg at Alea's ankles to try to knock her opponent right off her feet! 

:'''{{#var:6835|Alea (6835)}} has posed:'''     "I make games." she replies, as if it explains everything. Emerald Soul huffs a bit and bounces in place, then frowns as the exorcist starts running across her Sylhet Spear. "Hey, no wall running!" she shouts, the jump over her catches her off guard and the leg connects and sends her face first into the ground with a loud yelp. "Kyaaa, ow that... that was a good move." she compliments... slowly getting herself back up. "Well, maybe I may have had a few.... overnight sessions. Out of practice."     Excuses, Alea, excuses...     Emerald Soul floats up into the air and opens up a bunch of smaller portals, green energy spears start to shoot out towards Yomi, before a bigger energy spear shoots out towards the center of it, mostly to try and keep the exorcist on her toes.... and many spears are better than one! 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "Games? Huh.. I've never really been one for games until I met Lexicon." She's still an amateur, despite having good reflexes and coordination. "What kind of games?" Excuses! "You have to know how to use the environment to your advantage, even if part of the environment is your opponent's weapon!" She pauses a moment, glancing birefly toward the stands in confusion. "...you two have a lot of history, huh?" But then Alea is in the air, and more spears are on the way. Yomi swings her sword to deflect some, dodges quickly to avoid others. One of them still manages to catch her across the side, tearing through her uniform and drawing blood. That larger one looks like it might not be as kind to run on, so instead Yomi charges straight for it, diving forward to tumble beneath before hopping back up to her feet. "You really should be careful to pay attention to everything going on around you, though!" The air behind Alea begins to shimmer as the exorcist channels chi through her sword. "Ranguren!" The form that solidifies is floating in the air, dangerously close to Alea, its steamy breath puffing on her back. The Divine Beast lets out a loud roar and lifts its paw, swiping it at Alea to try to knock her back out of the sky, then follows with a pounce to slam its weight down on her. 

:'''{{#var:6835|Alea (6835)}} has posed:'''     Emerald Soul nods, "We do have a lot of history. We mostly try to take the System Hub from each other or borrowing her Sisters." she nods, bouncing in the air once more, "It's a long history." a nod, then she readies herself for something, "Pay attention? I do, you're right there, and I'm making sure you don't leave my sight again!" she twirls her spear a bit until she feels the breath upon her back... "Ranguren?"     She turns around a bit to see the Divine Beast, the roar stuns her and then the paw swipe slams right into her and knocks her into the ground, coupled with the pounce, it sends her into the ground even more, with a loud cry of pain... "Nnngh, get ... off me!" she shouts, reaching around to try and push that beast off of her.     "Using summoned pets..." she coughs a bit and looks towards Yomi before knocking that Divine Beast off her with a few heavy swings of her spear. "You're a tough little one to crack, I like it. Better than some of my fights for sure."     She hops back up into standing, bouncing even more just to taunt Lexicon. "Shall we dance?" she dashes in, spear first, and then runs right past.... eliciting a mass wind burst right around Yomi's position! 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "Ranguren isn't a pet. It's my Guardian Beast." The nue growls, pressing down on Alea, but the spear manages to keep it from remaining too close. It hops back from Alea before the spear's tip can stab it, falling down into a forward crouch with its tails writhing behind it. "I'm glad to see I'm keeping you on your toes." Yomi brings her sword up again, preparing for her opponent's dash. She manages to step away from the charging thrust, making a half spin away and bringing Shishiou's blade down toward the wind burst that follows. The air parts around her sword, buffeting her hair and uniform, and even making her stagger back despite deflecting most of the force. The exorcist reaches onw hand up, sweeping some of her hair back from her forehead and eyes. "I'm not sure if you can call that dancing, but..." Before she finishes the sentence, Yomi darts forward with surprising speed, leaving a cloud of dust in her wake. She charges in for Alea's left flank, but then slams her foot down hard enough to crack the arena floor. It stops her movements instantly, sending her spinning the other direction, and she uses the momentum of her spin to bring the sword down on the opposite side from her initial approach. 

:'''{{#var:6835|Alea (6835)}} has posed:'''     Emerald Soul is definitely put upon her paces today, maybe her luck's run out from the last few battles she fought... or Yomi's just really good.     She's leaning towards the latter...     She braces herself for the incoming attack, bringing her spear up in a rare moment of trying to guard against the attack but the fake out actually works and sends the DCC flying towards the other end of the stage, tumbling and rolling into the wall.     She coughs and slowly gets herself back up, not down and out as of yet... "Are you holding back?" she mutters, "Or you're just precise. Either way, it's annoying." She gives a minor shrug and points her spear towards Yomi, the tip starts to glow green as she charges up and she lets out a barrage of wind bolts towards the exorcist, trying to cover the arena in wind bullets! 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "I'm not holding back. I just... don't usually fight people." Yomi hesitates for a moment. "I normally fight monsters." There's a big difference, both in scale and force, but the exorcist doesn't really have time to go into the finer poitns of it right now. Especially when Alea is launching ranged attacks toward her. Raising her left hand to guard her face, Yomi charges across the arena toward her opponent. The wind bullets slam into her body as she runs, but she doesn't halt her advance despite the pain. "Ranguren!" The great Divine Beast lets out a roar and gallops toward Alea and leaps, paws extended not to pin, but to swipe, seeking to knock Alea up into the air. At the same time, the exorcist leaps, sword held back as she arcs through the air. Once she's close enough, she slashes horizontally at Alea, continuing past and landing in a slight crouch, sword arm held out to one side. 

:'''{{#var:6835|Alea (6835)}} has posed:'''     "Then why did you join?" Emerald Soul mutters, "Don't fight, toy with your opponent... it's really undermining and not taking someone seriously." she chides, "But have it your way." She keeps herself still, dropping her transformation. Alea doesn't do anything when the Divine Beast comes up and throws her into the air and the horizontal slash connects and sends her down towards the ground once more, bouncing off the floor with a loud crack.     Alea, at this point, just doesn't bother to get up, a white flag showing, "I'm done." she mutters, "You win." she rolls around towards her back, her spear dissapears and she just stares at the sky, "If you're going to fight, at least try to take it seriously against a person." 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "If you think I'm not taking you seriously, then I'm afraid you're mistaken." Yomi presses her lips into a thin line and sheathes her sword, letting out a slow breath as she releases her focused chi. Ranguren vanishes into the shimmering air, and the exorcist turns back to face Alea. "If I entered this tournament to toy with my opponents, I wouldn't have brought Shisihou at all." Yomi takes a deep breath... then pauses. "I'm sure we'll talk again later." She gives a polite bow to Alea, then turns and walks to retrieve her sword's carrying case. 
}}

6593/MECC: Yomi Isayama vs Deelel

2019-05-20T23:02:51Z

Parasaurolophus: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2019/05/20 |Location=MECC Fighting Stage 4 |Synopsis=Yomi Isayama vs. Deelel |Cast of Characters=1098, 8 |pretty=yes }} {{Poses |Poses=:'''{{#var:1..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2019/05/20
|Location=MECC Fighting Stage 4
|Synopsis=Yomi Isayama vs. Deelel
|Cast of Characters=1098, 8
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' At the entrance to the arena, Yomi sets down her sword's carrying case and takes out the sheathed blade Holding it in one hand, she walks up onto the stage and gives her opponent a brief, but polite, bow. As the ready call is given, she falls back into a combat stance, resting her right hand on the hilt of her sword and taking a deep breath. As soon as the signal is given to start, the exorcist dashes forward, closing the distance to Deelel in moments. As soon as she's within reach, she tightens her grip on Shishiou and draws it swiftly, making a swift slash toward her opponent. 

:'''{{#var:8|Deelel (8)}} has posed:''' Deelel takes a moment to look over Yomi she grins a bit at her bowing slightly as she sees Yomi approaches her but she also gets it's time to get going right away as the combat stance is seen she knows its go time. Given her foe is into melee? Deelel will summon her keyblade the Duel Disc with a flick of her wrist and she will move to meet the other attempting to fade to the left and use her own weapon in an attempt to parry the blow. "Not much for banter I see. The ID is Deelel and I'm a Multi-Media Program lets see how good your Game is." She takes a hit the blade cutting into her leaving a glowing blue line in its wake from her damaged clothing and cut body, odd. There's an interested expression on Deelel's face as he now throws herself in turn at Yomi striking out with the blade, going low high, mid, low again in a chain of strikes against the other. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "Isayama Yomi." The exorcist smiles back at her opponent as blade meets blade. "...did you say program?" Her eyes are drawn briefly to the mark left by her sword. "..huh. Okay then." Either some kind of energy shield or not human. Yomi quickly hops back as her opponent swings out, bringing up Shishiou to parry the first strike... though the force of the clash is enough to make her skid backwards. She's a bit more prepared against the second attack, barely deflecting it away, though the third slides off her sword and manages to land a strong hit on her leg, dropping her to one knee. "Right... you're pretty strong! I suppose there's no holding back against you, is there?" Quickly pushing back up, Yomi goes on the offensive, dashing in close and slashing with her sword. With her other hand, she drives the scabbard down into the floor, then slams her hand toward Deelel's midsection with a chi-powered open palm thrust. 

:'''{{#var:8|Deelel (8)}} has posed:''' Deelel says "That is correct." She seems to be enjoying a duel like this so with the exorcist from the looks of it. She's also trying to get an idea of how Yomi fights she can see she's pretty good with the blade. There is the clang of weapon on weapon and she grins at Yomi's comment. "No there isn't any need to, show me what you can do!" % Deelel attempts to get clear but it doesn't go so well for her as Yomi score a very nice hit on her. She was all focused on the swordplay and not on the chi-powered palm thrust which catches her, she sent flying but there is one clear thing she didn't have the wind knocked out of her per se. She's clearly been hurt and now Deelel is chanting something for a moment. "Blizzard!" She sends a burst of magical ice right at Yomi as she moves to close once more. She's intending to keep fighting Yomi up close if she can and she does clearly seem to be enjoying this fight too. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Yomi is about to follow up with another strike when she notices the chanting. "A spell?" And a big one, at that. Rather than running, the exorcist stands her ground and lifts Shishiou high. Violet eyes focus on the incoming ice magic, and, at the last moment, she brings her sword down. "Yaa!" The force of her slash divides the shower of ice in half, sending it to either side of her. Some of the crystals still cut against her arms, but better than having the full force hit her straight on! The instant that the ice passes, she's charging forward again toward Deelel. She slashes with her sword as a feint, then quickly reaches out with her free hand, grabbing for her opponent's arm and exerting a surprising amount of strength as she tries to swing Deelel overhand and slam her against the ground. 

:'''{{#var:8|Deelel (8)}} has posed:''' Deelel says "Yes, you could say I had a few patches since my User compiled me!" She notes with a grin on her face she also notices Yomi does a fairly good counter to lessen the ice's impact on her by a good deal. "Nicely done, you are thinking on your feet." She notes and then Yomi is closing in and Deelel's is happy to meet her up close again. When she's grabbed Yomi would find Deelels arm feels like a human's would it is even warm. Deelel goes down hard into the ground and it clearly hurt as she cries out but she's quick to break free and she's already flipping back to her feet. She's on her feet again with her weapon in hand and then she darting in again she'll make a strike for Yomit's right flank, and then follow it up with several more blows which try to push her back. The blows keep coming it's clear Deelel isn't even worried about scoring hits as it is keeping Yomi on the defence. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "Heh. Not the first time I've had to deal with magic." Yomi takes a step back as her opponent hops up, then quickly brings her sword up again. As the rain of blows comes in, she moves swiftly, deflecting the first strike, then the second, keeping pace with Deelel's flurry of attacks. Sparks fly with every impact of sword on sword, but Yomi knows she needs to get a little breathing room or she'll never be able to land a solid attack. As one more blue comes in, Yomi doesn't deflect it. Instead, she reaches out her free hand and catches the keyblade wih a loud SMACK, wincing at the force of the impact. Still, she grins at her opponent as she holds tightly. She only needs to buy herself a second or two. "Ranguren!" As Yomi pours chi into her sword, the air behind her begins to shimmer. Before long, the form of the Divine Beast Ranguren solidifies and opens its great mouth, letting out a mighty roar. The nue lifts its paw and swipes it downward, slamming hard toward Deelel and trying to keep her pinned to the floor. 

:'''{{#var:8|Deelel (8)}} has posed:''' Deelel says "Well that's good to know." She's got the idea Yomi is quite experienced when everything is said and done the two blades meet again and again. There are sparks there' the clang and she knows Yomi does have the skills to get out of the assault, then the blade catch comes? That was not something Deelel saw coming, attempting to blade catch any sort of melee wepaon on the grid was unwised given their powered edges. On other worlds, it's far more viable, the counter-attack though she can see the blade shimmering and she twists out of the way with a show of strength a human woman of her frame normally wouldn't have. "A Summoner?!" Deelel shourts startled and she'll now relaly have to press the attack here. She now pulls the ID Disc off her back the edge powers up, with a hum she'll throw it at Yomi, and a second later Ranguren has the Keyblade thrown at it like a boomerang as well, as for Deelel is on the nmove as now Yomi could catch her between herself and her summoned cat thing... 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' It's hard to hold onto a sword's blade (or blunted edge) with only one hand, and Yomi can't hang on long enough to keep Deelel in place for Ranguren. "Not quite a summoner, no. Ranguren is my Guardian Beast." She reaches back, placing a hand on the nue's leg, and gives a nod toward it. With two projectiles coming their way, Yomi quickly brings her free hand back to her sword. She manages to meet the flying ID Disc on the edge of her blade, but the spinning disc slips off and continues its flight, slamming her hard in the shoulder. Ranguren, for his part, is not as good at evasive maneuvers as Yomi is, so it merely swats at the flying blade to knock it aside, earning itself a long gash along its front leg. It lets out an annoyed roar and opens its mouth wide, but Yomi shakes her head, reaching up to rub her shoulder. "Not now. The other thing." There's a brief pause, but the nue closes its mouth and crouches down a bit lower. With an agile hop, Yomi jumps to its back, then springs high upward. While she's still in the air, Ranguren charges toward Deelel, feet just barely not touching the ground as it runs. Ranguren lets out a roar and pounces forward, extending a paw to swipe at Deelel as it runs past. At the same time, Yomi plummets from above, sword raised high for an overhead slash to strike at the same time as her Guardian Beast. 

:'''{{#var:8|Deelel (8)}} has posed:''' Deelel is aware now that Ranguren has changed the nature of the match there are two factors to worry about. As the ID Disc goes spinning off she'll move to recover it and the keyblade will blink out once the attack with it has been handled. It appears in her hand again as she now looks to intercept Yomi's next attack and she is going to need it. She will now find the thing known as Raguren charging here and it foes pounce her it swipes her and she's caught by Yomi's slash. She does not bleed, she cracks, several glowing blue voxels fall out of the wound, one can see the bleeding light from it and Deelel's in a good deal of pain here. "You are quite experienced." She'll take her free hand and pull a puck like item off her leg and lob it at Renguren. As for Yomi Deelel will make one last push at her to strike even as she does so several more voxels are falling out of the rents from the wounds the Guardian beast inflicted upon her. As for the puck it will explode in an explosion of energy. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' The lack of bleeding confirms Yomi's earlier suspicions that her opponent is not human. Especially with... whatever that stuff is coming from the wounds. "I'll take that as a compliment. You're not too bad yourself!" The exorcist is breathing heavily after her strike, having exerted herself despite the aching in her shoulder from that thrown disc. Yomi's eyes follow what gets thrown toward the nue, and she starts to run toward her Guardian Beast. Deelel's strike catches her on bad footing, and though Yomi lifts her sword to deflect, she just barely misses the keyblade. It hits her hard in her already wounded shoulder, and she drops down to one knee, pushing Shishiou into the ground for balance. When the puck explodes, Ranguren lets out a roar of pain, turning to look toward the cause. Yomi takes one glance at him, then closes her eyes and concentrates, and the nue fades away into a shimmer of air. "I yield. I know better than to keep fighting when I'm seeing two of you." 

:'''{{#var:8|Deelel (8)}} has posed:''' Deelel is clearly making ready for a counter attack from Yomi but it never comes as she watches her drop to one knee and uses her blade to balance herself. She waits watching Yomi for a moment and then Yomi yields the announcer calls the match and Dreel grins to offer Yomi a hand up as her Keyblade vanishes, and her ID disc powers down. "It was a very good fight I wasn't expecting you to have a friends such as that." She grins a bit more. "Users like yourself are always full of surprises." As the match is over the injuries start to fade away on Deelel as the voxels on the ground vanish and the wounds knit themselves back up. 
}}

6543/MECC: Yomi Isayama vs Sarracenia

2019-05-11T22:46:12Z

Parasaurolophus: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2019/05/11 |Location=MECC Fighting Stage 3 |Synopsis=Yomi Isayama vs. Sarracenia |Cast of Characters=1098, 446 |pretty=yes }} {{Poses |Poses=:'''{{..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2019/05/11
|Location=MECC Fighting Stage 3
|Synopsis=Yomi Isayama vs. Sarracenia
|Cast of Characters=1098, 446
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "..another tall girl, huh." Yomi unshoulders her sword case and pulls out the sheathed Shishiou, holding the scabbard in one hand as she strides closer to the middle of te arena. Once she's in place, she gives Sarracenia a polite bow, then smiles at the princess as she straightens up. "Nice to meet you. I like that dress." It wouldn't look good on -her-, but Yomi can still acknowledge nifty clothes when she sees them! As soon as the signal is given, the exorcist dashes forward. Her right hand grasps the handle of her sword, but rather than draw it fully, she waits until she's rather close before jerking it out just slightly, intent on jamming the hilt into Sarracenia's midsection as an opening move to get some space. Another, smoother motion, and she draws the blade fully, continuing her shoulders' rotation to swing the blunt sheath in a follow-up strike. 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      Sarracenia curtseys in turn and smiles to Yomi. "Thank you! I designed it myself to both look stylish and survive the rigors of combat much more readily than my usual fare." As Yomi dashes forward, Sarracenia reaches into her satchel and pulls out what looks like a long staff...right up until the point where it is tipped by a hammer that looks like it weighs more than she does.      The princess does not really try to block the hit, but by a stroke of luck the hammer head emerges just at the right time to parry Yomi's strike and send the princess sliding a bit. She gives her hair a toss and smirks. "I am Princess Sarracenia Sundew, Crown Princess of the Sundew Kingdom. It is nice to meet you as well. But, do not think I shall be easy to defeat simply because I am a princess!"      Sarra goes into a graceful ballet spin at that with her hammer held out at length. Like a weighted top she starts twirling toward Yomi, aiming a series of hammer hits at the shorter girl. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' A staff... no, a hammer? "Isayama Yomi, exorcist. I don't get to meet princesses too often." Especially strong ones, given how easily her opponent seems to swing that hammer around. As it gets close, Yomi quickly flips back, avoiding the first swing. She holds on the defensive for a few more swings, parrying one strike with her sword, dodging another. One manages to catch her arm with enough force to spin her around, and she quickly leaps back out of range as soon as she regains her balance. "I don't think I've ever been to any Sundew Kingdom before, though. Maybe I should add that to my multiversal list." Rather than charging straight back in, Yomi darts to the side, picking up speed and traversing a wide arc in a surprisingly short time before running past Sarracenia, her sword slashing out toward the princess as she moves through. 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      "It is definitely worth a visit! I think it is considered unusual even by Multiversal stndards." Sarracenia says even as she spins. She loses momentum finally, possibly due to being a bit dizzy after such a spin. But, that dizziness and the resulting unsteadiness allows her to move to the side just as that sword comes slashing out. It still catches her in the arm, cutting into her leather gloves and the skin beneath. Sarra yelps softly at the hit, then sighs. "I know it is a battle dress...but it is still rather upsetting when it gets damaged." she says, pouting a bit and looking at the cut.      Rather than try to close the distance again, Sarracenia reaches into her satchel again and pulls out a rather cute-looking bomb thing. "Go, little Bob-omb!" Sarracenia throws it at Yomi, and wherever it lands the Bob-omb unleashes a small but violent explosion. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "It is a nice dress," Yomi admits with a nod. "Sorry, but it can't be helped." About halfway through that tossed... thing's arc, it clicks for the exorcist that it's an explosive. She's not going to try to slash it like she made the mistake of doing recently with some torpedoes, though! Instead, she tries to time her dodge to the side to avoid the blast entirely... but she mistakes the bob-omb's movement just a bit, and the resulting explosion sends her flying back, shrapnel burning small holes through her uniform. "I am going through far too many of these lately..." She can already hear the elcture she's going to get back home. Shaking her head to clear out the ringing from the explosion, Yomi advances toward Sarracenia again, then breaks into a run. About halfway to the princess, she leaps up, raising her sword... and then lands on the other side, neatly sheathing it again. Dropping into a crouch, she spins quickly, trying to sweep Sarracenia off her feet, then following up with a chi-fueled palm strike from her free hand. 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      "I had the same problem!" Sarracenia says of Yomi's comment about the damage to clothing. "That is why I commissioned this battle dress!" she says, apparently happy to have someone appreciate her dress. "If you would like, I would be happy to create such a garment for you as...well?" She watches Yomi fly over her, then blinks as that leg sweep catches her. The princess goes down, but a quick roll keeps her from taking the chi-strike. "How tricky!" she says, wincing a bit where she landed on her shoulder after the trip. "And impressive!" she says even as she leaps...but rather than going over Yomi, she is just going for a standard overhead swing...or so it seems until she pulls back from the overhead swing and goes into a twirl, aiming a leg sweep of her own. If you can call it a leg sweep when the hammer head can basically hit the entire leg. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "I'm not so sure leather is a look I can pull off. Besides, I work for the government. Can't be on my job outside of my uniform, or the school will complain." Yomi prepares to dodge that overhead swing, but as it turns into a sweep... well, not quite a sweep, given the head of the mallet is so huge! She twists to the side, but it still slams her hard enough to send her tumbling along the ground. Yomi is a little unsteady rising back to her feet, but she quickly falls back into a ready stance. Taking a breath, she draws her sword again, and the air around her begins to shimmer. "Ranguren!" The shimmering solidifies into the form of the great Guardian Beast, letting out wisps of steam that dissipate in the air around it. As Yomi arcs around to the right, the nue lets out a roar and charges straight in, leaping toward Sarracenia and slamming downward with both front paws. 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      "Hmm...that does make it more difficult." Sarracenia agrees, then ponders even as she watches Yomi go tumbling along. "Perhaps there is some sort of durable material that could be made into a uniform?" she says, turning to the side in thought. The shout of Ranguren makes her blink. "Ranguren? Is that some sort of cloth?" she asks as she turns to look.      And yelps as that Guardian Beast comes barreling toward her. She barely manages to even think about moving before she is pounced and slammed hard to the ground. Left wincing from the forceful pounce and pinned beneath the creature, Sarracenia isn't in a good position! She growls before reaching into her satchel.      And suddenly as Yomi arcs around, explosions start to erupt! Sarracenia is busy throwing various explosives from her satchel! More Bob-ombs, dynamite, powder bombs, mines, even missiles! She might be trapped, but Sarra is still quite dangerous! "Perhaps we can discuss it later!" she exclaims even as she is attacking. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' That is a lot of explosives! "...right, maybe later!" When she's not trying to dodge these things! Yomi manages to avoid any direct hits, thanks to her speed, but some of the shrapnel still hits her, and the heat from the blasts singes her uniform along with reddening her skin. "I hope you're almost out of those things!" Once there's a lull in the explosives, Yomi takes the opportunity to adjust the grip on her sword again. Ranguren, who has been hit by a few of the bombs as well, lets up its pinning of Sarracenia, then sweeps its paw, trying to scoop up the princess and launch her up into the air! At the same time, Yomi darts forward, sword held at her side. She leaps upward and swings the blade out, a fierce horizontal slash that passes by Sarracenia's arc of travel. After her leap, Yomi lands in a neat crouch and stands, a snap of her arm sweeping her sword out to the side. 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      There is definite red that is dislodged when Yomi flicks her sword like that. The princess had been helpless against the airborn strike, and is probably only saved from landing in two pieces thanks to the arena resetting as she falls. Even then, she lands with a rather solid thud and is unmoving for several seconds. When she does finally move, she looks shaky. She feels over her midsection where she took the hit, nearly hyperventilating from the residual feeling of being cut in two.      When she feels for herself that she -isn't- in two pieces, she finally starts to relax and recover. "...h-holy mushrooms..." she finally says, slowly getting back to her feet. Unfortunately for her dress, the reset still leaves it firmly cut in two, showing a bit of the princess's well-toned midriff. She looks around, then growls a bit and stamps a foot childishly. "No! How could I lose again?!" she exclaims, fingers curling into an exasperated posture. She has to take several moments fighting with her explosive temper, and many a stuttered and cut off word is uttered between looks toward Yomi.      When Sarracenia finally has a lid on her emotions again, she turns quickly toward Yomi and manages a smile. "Hehe...g-good fight. I was not expecting someone who looks rather average to employ such skill or tactics." She is obviously having trouble still, but manages to maintain a cordial front. It would be quite unbecoming of a princess to lose composure over a loss in a tournament. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' To be fair, even outside the arena, it wouldn't have been lethal. It probably would have still hurt quite a lot, though! The exorcist sheaths her katana, and as soon as the blade vanishes, Ranguren also fades away into just a shimmer in the air. Yomi can understand the frustration that her opponent is voicing, so she waits quietly, just taking a few unsteady steps toward Sarracenia. She hasn't escaped unscathed either, and the soreness from being hit by the hammer, along with the residuals of the explosives, means she'll definitely want to take some rest after this. "Average?" yomi blinks a few times, unsure how to take that, but in the end decides to brush it off. "You were right, though. I didn't expect a princess to be so dangerous." She gives another polite bow to her opponent, then reaches forward to offer a handshake. "You definitely pushed my limits." 

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''      Sarracenia looks skeptical as to whether she was actually a challenge, but she shakes the hand amicably while she rests her hammer over a shoulder. "That is kind of you to say, but there is no need to flatter me." she says, then takes a deep breath before letting it out slowly. "I was hoping this tournament would help me grow stronger and prove something wrong that said I was weak, but while I might be dangerous to some extent I know I am not actually strong."      And it is obviously a thorn in her side to know that. She releases Yomi's hand, then stretches a bit. "If you do wish to discuss more durable clothing, do let me know. The same is true if you wish to see the Sundew Kingdom." 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "Don't undersell yourself too much. I'm not speaking idly." Yomi inclines her head up toward the princess and smiles. "Just keep challenging yourself." The exorcist doesn't give vain compliments, so she wasn't kidding when she said how hard the fight was, either. "I'll definitely look you up sometime. If not about clothes, at least to come see what sort of place your kingdom is." 
}}

6542/MECC: Yomi Isayama vs Alexis

2019-05-10T02:52:08Z

Parasaurolophus: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2019/05/09 |Location=MECC Stage 3 |Synopsis=Yomi Isayama vs. Alexis |Cast of Characters=1098, 459 |pretty=yes }} {{Poses |Poses=:'''{{#var:1098|Yom..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2019/05/09
|Location=MECC Stage 3
|Synopsis=Yomi Isayama vs. Alexis
|Cast of Characters=1098, 459
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Though she can still feel a bit of soreness from her last bout, Yomi appears to be ready to fight. She leaves her sword's carrying case off by the side and holds her weapon by the scabbard, slowly walking up toward the center of the arena. She gives a polite bow to her opponent, then drops back into a ready stance. As soon as the start is signaled, the exorcist digs her feet into the ground and darts forward. Instead of moving to grasp the hilt of her sword, however, she holds her right hand back, palm open, and thrusts it in once she's close enough, trying to connect with a chi-powered palm strike with surprising force. 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Alexis has never been one to let losing a match get her down. Trainers don't work that way. Defeat just meant there was room to grow, and in all honesty, she entered more for the challenges against foes she might not otherwise get to compete against. As such she strides into the arena with the same confidence as usual, adjusting the ace trainer overcoat she's taken to wearing as of late. The bow gets a polite nod in return, and the woman with the sword is off before there is even a chance for witty banter. "Guess we're going right into throwing down. Fine with me." Her reflexes are more than fast enough to grab one of the red and white spheres from her bag strap and pitch it into Yomi's path. "Let's go, Redline!" Despite what she was aiming for Yomi's palm slams into smoothish but scaly hide instead as a orange dragonic creature appears in her path. A puff of smoke exits his mouth as he hrks from the impact, but then bends his neck to peer down at the woman. "Chaarrrr!" He sounds angry. Looks angry too as he thumps a step back from Yomi, snaps back an arm and makes a quick swipe at her with one of his clawed hands in return. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "..a monster trainer, huh?" She probably should have researched her opponent more, but she's quick enough to adapt that she's not caught completely flat-footed. As the Charizard's claws come in, Yomi quickly leans back, turning a potentially nasty strike into cut across her sleeve and arm. Once again, she doesn't draw her sword. Instead, she slams it downward, driving the scabbard into the ground and letting it stand upright. With both hands free, she reaches to grab hold of the swiping arm and shifts her weight. Despite the size of the fire Pokemon, Yomi doesn't have to strain herself too much to twist and spin, hurling her opponent back toward Alexis if it's not fast enough to get out of her grip. 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Apparently size difference doesn't mean much, because the flame dragon is heaved off his feet and slung around. Maybe he was just surprised by it being done by a smaller fighter. Most smaller humanoid opponents are Fighting types, and they're quickly switched for something else when he comes onto the scene. He's swung around and flung back towards his trainer! Though having been in the Multiverse as long as she has Alexis doesn't stand around expecting people to not attack her in some capacity, and when the winged lizard is tossed into the air she dives to the side. Though even as she rolls away Redline snaps open his wings to catch some air and use them like brakes. His broad feet slam into the ground, skidding a bit before he finally arrests his momentum. Alexis rolls up onto one knee but immeadiately her attention is back on the fight as she points towards the swordswoman. "Blow her away." With a snarl the Charizard leans forward slightly and releases the tension in his wings to snap them forward, sending a sheering burst of air pressure at Yomi with enough force that it becomes faintly rippling visible (because that's how anime and Pokemon attacks work.) 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Right. Yomi just has to think of these things like youkai and she'll do just fine. Maybe less on the outright killing part, though. As the Charizard sends a burst of air pressure at her, the exorcist reaches for her scabbard and pulls it from the ground. She finally draws the blade and slashes downward to meet the force of rushing air, cleaving it and letting it pass in two streams on either side of her, uniform and hair whipping dramatically in the wind. "Just like a kamaitachi. Maybe a bit slower. And more dragony." Without missing a beat, Yomi darts forward again, slamming one foot down hard enough to send her flipping through the air over the Pokemon's head. She lands neatly on one foot behind it, the other swinging around to change her momentum. As she spins, her sword flashes out, trying to land a strike on the Charizard's back before he can react. 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Kamaitachi? She didn't bring her Zangoose with. Or maybe that'd be closer to Sneasel and Weavel. Actually, that's something to consider. Later. Yomi leaps over his head so Redline doesn't waste time in looking for her, he just turns around expecting her to be landing there. Which she does and swings her sword. The tip still catchs across his hide even as he spins in the opposite direction but he moved out of the direct line of the attack quick enough to avoid getting gouged. "Rrrr." Alexis holds her hands up to her mouth to shout. "Time for the dramatics!" The wings flare again, this time beating with a powerful motion to launch the Charziard into the air. He arcs up, going into an elaborate corkscrew spin to build up additional speed and momentum, the aerial acrobatics almost having a sort of elegant dance-like quality to them. The spiraling motion continues as he dives towards the ground towards the other side of the arena and levels off with the ground. He hurtles towards Yomi with considerable speed, only to pull up at the last possible minute and spin around to swing his tail at her with that momentum giving it even more tremendous knockback force. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' While she's dealt with flying opponents before, Yomi knows better than to go up after one that's more comfortable in the sky than she is. She holds her sword steady, preparing for a counterattack again, and leans back slightly as the Charizard dives toward her. Not quite enough. The tail catches her squarely on the side with a loud WHUMP, sending the exorcist flying backwards. Before she can hit the ground, though, Yomi twists around midair, throwing down a hand to rebound from and flip back to her feet, skidding back a short distance from the momentum. "You'll have to forgive me if I break out some different tactics on you." And then, she charges again. At Alexis. Rather than swinging her sword, Yomi strikes out with the scabbard in her other hand. Whether or not it contacts, she follows with a knee throst, then a grab and twist, trying to keep Alexis off-balance and hurl her back toward her Pokemon. 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' "Aw shit," Alexis cusses, but it doesn't mean she's going to stand there defenseless. She reachs over her shoulder to grab from her bag, pulling out of all things a hockey stick. It's her trademark in-a-pinch defense. Gripping it in both hands she angles it to intercept the scabbard being swung at her. Only to take the knee in the gut instead, and while tough enough to not just crumple over she's still off-kilter from the blow. "CHARRRRRR!" Flames whip around the dragon's mouth as he roars. Being competetive as Charizards tend to be, and fairly protective of the woman that trained him, Redline does not take being pushed aside for an attack on his Trainer instead. He's ni literally living up to his name, eyes glowing with provoked rage as he launches towards the moved battle. Alexis is flung with the throw a respectable distance, only to get caught in one of the oncoming Charizard's arms. With her out of immeadiate harm he banks to the side, zipping past Yomi and pulling up into the air a bit farther before his wings spread into a hover. His maw opens again, this time to actually direct the flames that come spewing out of it. The stream hits the ground and sends the flames surging from it towards the swordswoman, a roaring inferno brought to life by the dragonic temper. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' The trainer is on the field and has a weapon. That makes her a viable target! Besides, Yomi would be worried about wearing herself down fighting that Charizard and being unable to handle Alexis herself afterwards. She seems to have just gotten the Pokemon angry, though... As the flames come in, Yomi raises her sword again. As with the blast of wind earlier, she manages to deflect the fire on both sides of her, though the proximity of the heat still manages to singe her uniform and even ignite one of her sleeves. As soon as the blast of fire subsides, the exorcist quickly pats at her sleeve to extinguish herself, not taking her eyes off that Charizard. "Right then..." Taking a deep breath, Yomi recenters her focus. The air around her begins to shimmer as she pours chi into her sword, and she calls out, "Ranguren!" The shimmering air solidifies into the great Guardian Beast, all twelve of its eyes turning to focus on the Charizard and his trainer. "Go!" Letting out a roar, Ranguren leaps forward, raising a massive paw to swat at Redline and try to pin the Pokemon to the ground. 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' By the time Redline lowers back to the ground Alexis has climbed onto his back and saddled herself at the base of his wings, not quite on his shoulders but close to it. Hey if her opponent is going to do the admittably tactical thing and also target her, she's just as relatively safe staying with her pokemon as she is being a solo target. She's harder to target solo this way, at least. Then Yomi goes to summon her own beastily assist. "Whoa! First person we've fought that has a monster of their own. Awesome!" The multi-eyed beast rushes and lunges, slamming forcefully into Redline. It might be the being closer to size and power as the dragon-like pokemon, or it might just be random like, but one way or another he succeeds in inflicting a lot more harm that Yomi did herself. Not quite enough to fully pin the Charizard, but it's enough to force him violently backwards as the two monsterous bodies collide. His tail lashses a few times, foot claws digging in to try to find some purchase and then flex, barely resisting not being slammed into one of the walls. Then he pushes forward himself, moving to grapple and hold onto the beast. Legs and wings work in tandum to launch the dragonic creature despite the additional weight. But instead of taking to the air he launches forward, still building up some impressive speed as he pushes down, intending to drag Ranguren along the arena floor, letting momentum and friction do most of the work. Alexis lets out a whoop as she's along for the ride, coattails and ponytail whipping in the air behind her. He might drag the monster right into Yomi if she doesn't get out of the way, as payback for her attacking Alexis earlier. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "...Divine Beast, though I guess he does look a bit like a monster." Yomi can forgive the mistake from someone not familiar with how spirits work in her world, just like she keeps mentally assigning the label 'dragon' to that Charizard. Ranguren growls as it grapples with the Charizard, puffs of steam floating up from its mouth. With the Pokemon grappling back, it's harder to get a solid strike with its teeth, so instead the nue just digs in with claws, even as it's taken for a ride. Dirt and debris fly everywhere as the great spirit beast is dragged along the ground, but Yomi has enough time to dive out of the way before being hit by the speeding train. The exorcist rolls and hops back to her feet, trusting that Ranguren can handle itself for a short time. She resheathes her sword, keeping hold of it with one hand, and darts forward, closing in on the diving Pokemon from behind. Once she's close enough, she leaps up, flipping once before landing squarely on the Charizard's back, behind Alexis. "Sorry for changing plans on you again," she says with a grin, reaching one arm around the trainer's waist. Yomi leans backwards and leaps from Redline again, bringing Alexis with if she can maintain a tight enough grip... and continues her arc right on toyward the ground. 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Alexis yelps as she's abruptly grabbed from behind, thankfully not in a way that would be more awkward. She tries to hold on, but Yomi is actually able to use something of opposite forces in opposite directions to wrench her free and flip over to drop from the beasts as they continue to rumble back and forth to slam Alexis into the ground much harder this time. Falling off at that speed would probably be disasterous for your average rider. Alexis is made of bit stronger stuff though. Don't get me wrong, damn that hurt. But while sore and bruised she's not going to chump the fight to a surprise attack like that. Landing on her back from the maneuver hurt but it gives her some leverage to get her legs up under Yomi afterwards and give a quick thrust to get the woman off of her. Then Alexis rolls over to get up, deploys her collapsable rollerblades, and makes a skating hustle in the opposite direction. Clearly a good idea to get some distance from Yomi. Not just to avoid being attacked by her. Also because Redline finally gets enough momentum in the struggling between the two creatures to lift off the ground again while carrying Ranguren with him. The Charizard makes a flipping motion of his own, spinning for the momentum before diving back down and heaving the monster towards Yomi with all the strength he can muster! 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' As the trainer kicks her off, Yomi leaps back, landing on her feet a short distance away. She glances up... just in time to see Ranguren hurtling toward her. There's definitely no blocking this! The exorcist takes a few steps back, right before the Guardian Beast slams into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust in the process. As the dust begins to clear, a large form looms within... but then more dust drifts away in the breeze, and Ranguren is nowhere to be seen. A much smaller figure darts out, though, as Yomi charges straight for Alexis, her sword back in its sheath. She raises it to strike at Alexis, but doesn't follow through, instead running on directly toward the Charizard. As Yomi picks up speed, she leaves a small cloud of dust in her wake, finally taking a leap toward Redline. Midair, she draws her sword, and the air begins to shimmer again around her. Ranguren once more fades into existance beneath her and lets out a roar as he continues along the path of Yomi's leap with her astride its back. Once more, Yomi jumps up, springing from Ranguren's back, and the two of them hurtle toward Charizard from different angles. Ranguren extends its claws and swipes, just as Yomi dives down again, slashing with her sword at the same time, trying to catch the Pokemon between them. 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' The bigger creature is gone... did they knock it out? Redline seems to think so, raising his head with a roar. They may not be true dragons without mega evolving but being cocky like one seems to be a Charizard thing to be. Of course the celebration turns out to be premature as Yomi comes barreling out of the remains of the attack, blasting past Alexis almost faster than she can follow. By the time she's stopped and turned Yomi has already resummoned the divine beast and used him as a spring board. "Redline, look out!" Ranguren is already charging him. Redline digs his feet in and throws out his arms to catch the other juggernaught. Those oddly long and skinny arms are actually pretty good for holding him back more than the beast can swipe his claws at him. Redline opens his mouth, flames flickering deep in his throat as he prepares to roast the other creature... *WHAM* ... But so focused on that he fails to see Yomi descending from her jump, until the sword swing slams into the side of his head just as he's about to and sending the fireball flying wide across the arena. His grip slips from Rangurn as it's lost, wings twitching in effectively as he collapses backwards with a growling groan and eyes swirling. He may have a stubborn hard head, but that doesn't really do much good against swords this time around. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' After she lands from her strike, Yomi quickly glances back toward the fallen Charizard... and sheathes her sword again. Ranguren was already raising its paw, but fades back out of existance as the sword is put away. The exorcist is definitely showing wear from the earlier impacts, but she stands straight, albeit breathing heavily, as she looks toward Alexis. "Do I have to finish you off now as well?" Yomi doesn't charge yet, but she does show signs of readiness, one hand gripping the handle of her katana. 

:'''{{#var:459|Alexis (459)}} has posed:''' Alexis withdraws the pokeball and the Charizard disappears in a flash of red, recontained within the small orb. Then shakes her head. "No, they handle most of the fighting. You're one of the few people to actually come after me.... which isn't a bad strategy really," she admits. Alexis is a competetor, but one that has respect for others' tactics. At least when they didn't do something to tweek her the wrong way in the process. She noticed the coming and going of Ranguren, particularly at the end when Yomi sheating her sword caused him to stop fighting and desummon. She'd hazard a guess that he's tied to the sword in some way, much like her Pokemon have pokeballs, but opts not to ask in such an open public venue after. Instead she just walks over and offers a hand for a shake. "Good fight. Both of you." 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Once Alexis declares the fight over, the exorcist visibly relaxes. She lets out a breath and lowers her stance, then reaches forward with a smile to take Alexis' hand. "If someone is on the field of battle, I can't guarantee they're not joining the fight. Glad there are no hard feelings." In the middle of the arena is not the best place to discuss her Spirit Beast, so she's glad that question didn't come up. Not that the basics of how Ranguren works can be kept secret for very long once anyone sees him in action. 
}}

6344/The Betrayal of Paradise

2019-02-15T06:42:08Z

Parasaurolophus: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2019/02/14 |Location=Ga-Rei Japan |Synopsis=Yomi calls in allies to help get a leg up on a strange hostage situation. |Cast of Characters=1098, 110..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2019/02/14
|Location=Ga-Rei Japan
|Synopsis=Yomi calls in allies to help get a leg up on a strange hostage situation.
|Cast of Characters=1098, 1106, 685, 998, 42
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' It's early enough in the day that it can't quite be considered nighttime yet, but late enough that the sun is already well on its way down. School let out a few hours ago, and clubs normally would be ending about now. Except nobody is leaving the school. Yomi taps out a few quick text messages to ask for aid: 'Hostage situation at school. Not what it seems. Investigating. --Isayama.' She may be confident in her own fighting ability, but there are times she needs help. ...besides, she's stuck inside as well. When any help arrives, there are two men talking at the entrance of the school. One of them, a policeman who may be recognized as Officer Yamamoto, i quickly taking down notes and trying to figure out how he can report this to his superiors without soudning crazy. The other is a tall man in his mid-twenties, wearing a suit and tie and carrying two large suitcases. 

:'''{{#var:1106|Tamamo no Mae (1106)}} has posed:'''     Tamamo was actually on her way to work, the maid-dressed fox is humming along softly to some tune, "Pick up some chocolate for him on my way home, then cook him a nice dinner, then rub his shoulders from practice..." she nods, "Mikon~ he's going to be so spoiled!" it seems the Caster was in quite a good mood today, everything going right, nothing bad happening, no text message from Yomi asking for help...     Well, that last one did happen. She looks at the small cell phone, giving a sigh at it. "Well... she /did/ allow me here. And she /did/ get me this job." A quick phone call later to the cafe... and an earful from the boss... "I'll work triple hard tomorrow, just... something major came up!"     With that, she makes her way towards the school grounds. It takes her a bit to get there, but upon seeing the Officer... and a tall man... she blinks a bit, "Ah... hmm, sorry, but I'm just gonna go help my friend in there." she comments, smiling, "Caster-Class Servant from a holy grail war here." 

:'''{{#var:685|Shigure (685)}} has posed:'''     Something the pair of men might find odd, is a pair of high-school age girls walking down the street toward them. They're wearing uniforms, but not for any local school, and have scabbards for short swords set across the backs of their hips.     Shigure's blue eyes scan the men, then speaks up. "What is the situation?" she asks, pulling a badge from a pocket, showing the Paladin emblem and the ID card attached to it. "Shigure, Paladin Chevalier. We received a message from Yomi Isayama."     Yuudachi remains quiet, but is bouncing in place while her red eyes peer into the grounds, trying to see if there's anything obviously out of the ordinary. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     Usually, Lexicon has attended situations in Yomi's homeland in the most natural ways she could. Taking the bus or train, or the like. But those times, her friend wasn't in immediate danger. What arrives is a shining white streak across the sky, the transformed Silver Soul, clutching a gleaming Resource Relay in one hand.     Silver Soul circles for a moment as she reaches the school's vicinity, scowling at the building. Eventually she relents, banking into a dive. There's a shedding of pixellated light as she descends, and it's the regular blue-eyed brunette who actually touches down in the presence of the accumulated officers and other personnel. As the crystal upon her relay goes dead, Lexicon approaches a familiar face-- "Officer Yamamoto, what's the situation?"     All business. She might look more than a little angry, like a spring under tension. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Help is needed. Someone's holding a /high school/ hostage? A delicate situation, to be sure...     Which is why, although Staren beams down nearby, he doesn't just kick in the door. He sends small drones to search the grounds, looking for a way into the school.     Seeing that Tamamo is there, and someone's openly declaring themselves a paladin, is enough for Staren to approach the men waiting outside. "And I'm Staren, of the Concord. What's the situation?" 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' As the girls arrive, both men look up. Yamamoto looks confused at first, but he nods toward Lexicon as she lands nearby... trying to hide any surprise that she was just flying. "Miss Lexicon. And.... you others must be friends of Miss Isayama. I only just arrived on scene, but I've been getting the short version from--" the other man breaks in, "Sakuraba. Sakuraba Kazuki. I work with Yomi in the SDCD." His hands are full of two suitcases, so he doesn't wave, but he does nod to each in turn. "...heh. Isayama has a lot of cute friends, huh?" He peers closely at Tamamo specifically. "She was telling me about you, too. Yamamoto shoots him a glare, and Kazuki clears his throat. "Anyway! Some morons from the PDCH got here first. That's their car over there." He inclines his head toward an APC parked partially around a nearby corner. "I heard gunfire inside for about five seconds before it all went silent again, so..." He shrugs. "I'll be honest, they're probably already all dead. It's like they go out of their way to make our jobs harder." Kazuki lets out an annoyed sigh, even as Yamamoto looks incredibly uncomfortable with how casual that declaration was. "We both thought it was a bad idea to go in alone," explains the officer. "And even though I can see spirits, I'm not trained to fight them. I'll stay out here to make sure nobody else wanders in, but... be careful in there." Kazuki rolls his shoulders, glancing over the four girls and Staren. "Well. Let's head in. If you've never fought spirits before, well..." He glances at Shigure and Yuudachi, then at Staren. The others, he's pretty sure can handle it. "It won't be pretty in there. Keep your eyes peeled and stick close, especially if you can't see them like we can." And with that, he begins to stride straight toward the front door of the school. "...side and back ways are blocked off, by the way." Drones will confirm that, as all doors and windows besides the main door are completely sealed from the inside. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren is wearing what looks like some kind of futuristic space marine (but not Space Marine) armor... made for someone with cat ears and a tail. He tilts his head. "If they're already dead, I'll save as many as I can. ...Same if they're not, of course." he adds, as he realizes how odd that sounded. "These spirits... are they just invisible, or do most weapons not work on them? I might be able to work something out..." He calls some of the drones back to him before walking in with the others. Once they're inside, he'll send the drones to search the school. 

:'''{{#var:685|Shigure (685)}} has posed:'''     "Firstly, we're effectively 'spirits' ourselves, Mister Sakuraba." replies Shigure in her soft tone. "Tsukumogami." she steps in after the SDCD man, and motions for Yuudachi to take the rear. The blonde nods and summons her Rigging, swapping out the regular cannon in her right hand for an array of smaller caliber machinegun mounts and autocannons.     "If we require firepower, I believe that my sister and I can handle that, just don't expect much subtlety if things do come to combat." The softspoken destroyer girl doesn't summon her rig, but maintains her position just behind Sakuraba." 

:'''{{#var:1106|Tamamo no Mae (1106)}} has posed:'''     Tamamo gives a nod towards Sakuraba and the Officer. Though, when Sakuraba mentions that... "Oh, perhaps once we're done here, you can tell me what she's said about me." beat "I do try not to be a nuisance!" then the 'cute friends' finally registers in her brain, "I'm also married." she smirks, turning back towards the building. "Gunfire for a few seconds then nothing, huh?" Tamamo's foot taps, "I'll change when I get in, I don't want to rewash this..." she mutters.     Staren's here, so is Lexicon and Shigure. "Ah, a joint effort, it's good to have you three along." a pause, "Let's try to limit any extraneous destruction, ok?" there's a smile, "I don't want to have to explain to Yomi that things went crazy and we leveled the school." a pause, then she summons up a few talismans and offers a few sets to the three present. "These will let you launch fireballs from my magic. Just in case you need them."     With that, she turns back around and moves to head into the school. Once the door is shut behind, the Mirror of Uka makes an appearance and so does her normal robes. "Ah, that's better. Now, shall we?" Ears perk, twitching slightly as she focuses on listening for any movement or voices. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     "I've tangled with this stuff before," Lexicon admits once Kazuki explains what's going on. She glances at Yamamoto, nodding once, "Watch things out here. We'll handle this."     A glance shoots towards Tamamo, "Yomi's in there. Don't level the building." All the same, the DCC's inventory flickers-- and out comes that hammer of hers in her free hand. The resource relay similarly disappears, and she lifts her weapon to rest on her shoulder.     "Lead the way, mister Sakuraba. The things I dealt with before were plenty visible, but I'll take any advice you've got on offer in case these bastards are different." 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "Invisible until they want to make themselves seen, unless you know what to look for. If we find any of those soldiers, they might have some spirit vision goggles on 'em." Sakuraba shakes his head slowly. "Our priority's not them. They knew the job was dangerous when they took it. It's the kids and teachers we're here to save. They didn't ask for any of... whatever happened here. But yeah, normal weapons should work. Just stuff for exorcism's gonna be more effective." He peers at the two ships and leans in a bit closer. "...huh, so you are. Cutest tsukumogami I've ever met, though. Usually they're all fangs and tongues and claws." Kazuki Sakurada: bad with women. "Mm, well, I'm sure Isayama will appreciate you coming out here. And she's right, there are innocents stuck in here. Besides, Isayama would -kill- me if we did too much damage to the school." A pause. "You're married. Someone married -you-? Do they know what they're getting into?" Kazuki Sakuraba: really bad with women. "You two girls aren't married too, are you?" That question is directed at Shigure and Yuudachi. Sakuraba pauses and sets one of his suitcases on the floor. There's a very noticeable thud, as if it's a lot heavier than it looks. "Look..." Reaching up, he scratches the back of his head. "I won't lie to you. It might get messy in here. Some of these spirits like to..." He is really not used to explaining this to people who don't already know. "Just, if I say something needs to be shot, trust my judgement. If you're at all squeamish, you should probably go wait outside with Yamamoto now anyway." He pauses a moment, giving time for anyone to take that offer, then nods and lifts the suitcase again. "Right, let's go." Searching the school building proves both very difficult and very easy. Difficult because most of the doors on the first floor open into normal, empty rooms. Simple because one of them doesn't open at all. The door doesn't even budge when pulled, as if sealed from the inside. A paper sign taped to the door indicates this is where the cooking club meets. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     "Hey! If we end up leveling the school, I'll help build a new one! And it'll be better. Wifi from a century and a half in the future!" Staren replies. Which probably isn't what anyone wants to hear.     Staren gives a brief look when Tamamo's marriage is commented on, but thinks better of speaking about it. He nods at Sakuraba's warning to shoot what needs to be shot.     They come to a door. "So. Does this need to be shot?"     Since the spirits were mentioned, he's been pondering if there's some way he can use the SIGHT OF THE INSPIRED to make ghost-seeing goggles. But that's not /quite/ how they work... is it?     His fingertips twitch over the goggles in his bag. If a lighter touch is needed, could the SIGHT OF THE INSPIRED allow him to dismantle the magical ward with tools?     When you've just received a shiny new hammer, you start looking everywhere for nails... 

:'''{{#var:685|Shigure (685)}} has posed:'''     "To our jobs, Mister Sakuraba. Please focus on the task at hand instead of making half-baked passes at those who have come to assist you." says Shigure in a soft, deadpan tone. She steps up to the one door that doesn't open, and draws her blade. It radiates a malevolent aura, and is made of a black steel that looks almost organic. This, she stabs into the door near where the latch would be, trying to pry it open.     "If brute force does not work, we will need to find some other way of getting inside. This seems to be the source, or at least the most likely place to begin our search." she explains, gesturing with her free hand to Yuudachi who approaches while pulling a trio of torpedoes from her thigh launchers. "Step back from the door!" says Shigure, as Yuudachi 'lights' the torpedoes like ticks of dynamite, then stabs them into the wood before clearing the blast area. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     Lexicon's glowering gaze narrows at Sakuraba. She's already on edge, and these half-assed attempts at flirting passed at her comrades and the foxgirl just don't feel appropriate. And then he simply passes over her and goes right into the briefing. Right when she was building up to biting his head off-- Lexicon just sort of...deflates, for a moment, when the expected incitation doesn't happen. Then her expression resolves back to Angry. Wait, what the hell!     But being angry at the local guide is interrupted by more pressing matters. Doors that go nowhere interesting and have nobody behind them-- and the one door that won't open.     Which Shigure and Yuudachi are already working on. She rubs her chin with her free hand, "Cooking club... Source, I don't know about that. But any locked door in a maze is gonna have something useful behind it or else it wouldn't be locked..." Eyebrows lift when the destroyer girls shift from forcing the door to just blowing it open, "--Ah, crap..!" 

:'''{{#var:1106|Tamamo no Mae (1106)}} has posed:'''     Tamamo shakes her head a bit, she's gonna have a few words for Sakuraba soon, but for now, more pressing matters are there. Where the hell is Yomi?     Doors open and close, the demons and the dea..wait that's not right. Everything looks to be clear, at least until one of the doors doesn't open. And as soon as it doesn't open, everyone else seems to be on the thing of 'shoot it open!' or at least, three of the five present.     "Well, it's not a magic seal tag or the like, but it's definitely a youkai seal..." the torpedoes are armed and off she goes to hide behind Lexicon, crouching down if she has to, "Hey, what's the big idea with explosives! I thought we wern't going to destroy the building!"     She mutters something, "Are your allies always this violent? You all know I'm a Caster-Class Servant right, magic is what I do!" huff... 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "...tch. Take out all the fun, huh. And here I was going to invite all you girls to join me at a cafe with Isayama once we find her." A pause. "I guess the catboy can come too." Whether he notices Lexicon's annoyance or it's just happenstance, Sakuraba glances at the DCC. "You too, of course. Wouldn't be a great party without Isayama's friend." He lets out a sigh. "Though it might just be you, me, and Isayama at this point. Everyone's so touchy today." Kazuki Sakuraba: still really bad with women. "Wh.. are those torpedoes?!" Sakuraba takes a step back and holds up his briefcases to try to shield himself. Honestly, what were they thinking? The explosion does indeed destroy half the door, though when the dust clears, it hasn't exactly opened a way in. There's still....something there. Almost like a wall, dull brown in color but oddly shiny. "Huh? What's..." Sakuraba sets down a briefcase and reaches forward to poke the wall. When he pulls his hand back, he has to tug it. "It's sticky. But none of it came off on my hand... weird." From his pocket, a soft buzz sounds, and Sakuraba reaches in to pull out his cell phone and flip it open. "Sakuraba here. Yes, we're inside, but I can barely hear you with the interfe--did you say right at our position? I'll let them know." He hands up the phone and slowly glances around. "Our psychics say they're picking up multiple Category Ds and a Category C right -here-, but I don't see anything." And that's when an invisible force suddenly tugs at Lexicon's shoulders and tries to yank her straight up toward the ceiling. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     And here everyone thought Staren would probably be the first one to break out explosives! He steps back with Shigure and waits.     Some kind of forcefield? Sticky forcefield? Staren considers this, but then--- He looks up. "Could they be on the next floor?" He's hesitant to blow holes in the school without some confirmation that it's necessary, though. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     Lexicon raises her free hand up to defend her face when the torpedoes go off. She doesn't even bother to back off-- splinters and rubble peck at her skin and outfit, and she sheds crimson sparks of damaged code here and there, where bits bite especially deep. Lexicon doesn't particularly care, though. She simply lowers her arm, squinting at the changes made to the wall by the explosive charge. When Sakuraba inspects it, she lowers her arm further.     "Sticky? You're the experts--" Directed at Sakuraba and Tamamo, "What do you make of it?"     While she considers this herself, something tugs at her. Her outfit responds first, the loose shouldercoat pulling up before her body follows. The reaction is instantaneous: "What the hell?!"     She squirms in surprise, before swinging her hammer in front of herself. Grasping it in both hands, there's a flare of blue-white light around her kicking feet as she swings the weapon up into the ceiling above her, "Don't fuck with me! EIN SCHLAG!" 

:'''{{#var:685|Shigure (685)}} has posed:'''     "CONTACT!" calls Yuudachi, bringing her AA battery up, searching for a target to strike at while something tries to take Lexicon away. "They're in the walls!"     Shigure sheathes her blade, and summons her own rig, unfolding the cannon tonfa from her back and releasing the gimbal mounts. "Where is it? My radar isn't picking up anything." she says, tracing her eyes over the ceiling where Lexicon's struggling. 

:'''{{#var:1106|Tamamo no Mae (1106)}} has posed:'''     Tamamo's just watching all this go on... and with the door blown 'open', she hmms as Sakuraba pokes at the wall. What is it with all these people poking and prodding things that they don't know. Oh well. Tamamo's ears perk up, Category C? D? Tamamo starts to open her mouth to say something but as soon as she hears Lexicon.     And then Yuudachi's call out. Tamamo, however, just calmly pulls out some of her talismans and hmms, "Guess Tamamo has to deal with something more." Tamamo stands up and turns around... "I'm heading upstairs, I'm going to see what's coming from there." she states, "Don't hesitate to use the talismans I gave you guys." and with that, Tamamo starts running off towards the stairs to get upstairs. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "Whoah, whoah, whoah! Don't shoot up, there could be people on the second floor!" As Lexicon swings her hammer, there's a startled sound, and whatever was holding her up suddenly releases her. There's silence for some time after, and Sakuraba starts to look around again. "i'm not sure I'm too happy about splitting up when we're not sure what we're dealing with." Another invisible force seems to grab Tamamo this time, yanking the fox straight toward that sticky wall. Rather than any impact, though, whatever is pulling her drags her straight through it. The wall is solid as ever, though, and Sakuraba slams his briefcase against it. There's a slight spring, and some steam rises as it contacts with his case, but no damage. "Right, so. Explosives, blunt impact, both out. Anyone have a blade we can try before it's too late?" 

:'''{{#var:685|Shigure (685)}} has posed:'''     Yuudachi drops her AA battery, and tries to grab at Tamamo as she's dragged away, digging her feet in but inevitably losing her grip. She then leaps at the force field behind the splintered door and draws her blade, going to slash at it with the black, malevolent steel.     Shigure puts her tonfa back on their gimbals, and frowns a bit. "Splitting up would be the worst idea, since whatever they are, they seem to be trying to pick us off already." she says, moving over to help Lexicon as the thing drops her. 

:'''{{#var:1106|Tamamo no Mae (1106)}} has posed:'''     Tamamo doesn't get /too/ far from this, only to get grabbed and yanked towards that door, "MIKON!" she grabs at Yuudachi's hand, "Tamamo doesn't deserve this!" the grip is lost and she reaches out, a look of 'help' upon her face as she dissapears through the wall... 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Don't shoot up! And then Tamamo is dragged off -- to the side, instead! The look on her face as she disappears through the wall... It's the look of someone who has a problem that he HAS TO SOLVE. "Why can't you see them?!" He tries energy beams on the forcefield as well (careful to aim them so they'll hit the floor right after rather than people far into the room if they work) and, seeing that someone else has got knives...     Well, he's got a hammer, hasn't he? If the sword doesn't work EITHER, he opens his visor, and pulls from his bag what looks like a pair of sciencey goggles, a mix of chemical safety and welder's goggles, black as night, and sort of wedges them into place inside his helmet.     Hopefully, it will allow him to see the ward(?) as something that can be disassembled mechanically, electronically, or the like, and then anyone watching what he does probably gets a headache as tools do impossible things.     Or maybe it won't work. or he won't need to use it. We'll see! 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     "Uwha--!" is about all Lexicon gets out when she's uncerimoniously dropped. The weight of her hammer spins her body such that she lands solidly on her back, the hammerhead slamming into the floor above her head with enough force to crack concrete. While most would have the wind knocked out of them by such a clumsy landing, the DCC is already picking herself up-- and accepts Shigure's assistance.     Back on her feet, Lexicon growls, well aware of Tamamo's disappearance while she was laid out. Is that what was going to happen to her? The frown she wears bares her teeth, and a free hand reaches out. The Resource Relay rematerializes in her grip. It's lifted, then driven into the floor beside her. The gemstone at the top of the spear-like device begins glowing its blue-white color.     Lexicon is engulfed in pixellated light. When it fades, she's transitioned completely into the red-eyed Silver Soul, processor parts winking in around her hips and shoulders. Her hammer is also tranformed-- now an axe with a glowing white energy blade.     "You gonna Scooby Doo this shit, you fuckin' creeps?" Yeah, an angry Silver Soul doesn't hold back on the language. Now floating a few inches off the floor, Silver Soul rears her axe back. A magic circle filled with binary code erupts around her feet, spinning wildly, "I got your blade right here! These pricks messed with the friend of a goddess, and I'm just about sick of being toyed with!"     Ice erupts along the exposed blade of her axe, touching the ceiling. It actually carves in a bit when Lexicon heaves her weapon back, "Back away, Yuudachi! TODLICHE SCHLAG!" Ducking would probably be easier, as Lexicon brings her axe down in a wide sweeping motion to put as much force behind a horizontal blow as she can muster.     When brute force doesn't work, you clearly aren't using enough. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Poor Tamamo is gone forever! At least unless that wall can come down in time. Staren's energy weapon seems to have some effect, burning through part of the wall and filling the hall with a terrible smell. More importantly, parts of it being burned away reveal that it's not solid, but made of thousands of strings or fibers that snap from the damage. Yuudachi's knife cuts through even more of them, and between the energy burns and the knife, the barrier starts to show some light through it. It apparently isn't all that thick, just extremely tough. The cold from Lexicon's axe makes the strands more brittle, and the blade is able to cut through more. While the barrier isn't completely destroyed, it's ripped apart enough to step through, and the ice seems to be doing a good enough job at preventing it from regenerating at all. Inside the room are several dead men, slumped on the ground with guns either in their hands or nearby. Sakuraba steps through the opening, grumbling. "Too bad I was right, but I knew this would happen." Also on the ground is Tamamo, wrapped up in the same types of strands that made the barrier. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Oh huh, it can be cut. Okay... The SIGHT OF THE INSPIRED goes unused today.     "Tamamo!" Staren calls to her as they cut through the barrier. If noone else cuts Tamamo free, he'll get out tools for it. "Did... were they already dead? Who are these people? Where are the students?" He asks Sakuraba. 

:'''{{#var:685|Shigure (685)}} has posed:'''     The shout from Lexicon gets Yuudachi hopping back from the doorway, but she spots the strand-like nature of the barrier. "Some kind of spider?" she muses to herself, following Sakuraba in and moving quickly over to Tamamo, carefully using her short sword to cut away at the strands binding her. "Hold still, I'll have you out in a moment."     Shigure looks to Staren, "Can you get those men out of here quickly? If so, do it.. I will cover you." she says in that soft tone of hers, though she looks on very concernedly. "I like this less with each passing second." 

:'''{{#var:1106|Tamamo no Mae (1106)}} has posed:'''     Tamamo is lying down on the ground, bound up in those strands. Ears twitch a bit from the sounds. Eyes open and she looks towards Shigure, "Oh t...thank you... I.. I honestly didn't know what to do. I was going to go upstairs to help..." she muttered, "Sorry for the inconvinence." her tails twitch idly behind her, watching the strands get cut away...     "Thanks, I really do appreciate it." 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     The ice covering Lexicon's axe dissipates shortly after impact, but at least she and Yuudachi and Staren managed to burn a hole through the barrier. She wrenches her weapon back, scowling at the hole created and Tamamo on the other side. She doesn't enter until Sakuraba does-- ensuring she's the last person to do so. Something Yuudachi said sticks with her, and she examines the threads around the opening, and then glances out into the hallway with a frown.     "If it's a spider monster-- then that'd explain why something picked me up and why something grabbed Caster without Sakuraba being able to see it. It's just the fuckin' *thread* doing the yanking." Her head inclines, "So if that's really the case, we're probably looking for a single creature who's spun its filthy web all over the building. And it probably sucks the life outta people." A glance with those glowing sigil-marked eyes, "Like these losers." 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     "So where are the hostages? Why was this room warded?" Staren asks noone in particular.     Shigure suggests he move them urgently. "Why? Do you think they're attracting ghosts or something? I mean... I'm going to revive as many as I can, but they're not going anywhere. It seems more prudent to save the living and kill the ghosts, then we can remove anyone viable for resurrection without being menaced by ghosts." 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "Don't bother moving them. They're dead, and I don't see any of the students in here. Cleanup crews can get them out once we've cleared away the danger." Sakuraba nudges one of them with a shoe. "At least they haven't been possessed yet. Dealng with Moryou in an enclosed space like this is nothing but trouble." He looks at Tamamo then glances around. "Not sure you can revive them. These guys don't have souls anymore. Whatever spider-thing did this ate 'em. Let's hope it didn't get to the kids yet." A soft hand rests on Yuudachi's arm, as Tamamo gives her a grateful nod. And at the very moment Yuudachi's back is turned, the fox's features shift slightly, mouth opening a bit too wide as she extends two fangs and bites down on the blonde ship's shoulder, injecting her with poison! 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren pouts briefly when it's mentioned the souls are gone. "I suppose I should try it with one just to be sure, but nobody get their hopes up. All the more reason we need to find the students. Is there really no way to find out where those telekinetic attacks are coming from?" 

:'''{{#var:685|Shigure (685)}} has posed:'''     Yuudachi looks away from Tamamo, toward Sakuraba. She's about to speak when she's bitten! Whatever it was makes her stagger just a bit, but instead of paralysis, or death that was meant to happen, the blonde destroyer turns and backhands the spider wearing Tamamo's face with more strength than a girl her size really should have, she then brings her blade around and pounces on the youkai, aiming to pin it with the blade against its throat. "Found you." she snarls, wincing as black oil-like fluid seeps from the bite marks, which a pair of fairies are trying to put what look like bandaids over.     Meanwhile, Shigure just shrugs a bit. "I suppose you're right. Priorities should be on the living students... at least this thing attacked after school was out, so we only have a few afterschool students to worry about, and not the entire student body and faculty as well." The blue-eyed destroyer jolts as Yuudachi cries out, and moves to find out what's wrong. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Hearing Yuudachi cry out, Staren turns around.     He aims his beam cannons at 'Tamamo' but doesn't fire. Is it a shapeshifter, or did it possess her? <"Tamamo, are you there?"> he asks, over the Concord radio, seeing if he can hear a radio on the monster picking it up. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     "Telekinetic?" Lexicon glances over her shoulder at Staren, "Can you detect psychic shit? I'm thinking we're dealing with spider threads--" Yuudachi makes a noise and the scuffle draws her attention to the destroyer jumping Tamamo while bleeding, "--What the hell?"     She swings around, coasting quickly to the fight breaking out between fox and hound. But with the two of them in a melee and Lexicon's notably imprecise weapon, she simply overs within range and doesn't swing. Not until there's an opening, which she's already prepared to take advantage of by the way she holds that gleaming weapon, "If you're the virus, than where's the fox?" 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' 'Tamamo' is much heavier than she appears, but she's still taken by surprise by that backhand. Staggering back, 'Tamamo' hisses and reaches up to grapple with the pouncing Yuudachi. Just because it was tricky doesn't necessarily mean it was smart, or it would have waited for a better time. But now the cover is blown, and the disguise begins to break away. Break is quite literal, as skin splits on the forehead first revealing more large eyes. Several moer arms sprout from the sides, and the body bulges and pops into the bulbous abdomen of a spider. The tsuchigumo is still slightly humanoid, but only barely. More than anything, it looks surprised that Yuudachi is still standing! Hissing again, it leaps free of the reach of her blade, which..... honestly, is probably the worst choice it could make. Again, it's tricky... but not smart. "Now, before it goes back into hiding!" Sakuraba lifts one of his briefcases, and a panel slides back, revealing several rows of gun barrels. He squeezes the handle, and they begin to fire at the spider-youkai, but it quickly moves out of line of fire again. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Sakuraba says shoot, and Staren does -- a couple of particle beams and a pair of tiny, miniature versions of homing anti-tank missiles (they direct most of their energy in a short line, avoiding friendly fire). He hesitates a moment when it breaks LoS, then decides to chase after it, hoping he can catch it before it can come up with a new plan! 

:'''{{#var:685|Shigure (685)}} has posed:'''     Yuudachi snarls, her eyes beginning to glow from within, but she can't really chase with gunfire from Sakuraba, and Lexicon's most likely got the tricky beast. She does level one of the cannons on the side of her rig at the Tsuchigumo, and lets off a single armour piercing shell at it, the report likely deafening in the enclosed space.     Shigure brings her own hand-cannon up and follows up the others attacks with another AP shell, kicking off to chase after the youkai as it tries to flee. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     The monster reveals itself from under the disguise. Lexicon scowls. And then it makes some space for itself. Sakuraba opens fire, and the monster moves. Lexicon bunches her legs up behind herself, creating a large circle of whirling binary against which she places her feet. Staren's weapons open fire. Cannons from the two destroyers sound out while the DCC whips her axe up behind herself.     "Fuckin' stupid, leaving yourself open like that!"     Heedless of gunfire and explosions, Lexicon surges off her makeshift platform, axe held back, trailing blue-white light, "Tryin' to eat me! EEEYAAH--! EIN SCHLAG!" The weapon is brought down. Immediately, Lexicon hauls it back up whether it hits or not, "Fuckin' with my friends! ZWEI SCHLAG!" There's no hesitation as she slams the ice-aspected axe down on the spider again, in hot pursuit, "You fuckin' sicko! DREI SCHLAG!" The third blow is enough to shatter the floor in all directions. This time when Lexicon hauls her weapon back up, she holds it to the side like a samurai would hold their sword, radiating mist from the icy nature of her magic, "If you don't wanna die, you'll tell me where she is!"     A binary-themed circle erupts around her feet, spinning rapidly. A second ring spreads out from the first, spinning in the opposite direction.         "You've got FIVE seconds!" 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Bullets, missiles, AP shells, and an ice axe wielded by a very angry person is just a bit too much for the tsuchigumo to handle. It screeches out with every hit, trying to race for the safety of the ceiling. It.... almost makes it. Well, it gets a hand on the ceiling before the last swing of the axe brings it down. Bad news: it's a little too dead now to answer questions. Good news? The impact of the axe on the floor rattles the entire room, and some of the ceiling tiles crash down. Up in the ceiling above the room are over a dozen figures wrapped in spider silk, including one fox and one exorcist. "Isayama? How'd you let yourself get caught?" Sakuraba briefly contemplates snapping a picture, but he realizes he might not live to share it if he does so. "Well, let's get you all down..." At least it's not too hard to pull the people down from the ceiling. The students are all unconscious, but they seem to be fine. Yomi, for her part, is annoyed, picking bits of spider thread from her hair as soon as her hands are free. "Yeach. It got the drop on my while I was searching the other rooms..." 

:'''{{#var:1106|Tamamo no Mae (1106)}} has posed:'''     *THUNK*, One giftwrapped fox, for delivery onto someone or the floor. Please sign here.     "Ugh, remind me not.... remind me not to use spider silk... ever..." she grumbles and groans, then sighs, "Someone cut me out of this please. And dont' give any ideas to Seifer." she mutters more as she just lies there.     "Also, Hi Yomi... i see you let some people know who I am." 

:'''{{#var:685|Shigure (685)}} has posed:'''     Yuudachi helps cut the studens free of the silk once they're down, carefully using the blade of her short sword to slice the threads.     Shigure does the same for some of the other students, then looks back to Staren. "Time suggests these were students partaking in after-school clubs and activities... but we should still check for any other stashes before we give the all clear." 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Oh hey, there are people in the ceiling! And one of them is Tamamo. Probably. Unless the monsters have multiple layers of this strategy.     Staren removes his gauntlets, and the silvery bands on his wrists underneath reveal their true nature as nanomachines like liquid metal -- they extrude sets of scalpels on thin manipulator arms, which he uses to quickly cut apart the thread with precision as if the tools were extra fingers.     Once Tamamo is free, he asks Sakuraba, "Is this everyone that was in the school? Or do we still need to find more people?" 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''      Lexicon looms over the ruined tsuchigumo, shoulders heaving with heavy breathing. The mist hissing off her from the magic fades, though, as she lowers her axe with a sigh. Can't question a corpse. But at least her temper tantrum managed to solve the problem anyway. Although the science guy there probably could've found these victims with sensors if they hadn't been revealed by the SAVAGE BEATING she just meted out.     In the hallway, the Resource Relay's crystal goes dark, and Lexicon's transformation reverts in a flicker of pixellated light. Her axe-- now a hammer-- disappears a moment later, and the DCC turns halfway around to skim over those who'd been revealed. When she finds Yomi complaining but well, Lexicon lets out a sigh of relief.     Oh and Caster is apparently fine too.     With that priority settled, she lifts her eyes to look over the others, gauging their conditions, "Was the PDCH team the only casualty? They probably should have sent SWAT instead." Hands lowering to her sides, they disappear inside her sleeves as her voice returns to the soft monotone she's more known for, "With a very large newspaper." 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren lets out a single, clipped chuckle at Lexicon painting a mental image of a literal SWAT team. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Yomi rubs her head. "...I think this was all of them. Let's just get out of here, though." She glances back at the PDCH agents, makes a face, and shakes her head. When Lexicon makes her joke, Yomi looks at her for a moment, blinks, then laughs before coughing. "Sorry, it was kinda dry hanging up there..." She reaches over to muss the fox's hair and ears, then glances back to Sakuraba. "Since this is everyone, I'll leave it to you to organize getting them out." He looks up and nods, grinning. "Yeah, leave it to me. Just take it easy. Not every day I get to say I helped save the star of our department, huh?" Yomi gives another laugh and shakes her head. "Don't get too full of yourself." She reaches out for Lexicon's hand and tilts her head toward the door. "I think after all that I can really use something to eat. Let's all get going and leave the boring part to Sakuraba." 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     "It wasn't the best timing, but I would've lost the moment if I waited," Lexicon admits in that same even tone. She glances to Staren and Tamamo, then back to Sakuraba. After a pause, she nods once, "I won't argue that. Sorry about the damage." Eyes closing, she dips her head slightly, "I lost my cool a little when it tried to eat me." And a lot more when she got a look at what might have already killed someone important to her.     "Let's get a meal in you, yes. I would like to let Officer Yamamoto know that the situation seems to be resolved, too." 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "Can't be more damage than when some of the girls here try to cook. It can be repaired." Yomi gives Lexicon's hand a squeeze and reaches for the door. "Hey, Lexi, is this your crystal out here? Did you run into any trouble?" The door opens just as Yomi reaches for it, revealing in the hallway.... Yomi. "...oh." "...oh." Yomi's eyes shift to the side briefly, as the eyes of the one in the hall stare for a moment, flicking toward the dead tsuchigumo on the floor, then back to... herself, in the room, before narrowing in anger. Without a word, Shishiou snaps up, and the Yomi next to Lexicon is suddenly lacking a head. It reverts to its true spider-like form before it hits the ground, as does the body before slumping over. "Tch... didn't think there would be three of them in here. Is everyone okay?" 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     A familiar voice in the hallway. Lexicon blinks. Door opens. Lexicon's fury is already causing her to puff up. But the sword comes out before the DCC can do anything but duck out of the way. Framing her head with both arms, in a mix of surprise and anger, she belts out, "MotherFUCKER--!" 
}}

Violated Memory (Yomi Isayama)

2019-01-01T09:23:29Z

Parasaurolophus: Created page with "{{Cutscene Header |Date of Scene=2019/01/01 |Location=Tokyo |Synopsis=The reason why Yomi hates butterflies |Cast of Characters=1098 }} The room was nearly pitch black, and al..."

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2019/01/01
|Location=Tokyo
|Synopsis=The reason why Yomi hates butterflies
|Cast of Characters=1098
}}
The room was nearly pitch black, and all Yomi could hear was the soft thumping of a heartbeat. After a few seconds, a soft, eerie blue light filtered through the room.

There were two other figures there, both taller than her. She should have been scared, but she wasn't. There was something familiar about them, and the memories formed on her lips before coalescing in her mind: "Mama. Papa..."

"Shhh..." came the soft order, as her father pushed her back. She felt something soft all around her, the dangling fabric of hanging clothes, and the eerie blue light was soon reduced to a slit as the door was closed. She could still see, though, vague outlines of her parents in the room beyond.

Something bright flitted past the closet door. She couldn't make it out. Her parents' forms were obscured for a moment before she could see them again, slowly turning to face something... something past them. She couldn't see what.

More bright shapes fluttered around. There was a wet sound, and her father collapsed to the ground, followed a split second later by her mother. Even in the darkness, Yomi could see the darker puddles spreading on the floor. Her eyes widened in terror as she looked up, and even though she was inside the dark closet looking out through the tiniest slit in the door, she could see another figure there, shorter than either of her parents. One of its eyes glowed eerie blue, the other concealed by pale hair.

She knew she was hidden. She knew she couldn't be seen. And yet, that eye seemed to look directly at her. It was all she could see, and she felt herself slowly reaching out...

The sound of a door opening creaked from the other side of the house, and the short figure dissolved into a cloud of eerie blue butterflies, which began to fly directly for Yomi's hiding spot.

Yomi screamed.

Gasping for breath, she shot up from bed, hair matted to her neck and forehead with sweat. Her knuckles were white, grasping at sheets. Panicked, she looked around, but saw no traces of the bloody remains of her parents. "Just.. a dream."

Still shaking, Yomi slowly reached for her phone and saw the date. January 1. "...first dream of the year."

She couldn't close her eyes. Nervously, she flipped her phone open and...hesitated. It was late, but...

"...I don't want to be alone."

As her fingers finally find the right buttons, a small blue butterfly flaps its wings, fluttering away from her windowsill and into the night.

6169/Gentle Days Vanish One By One

2018-11-21T06:04:54Z

Parasaurolophus: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2018/11/20 |Location=Ga-Rei Japan |Synopsis=Wherein our intrepid heroes follow the strange hallucinations and save a holy guardian beast. |Cast of..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2018/11/20
|Location=Ga-Rei Japan
|Synopsis=Wherein our intrepid heroes follow the strange hallucinations and save a holy guardian beast.
|Cast of Characters=1098, 6730, 973, 1119, 998
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Those allies of the Paladins or others who have aided Yomi in the past may have recently heard about a mission she had been asking for help on. It seems that citizens have reported seeing strange visions, and all these reports have been centering around one specific neighborhood. The address of the meeting place, just outside the neighborhood in question, was sent to those who showed interest in helping out. "Don't worry. They'll come. They aren't going to leave me hanging." Yomi is there ahead of time, holding her sheathed sword with one hand and gesturing vaguely down a poorly-lit road. Next to her is a towering mountain of a man with dark skin, marks along his face, and a very nice suit. Resting against his shoulder is a massive shotgun that looks like it could weigh as much as Yomi, if not more. "Don't be nervous, okay? They're good people." 

:'''{{#var:6730|Android 17 (6730)}} has posed:'''     Android 17 had no idea what was going on.     He was not someone who could look into the realm of the dead, he could not see spirits...he was cool under pressure, and intelligent. Well, and strong as one would expect by his name. Hands in his pocket as he approaches Yomi, who seems to be waiting for something.     "I heard someone needed assistance with something, if you don't mind filling me in on the details, I don't mind helping you out." 

:'''{{#var:973|Silica (973)}} has posed:'''     Keiko Ayano, 20-something trainee vetrenarian and AugMa User, walks along the street, tapping at the air as she walks, using the AugMa's AR facilities to send messages and put some things in order before linking up with Yomi and her companion. Once she arrives though, she offers a wave. "Hey, heard you needed some help through Syndicate channels."     Yomi would likely recognize the young woman. She's a bit taller, a bit more filled out than her avatar, but the resemblence is uncanny, really. 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' Josuke has had neither knowledge of Yomi nor is he a Paladin. But he wanders quite a bit, and so he's heard of the trouble too. It sounds similar to what people would see when a Stand was involved. And if HE can get out of his world, then other Stand-users can. So he figured he'd go take a look. Thus it is that there is a broad-shouldered young man with a dark-colored uniform-style outfit heading to the area. "Hi!" he greets brightly. "I heard, too. Spirits? Something similar happens in my world sometimes, so I wanted to make sure it wasn't. I'm not sure I can help out if it's not, but I'll try." 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' To be honest, Yomi wasn't sure who was going to show up. She'd be comfortable going in there with her whole squad, but with only herself and Nabu... well, more backup was nice. "Oh.. hey! Glad you could make it! My name is Yomi. Isayama Yomi. This is Nabu." She gestures up at the man next to her, who lifts a hand in a quick wave and rumbles in a deep, quiet voice, "Nabu is glad to see you." Yomi glances at him and smiles. "He's just a bit nervous. We have another scouting ahead right now, he should be back soon." Her gaze travels over the others briefly, giving them a quick nod. Two guys she doesn't know, and one.... Squinting, she peers at Keiko for a moment. "Is that..." One hand reaches out to poke at the girl's hair near the top. "Ah! It really is you! Silica!" With a grin, she gloms onto the girl, engaging in her signature Big Sister Hug. Even if Keiko is older than her. "Is this you in person, the real you? I don't think I've seen you this way before! You're just as cute as always!" There's a soft cough from Nabu, and Yomi pouts, but she does release Keiko after one more headpat. "Ahem. Anyway! People around here have been reporting some strange hallucinations lately. Seeing things that aren't there, seeing entire -landscapes- that aren't there. But nobody dead yet, so it's a bit... unusual. Most spirits that mess with people's heads try to kill them, you know?" Yomi glances at 17 again, then Josuke. "So... keep your eyes open, mostly. We're not sure yet what this is, but the Agency's trying to at least get us a category. They'll give me a call when thy figure it out." She leans back, glancing down the street as if looking for something. "It -might- be an incursion from another world, but it might just be local weirdness. Either way, let me know if you see anything strange." 

:'''{{#var:6730|Android 17 (6730)}} has posed:'''     Seventeen nods once towards Nabu. He reaches a hand out to greet the man, because he's from Ameripan. Japinca?     Shake or not, the man speaks, "Android 17." He offers, befor elooking back towards Yomi. And then...     The girl hugging the other girl. The Android seems to give no emotion while watching this. There is just that blank, piercing gauge for a moment. Then when it is all said and done, he says with a wry smile, "Oh so you're THAT type of person."     Okay, eyes open, something about halucinations...He wasn't sure if he'd be affected or not, these things always seem to be fifty-fifty for him. So either other world invasion, shennanigans, or local versions of the last two things...yeah, sounds about right. "So where do we start?" 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' "Pleased to meet you too. My name is Josuke," Josuke replies as he bows to Nabu politely. He's only half Japanese too, but he was raised 100% Japanese, and he's surprisingly polite for looking like a delinquent. And he grins brightly at Yomi's hugging of Keiko. That's cute. Though when Yomi starts explaining the problem, he nods. "That does sound familiar," he observes. "There are people who use the same abilities as I do -- or, well... not the same abilities, but they come from the same place. And that's all stuff that can happen with them. I'll be careful, though," he promises. 

:'''{{#var:973|Silica (973)}} has posed:'''     Keiko blinks at the poke, then nods. "This is my real bo--EEK!" the Big Sister hug makes her squirm and writhes about a bit, pouting and gently trying to prise herself away from the Occultist. "I-I'm not cute! S-Stop calling me that.." once the hug is released, she smooths herself out, blushing brightly, then gets her serious face back once the briefing comes. "Weird stuff that isn't there... okay, I think I get it. Give me a sec to put on my war face." she says, stepping back from the others, striking a pose and speaking two words in an imperative tone. "LINK. START!"     The AugMa erupts into a wireframe that covers the woman's body, following quickly by the outer texture maps filling in over top in much the same manner. Did she even get smaller? Hard to tell really. Once the texture maps are in place, she moves and gives a whistle, summoning a group of small monsters around her, the felinoid ears on the sides of her head perking and panning, while her menagerie settles on or around their mistress. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "You're totally cute! Just like Kagura!" ...who doesn't like Yomi hugging on her in public either, but big sister types are immune to embarrassment like that. But then Keiko transforms, and Yomi reaches out to touch the girl's shoulder, to see if those textures are really there. "Oh, wow. That's so cool!" Turning a bit, Yomi glances back up at 17. "And what kind of person would that be, hm?" She smiles thinly at him, and Nabu seems to get a shiver up his spine. He's seen that look before. But before he can say anything, Yomi gestures down the street. "We start down this way. Like I said, I sent a scout ahead. He should be back soon. And he's got a couple sets of goggles for seeing spirits if you're not able to, courtesy of some soldiers we saved a few weeks back. Sounds like you probably can already, Josuke." She pauses a moment and looks him up and down. "Just warn me if your powers do anything weird so I know not to attack it. Let's get going." As she leads the way down the street, Nabu following behind her, another figure steps out from around a poorly-lit corner. It's... Nabu? But he's right here already. Yomi and Nabu don't seem too startled, though, and the one behind her steps forward to grab the new one's shoulder. "Nabu was worried you took so long." "Nabu was toobuubuu." "This is Nabu's brother, Nabu," explains Yomi, as if there's nothing strange about this. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     "That doesn't sound complicated at all," a soft voice murmurs in a dry tone.     Bringing up the rear of the group is a brunette in a plaid-skirted school uniform, complete with blazer and beret. Some might know her as Lexicon, others present might not, but she's familiar with Yomi most of all and that's who she addresses directly first: "Sorry I'm late. The bus was running behind and it didn't feel right to fly without permission."     A polite nod is offered to Josuke, who she's heard of helping her fellow DCCs. Silica's attendent nod comes with a little smile. A smile that's gone by the time she's acknowledging Android 17-- who she doesn't know at all. But he still gets a nod.     "I only got the gist of it," Lexicon admits, "So let's hear the recon." 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' Josuke follows Yomi as she starts down the street. Though he blinks a little as the copy of Nabu -- who also seems to be named Nabu -- appears. "Eh? But..." He looks at Nabu the 1st. Then at Nabu the 2nd. "...How do we tell them apart?" he wonders. Oh right. As for seeing spirits? He shakes his head. "No, I can't. Not unless they're what mine is." He pauses a moment, and a purple aura appears around him. And then he manifests his Stand behind him. His Stand is head and shoulders taller, though that might be because the Stand in question is floating a couple inches off the ground. Though still... it's a pretty big entity. The entity is pink with crystal blue armor. One wouldn't think someone in pink and baby blue could look THAT serious, but... it does. The Stand has a serious, 'don't screw with me' expression on its face. "Unless they're a Stand, like this guy--" He hooks a thumb back at the entity behind him "--Then I won't be able to see them. If it's an actual spirit, I won't be able to see it normally." 

:'''{{#var:6730|Android 17 (6730)}} has posed:'''     "The kind that tries to be everybody's elder sister," Seventeen says, without flinching. He's not afraid of her, because he had to grow up with Eighteen.     Shrugging as the situation is explained a bit more, he seems to make a mental note of these things. Finally, with a nod, he moves on. Until there are two Nabu's, and they each talk to each other strangely. Ok, this is weird, but he is sure he almost knows what is going on here. Maybe.     "Twins?" Because he is a twin too.     "Unless they leave any standard trace of themselves, or make noises that I can follow, I don't have any special 'ghost' sensors either." He reguards the transformation of Silica. Not sure what to make of this, but he's learning a whole LOT today. His eyes move towards Lexicon, who nods at him and he returns it respectfully. They don't know each other, but he's not going to be rude.     Of course, the stand that appears gets his attention next. Huh, things are getting all sorts of interesting now. "That is pretty cool." He says towards Josuke. 

:'''{{#var:973|Silica (973)}} has posed:'''     Silica is pretty solid to the touch, without any of the displacement one might expect from a shift in size. That's some WEIRD TECH stuff that CARDINAL made. Anyway, she whistles and her flock disperses a bit, Pina, Hibiki and Kobayashi taking wing, while Nana scurries off ahead, snorting and looking around. "My pets have some built in 'threat detection' code, so they'll start to act up if anything weird starts affecting them or the area nearby." she says, using her pets as a perimeter alarm.     Lexicon's arrival gets a smile and a wave from the Cait Sith, her tail swishing happily at seeing the DCC. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "Not -everyone's- sister. Only the cute ones." Yomi smirks and gestures to Keiko and her wagging tail. "...besides, my cousin has always been like a big sister to me. I'm just passing on the love." She pauses, nodding to the question. "Where they're from, people believe twins are the same person, so they get the same name. They're the only survivors from an attack on their village, so they're pretty close anyway." The exorcist takes a step back as Crazy Diamond manifests. "...huh. He looks a little grumpy. Not that I can talk with how Ranguren looks to most people... Ah." She taps her sword with a finger. "I'll warn you if I have to summon him. Don't want to show you now, because he's... not very subtle. Lexicon has seen him before. Anyway, Nabu has the goggles if they're needed, but since normal people have been reporting the hallucinations, it might not be something invisible." Nabu and Nabu seem done talking to each other, and both turn to face the group. The question of how to tell them apart may soon become a moot point, considering the way they talk. "Nabu saw the hallucinations" "just like people reported. It was a big field of stars that" "replaced the nearby buildings then" "turned into fireworks." Both of them lift a hand and spread their fingers. "..paaaa~!" Then they fall quiet again, gesturing around the corner. "Looks like the source of our problem is this way. Keep your eyes peeled." Yomi walks around the corner and.. promptly vanishes. Though her voice trails back, a little distorted, "You guys have to come see this." The Nabu brothers follow, likewise disappearing. Anyone else who walks around the corner will seem to vanish, then be greeted by a strange sight: an underwater coral reef, with brightly-colored fish swimming around. Yomi is about ten feet down the road, her hair floating up in the 'water' as she reaches to poke at a nearby fish... and that fish reacts by swimming away. "It's like we're underwater but not..." 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' "Oh, that would explain it," Josuke notes, of the similarity between the two Nabus. "Two bodies sharing the same soul? That kind of thing?" He can respect the belief, anyway. "So it doesn't really matter which one is which, if they're the same person?" That'll be handy for telling people apart. Or not telling them apart, as the case may be. As for Crazy Diamond looking grumpy? Josuke grins. "He's just very serious. <Crazy Diamond> wouldn't hurt anybody unless they deserved it." A pause then. "Oh right. If something important gets broken, or anybody gets hurt, let me know. <Crazy Diamond> can fix things and heal people. I can't bring back the dead though, so tell me before it gets that bad." The switch from 'he can/can't' to 'I can/can't' might be a bit telling, too. He de-manifests Crazy Diamond, pausing to listen to the Two Nabus, and Josuke blinks as they finish each other's sentences. That's definitely going to be a big help, for it not to matter which is which. But also, that's some weird account. "If it was a Stand, that would have to be a really powerful one, to affect that much of the area," he notes. He's not assuming it is, mind. He's just here in case it is. Yomi's disappearance gets a pout of concern from Josuke. "Yomi?" he calls out. He hears her voice then, and heads to the area he heard it from. Of course, when it looks like Josuke's underwater, what's the first thing he does? Hold his breath? Test if he can breathe? If he can swim? No, it is none of these things. He reaches up to make sure his hair's in order. Yes. When faced with the threat of drowning, his first concern is his hair. But, thus assured that his hair's fine, he turns his attention to the atmosphere. "...OK, yeah, this is definitely weird..." He looks around, seeing if he can see a likely Stand-user around. Or if not, someone around who might be causing it. Failing that, something -- anything -- that seems out of place. A shadow that doesn't look right, a piece of the surroundings that don't look like it fits here (except the obvious) -- something that might indicate where this might be coming from. 

:'''{{#var:973|Silica (973)}} has posed:'''     Silica blinks as Yomi vanishes, surging forward and skidding around the corner just after Josuke vanishes too. She blinks as she enters an 'underwater' area, her hair wafting a bit in the 'water', while her pets flit and flutter about, scampering in chase of any fish that come too close. "Okay, this is really wierd." she states, walking along to join Yomi. "Any ideas what could cause this?" 

:'''{{#var:6730|Android 17 (6730)}} has posed:'''     Seventeen looks distant for a moment, at the mention of 'the only survivors'. That part stuck with him more than the 'think they're the same person'. He knows THAT'S not true, but the second part well...     Yeah.     "Only the cute ones, huh. You know, they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder." He comments, but continues walking, not pushing it anymore. When the lady, and then the two twins disappear around a corner, but they could still hear her...well, that is when Seventeen starts to think that this MIGHT not just be people being delusional. Shrugging, he walks forward, following and into the sea. Litterally.     Looking around, others stare in wonder...but Seventeen has experience with this sort of thing, and he's not afraid of drowning for some reason. He moves, looking at the fish, at the coral...he's learned a lot over the years, from being a park ranger, and tries to see if the illusion acts naturally...or if they act in a way that a normal person THINK they'd act...     "It's not that weird, don't you guys go swimming?" 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     Lexicon nods once, "He's big," is her clarification on Ranguren. She glances towards Crazy Diamond for a moment, before the Stand disappears. A hand raises to her chin in thought, wandering back to the oddly delivered recon from the Nabu brothers. Hallucinations and illusions, huh. After some thought, she remarks, "I think I have an idea of what to expect, now."     She doesn't say it out loud, though. Is she wary of being wrong?     Lexicon follows the trio into the illusiory zone, blinking when the environment quite suddenly changes. She pauses, glancing up and about. That hand lifts to her chin again with a thoughtful sound. To 17, she remarks, "It's a little weird in that there's no bouyancy. I don't have human biology, but I still float." She reaches up instinctively, but once she finds her hat isn't drifting off like everyone's hair already is, the DCC relaxes once more.     "So the plan is to find whatever is causing this, then?" 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' The water here seems to be pretty gentle on hair. Yomi's is floating a bit, but it's not exactly... wet here. "You'd be surprise how rarely I get to the beach given I live on a big island. Besides, there's nowhere in Japan like this." She reaches out for another fish off to her side. "These look tropical." There is also something a bit off, especially if 17 knows his fish. They move... pretty naturally, but there are some fish here that definitely do not live in the same place in the wild, and there are even a few deep sea fish mixed in with the tropical reef fish. "Whatever's causing it, I don't feel any ill intent... though it could be hiding that. But if we're all seeing the same thing, that means it's not possession of any sort." She moves her hand back and forth, and it seems to move normally, not slowed like it might underwater. "We can breathe, and we're not wet, so it's not actually water..." The Nabu brothers look both confused and interested, because they really have never seen something like this before. They do take care not to step on any of the bottom-dwelling fish as they move, though. If Silica's pets continue chasing the fish, however, one of them might soon find itself stopped by... nothing? Something flat and hard it can't run past. 

:'''{{#var:6730|Android 17 (6730)}} has posed:'''     Seventeen infact DOES know his fish, he manages no fewer than fourteen endangered species of them on his island.     "There." he points at a particular ugly fish, "That is a deep sea fish, you can tell because that fish normally wouldn't be able to survive in an enviornment with this much light, it's suited for darker parts of the sea. It's also far too warm for it." He points out. "This is someone who knows about fish, and maybe has even seen fish move a great deal, but not an marine biologist...or professional animal handler." He says, with a shrug.     "Still, this is fairly realistic." 

:'''{{#var:973|Silica (973)}} has posed:'''     SQUAWK! CHIRRII CHRRIII!     Both Kobayashi and Hibiki find the boundary wall and kinda flail a bit as they try to right themselves, comically sliding down the 'wall' before they manage to get their limbs in order and flutter back, the Hawkbat and the Winged Serpent both looking crestfallen as they flit back to huff and pout around Silica's shoulders. "Aww, don't pout, it's okay." she coos to them, offering little snacks to cheer them up. "Seems like a Bounded Field, there's an entrance, but we might not be able to go back the way we came... this reminds me of that spirit that created the maze to protect those kids last year." she remarks. "Could it be as similar type of spirit?" 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     Keeping her hand on her chin, Lexicon walks slowly through the aquatic environment. Things don't seem terribly out of place to her-- until 17 identifies something distinctly out of place. Her eyes follow his point to that distinctive 'i am a deep sea fish' fangly horror that so defines such dwellers in the dark. Eyes narrow with a thoughtful 'hmm'.     Her eyes shift again to some other commotion, when Silica's pets run afoul of something invisible. She comes to a stop, then, hands dropping to her sides.     "An aquarium."     There's a hiss of digitized light as her hammer appears in her right hand. 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' Josuke looks to 17, and then to Lexicon, as they finally appear. The teen looks relieved. Good, they didn't get separated. Though Seventeen's words get a blink. "Sometimes. But I don't usually walk on the bottom. And it's a little harder to breathe under ACTUAL water. Also I can float, so I wouldn't be down here anyway if this was actually water." He nods to Lexicon's words. "Yeah. Also the being able to breathe is weird." He has human biology, after all. He doesn't seem to have found anything spectacularly out of place in his perusal, so he instead resorts ot looking at the fish themselves. He doesn't know fish very well at all, to be honest. But he knows someone who would. "Man... too bad I didn't bring a camera. I know all this isn't real, but it'd have been nice to be able to take some pictures to show Jotaro, anyway..." he comments. He looks to one of the fish swimming nearby, and has a strange idea. He takes in a breath, slowly, deeply, and then exhales. Does it again. And when he feels the warmth building in his midsection, he concentrates on moving it to his hand. And then he reaches to touch the fish, sending a tiny spark of Hamon through his finger, into the fish. Probably won't do anything, but it might rule out 'undead evil power'. Or rule it IN, depending on how the fish reacts. If it reacts at all. He listens to Seventeen talk about the fish, and actually smiles. "Heh... I should put you in touch with Jotaro sometime. He likes to talk about fish," he notes, halfway teasing. Silica's mention of a 'Bounded Field' gets a blink. He doesn't quite know what that means, he just knows there's a boundary. It's Lexicon's mention of an aquarium that gets the frown to come out. "Oh <great>. We've been trapped in something's fishtank?" Lexicon pulls her hammer, and Josuke re-manifests Crazy Diamond. "Where's the wall? Maybe <Crazy Diamond> can punch through it?" Maybe not, but one never knows 'till one tries, right? 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "Now I'm definitely glad you came." Yomi glances back at 17 with a grin. "I've never seen any of these fish in person, just on television and pictures." She looks over at the squeaking sounds. "You mean the nurikabe? The illusion was pretty broad, but the passageways weren't. It does seem similar though..." When the hammer is summoned, Yomi walks over and puts a hand on Lexicon's shoulder. "It... might be? Let's try to figure something out before smashing anything, though. There's no actual water here, after all." The fish... probably does not react as expected. It only really reacts like the others did earlier, when touched, by swimming away, but there doesn't seem to be any actual life there to react. "Can someone find where the barrier wall is? We can start there." 

:'''{{#var:6730|Android 17 (6730)}} has posed:'''     "Hmm...See, it just moves. The anglerfish would have attempted to bite you, as they are caniverous, and may have mistaken your finger for a smaller fish." Seventeen says calmly, and stands up fully. He shrugs at the compliment, "Glad to be of assistance. Of course, this part of things is what you are better at...but find the edge huh..?" Seventeen says, and relies on his sense of hearing, which is really sharp to try and focus on areas where sound would be either muffled or reflected back at him...putting a hand forward to try and find the edge of the wall.     He could also try and overpower it, but it was requested that they DIDN'T do that...     That and Seventeen feels like playing along. After all it's an adventure to him. 

:'''{{#var:973|Silica (973)}} has posed:'''     "In my studies to become a vet, I've learned that a lot of species of animal have some similarities between different subspecies that can be used. Like breeds of dog and wolves, domestic cats and large predator ones, that kind of thing. Some basics are common amongst them with the differences only layed on top." replies Silica as she coos gently to her pets, who are seeming to perk back up after that little escapade. "It might not be a Nurikabe, but another spirit with a similar powerset." she walks over to where the pets came from, ears perking toward the location. Cait Sith hearing is pretty sensitive too, so she approaches slowly, making little 'click' sounds with her tongue against the roof of her mouth, ears perked directly forwards like big, fluffy radar dishes. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     When Yomi touches her shoulder, Lexicon...remains tense. Her eyes shift to eye the exorcist for a moment, before they close and she lets out a tired sigh. The hammer is lifted, tossed, and disappears back into her inventory, "Fine. But if whatever it is has peaceful intentions, actually communicating with us would be a lot less likely to be misinterpreted than some illusion."     She pauses, then, "Unless it /is/ just an illusion..." Her head turns towards Silica and 17 sonaring for the borders, "Could it have been one of the buildings or a fence, obscured by the hologram?" 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' "Aha." Josuke watches the 'fish' swim away. "I thought so. It's like zapping an inanimate object." 'Zapping'? What did he do to that fish? Well, it doesn't seem to have affected it, either way, so there's that. That makes it easier for Josuke to accept that what he's seeing isn't real. He nods to Seventeen's observation. "That and I used Hamon -- life energy," he points out. "It wouldn't have hurt the fish either way, even if it HAD been a real fish, but there would have been some reaction to that little infusion of life energy. Nothin'." Yomi's words about finding the wall get an affirmative sound; though he keeps Crazy Diamond out, Josuke doesn't intend to immediately bash anything. It's really more for self-defense, in case whoever or whatever's doing this takes exception to them trying to get out. "Yeah," he agrees with Lexicon. "Maybe it doesn't know how to communicate?" he suggests. "I dunno if we ought to immediately assume hostile intent, but... we'd probably better keep alert." 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Adorable sonar cat ears can tell there is definitely a wall there, though it only goes up about twice Silica's height. And about twenty steps ahead, there's a cap before the wall begins again. Seventeen can find the wall by touch as well, once he's reaching in the right direction. That's definintely not the feeling of aquarium glass, though. It's more like... stone? Or brick, by the spacing between parts. "Well, people were experiencing hallucinations but not being hurt, so..." Yomi glances over to Josuke and blinks slowly. "You'll have to show me that trick sometime I can actually get a better look. Sounds interesting." After a few more steps forward, most of the fish begin to.... smear is the closest word. They slow down, their colors spreading out, then fading. The entire oceanscape does the same, until everyone is left standing on a normal street. There's a brick wall on one side, with a gate a short ways down leading to someone's front porch. "Right. So, illusion it is." Yomi takes another step forward, and the real world blurs again, fading to a new landscape. This one is bleak and desolate like a desert, covered in strange arrows of various colors that point in seemingly random directions. Some of the arrows blink and flicker, fading out and showing arrow-shaped pieces of the street. "Seems you were right, Lexi.. wait." She holds a hand up, and as soon as there's quiet, the sound of a heartbeat can be heard thudding over the landscape. "The arrows can't be coincidence. Not with that heartbeat." 

:'''{{#var:973|Silica (973)}} has posed:'''     Silica really wasn't expecting that to work, but is happy to hear it did. "I'll have to let the other Cait Sith know so they can train. Might even be a new Skill!" she says excitedly, blinking and frowning as the illusion fades and a new one takes its place. She furrows her brow, listening to that heartbeat, ears flicking to and fro to try and isolate the source. "I might be able to zero in on it, if it has a single source and isn't being generated by the arrows." she supplies helpfully. "Or, if it's a living thing, some of the others might be able to pick out that." She looks to Josuke for that one, but has a half-glance at 17 as well. 

:'''{{#var:6730|Android 17 (6730)}} has posed:'''     Seventeen nods, once, and starts trying to listen.     "Hey, I thought the illusion was pretty good. If you want, I can show you how to make it better." he says soothingly to the source of this. "But we should talk first. You know, nobody wants anyone to get the wrong idea." % 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' Josuke offers a grin and a thumbsup at the mention of showing that 'trick' to Yomi sometime, figuring she meant the Hamon. "Sure thing! It's something an ancestor taught me." That's about all he says about it right now. Now's not the time for a lengthy explanation. Particularly because the illusions seem to be turning into something out of a bad acid trip! "Wha? What's going on?" Josuke comments, keeping alert for whatever's to happen next. However, Silica's glance gets a shake of his head. "Sorry. I didn't get any cool detection abilities with mine. Jotaro's <Star Platinum> has super-accurate vision at really stupidly long distances, and my... uh, Mr. Joestar's can make spirit photos. But <Crazy Diamond> just restores things." And people, obviously. He'll wait, going quiet as Seventeen starts trying to be diplomatic at the source of the illusion. Meanwhile he's also trying to see if he can tell where the heartbeat is coming from. He doesn't have radar ears, but he can hear well enough. Maybe he can help with that. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     When shapes begin smearing together, Lexicon squints in a sort of half-wince. Sort of like how one would respond when they see something gross for the first time. Probably because the effect has a resemblance to video 'tearing', a thing she's familiar with and rather unpleasant. Reality re-asserts itself, and she shakes her head with a brief recovery.     "Nnn... Did it break because it was found out?" Eyes close with another thoughtful noise when the new landscape asserts itself. To Josuke, the DCC nods once, "...Or it's trying to tell us something the only way it knows how."     17 starts trying to communicate with it. Silica's already turned to him and Josuke for their unique talents. Lexicon kinda...doesn't have much for searching a locale. All she can bring to the table is an ability to follow directions.     So Lexicon's going to do that. She folds her arms behind her back, following the arrows with her eyes and, at a slower pace, with her feet. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Whatever is out there doesn't respond to the compliments. Maybe it can't speak? The hearbeat sound seems to be getting a bit louder as Lexicon mentally follows the twisted pathway of the arrows, however. Before long, the arrows that she's already 'used' begin to smear and fade away, leaving more holes in the illusion. But with each arrow that fades... all the people here begin to change. The Nabu brothers are first, their shapes becoming strange, stylized clouds or smoke. Next is Yomi, whose appearance becomes that of a rhinoceros. "...I don't know what illusion is on me now, but it looks like I'm watching from inside a box with eye holes. Nothing feels weird, though..." Before long, the others seem to take animal forms as well. Lexicon becomes a tiger, Keiko a bear, 17 an ox, and Josuke an elephant. Those illusions only really hold for a few seconds before they flicker and fade out. "....oh. Yeah, that makes sense." Yomi shakes her head. "I'm glad we found this and not the PDCH. Josuke... you can detect life, right? Work with Lexicon to find which arrow is actually alive. I think she's got a path. Silica... or do you prefer Keiko? I think we'll need whatever you know about animals. You too, Seventeen." 

:'''{{#var:6730|Android 17 (6730)}} has posed:'''     Seventeen was not ready for today. Luckily it wasn't actually BECOMING an animal...of course it wasn't all that bad for him.     Seventeen closes his eyes as they get closer, trying to block out all other senses but his hearing, so he can try and pinpoint the sound of the heartbeat.     This is so weird, but also exciting. 

:'''{{#var:973|Silica (973)}} has posed:'''     Silica looks over to Yomi, "I'm still learning, but I'll do my best.... and, when I'm logged in, I prefer Silica." she replies, tail frizzing up when she gets that illusion plastered over her. "Wait, what is..." the illusion breaks, but she looks at the others before theirs do and she frowns. "I guess it's trying to tell us something... but I can't figure out what." 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' The knowledge that this is an illusion makes the vision of himself as an elephant a little easier, yes. Enough that he mentally rejects it, but not violently. However, he shakes his head to Yomi's words. "I can't detect life, no," he replies. "Sorry. My Stand doesn't have any ability like that." He pauses a moment at Silica's words. "I'd almost want to say it has something to do with the Chinese zodiac... but I didn't think bear or elephant made it in, so..." He shrugs. About all he can do is follow Lexicon as she starts following the arrows. Hopefully they'll be the right ones, and they'll figure something else out. His steps don't sound like an elephant's, thankfully, so there's that. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     Lexicon stops when something obscures her vision. Like wearing a mask, if only for a moment. She turns, glancing back from whence she came. Amimals and shadows-- and then the people she'd arrived with. The changes on the ground are noted too, and the brunette turns back to the arrow trail she's facing.     "Do you want me to follow this or not? Stop fuckin' with me. I'm already taking a big leap in trust, here."     Yes she's talking to whatever's producing the imagery, try not to think too hard about it. She then stops, "Wait a second."     Turning again, she ticks off fingers, "Rhinoceros, elephant, tiger..." She looks down at her hands, projecting a screen and scrolling through data, "These are all endangered animals. There's an endangered species of oxen too. And even a bear that looks kinda like that."     Glancing up at 17, she asks, "Were any of those fish endangered or extinct?" 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "It's not trying to mess with you, Lexi. It's hurt. Look. I think you found the end." Yomi points to some of the nearby arrows as they fade away, and soon there's only one left at the end of the trail, pointing to a bush at the side of the road. The desert landscape and the arrows all smear and fade away, returning the road to normalcy... except for a strange blue-green rope dangling out from beneath the bush, making a puffing sound. Wait, it's not a rope. It's a trunk. "Don't worry, these ones are harmless. Here." Yomi reaches forward and pushes aside the branches of the bush to show the rest of it: body of a bear, head of an elephant, legs of a tiger, tail of an ox, eyes and ears of a rhinoceros. The wounded baku wheezes, puffing out small clouds that flicker into various images before fading again. 

:'''{{#var:973|Silica (973)}} has posed:'''     Silica sees the spirit as it's revealed, and rushes over to it. "Hold on, I think I can help." she says, gently placing a hand on the wounded youkai and beginning to chant in the off-Norse of ALO magic. "Soo firra heiragooru ausutoru, burotto subahru bahni!" the words surrounding her, locking into place as they're spoken, before a soft blue-green aura of 'water' surrounds the wounded Baku, attempting to restore its stamina and heal any physical wounds. 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' Josuke blinks at the creature once it's revealed. "That makes sense... someone needed to know where it was, but it probably didn't want to just lead ANYBODY to it," he notes. "Someone might have found it that would have tried to kill it." He'd been about to approach to try to help the creature, but Silica pre-empts him, and he nods. He stays where he is, then, not wanting to spook the creature at having more than one person approach. He's not sure how much the creature is cognizant, after all. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     The images disappear, and Lexicon hrnfs in a mix of frustration and relief, "I'm not good with this stuff, okay?" She takes a step back when Yomi steps up to the revealed creature, rubbing the back of her head, "Even Index and Codex were born able to talk. I'm not great with symbolism, of course I'm gonna mess up the meaning when it's vague like that."     She turns her head towards Josuke's comment, "...I guess that makes sense. And arrows are pretty damn obvious, but that chicanry at the end was all kinds of cryptic."     Turning back to the Baku as Silica's spell gets to work, Lexicon leans down, "Let that be a lesson to you! If you find some people you trust and want to show them what you look like, just show us a tapir next time." 

:'''{{#var:6730|Android 17 (6730)}} has posed:'''     "Actually it makes sense...it was hurt, and wanted to know if people nearby were going to help it. So it was trying to ascertain if those people were good with things like it. Or trying to communicate about itself." Seventeen says, or at least theorizes. He leans down near the creature. He's got a lot of training in helping wild animals with injuries, even as magic works. He works on practical, trying to ID the wound, how it was made...if anything more serious was hit, while also studying the creature.     "Hey there guy, stay calm, I am going to help you, ok?" He says, with a soothing voice...the cold hard to read Seventeen is gone and the animal lover beneath that shows. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' As the healing magic does its job, the baku lets out a soft trumpet. From appearances, it probably got hit by a car when it was too dark to see. "I think if the PDCH found it, they probably would have just shot it. And it would have taken me hours to track it down. Thanks, everyone." Yomi smiles, reaching over to playfully poke Lexicon in the shoulder. "It's a creature that lives on dreams. I don't think it could be direct if it tried. But it's also a holy guardian spirit like Ranguren, so it's good we were able to help it. Maybe we'll all even get some good luck coming our way." Yomi puts a hand on her hip as she watches Silica and 17 take care of the baku. "All the hallucinations were its only way of calling out that it could do safely. I'm glad I had help from you guys, I really am." She lets out a breath and leans against the wall. "Nabu, can you call up Iwahata and tell him to bring the car by? We can clear out before drawing too much more attention." 
}}

5887/Tour of Ga-rei Tokyo

2018-06-01T05:25:33Z

Parasaurolophus:

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2018/05/31
|Location=Ga-Rei Tokyo
|Synopsis=Yomi shows Lexicon a little of her Tokyo.
|Cast of Characters=1098, 998
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Not long after the call, Yomi is waiting on the train platform. Instead of her school uniform, she's dressed more casually, with a ruffled top, shorts, and stockings. Her fingers idly toy with a lock of hair as she watches and waits for Lexicon to arrive. No, she's not anxious. Why would she be? Just because she's never really shown Lexi around Tokyo before. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     It's not long before the next train arrives. A handful of various, rather ordinary people disembark and shuffle about their business. There's no distinct flash of white and brown as might be expected of the Britannica DCC, though. Yomi is approached by a bob-haired brunette in a tan blazer and plaid skirt, sporting a beret. While she looks ordinary, she's obviously not from around here-- "Yomi, I made it."     Oh it's just Lexicon in a different outfit from usual. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' This is the first time that she's asked the DCC to her hometown when there wasn't some haunting or otherwise youkai-related threat, so Yomi wasn't quite sure what she was expecting... except probably not Silver Soul. She doesn't notice the brunette immediately, but as soon as she gets a look at the girl's face, the exorcist grins. "You did make it! You look great, Lexi... didn't really expect this look, but I think it suits you. Come on." Yomi reaches for the DCC's hand and leads her out toward the street. "So, you can expect about seventy percent fewer screams than last time. The rest of the Agency is out doing their thing, but no major threats have been reported in town tonight. You've got me all to yourself." 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     "You think so?" Lex tucks her hands down her sides, turning to show herself in profile, "I did a lot of research on what girls in contemporary Japan wore, and tailored it to my color preferences." Of course it's based on a school uniform. Did this 'research' just involve binging on manga?     When her hand is seized, Lexicon staggers a bit before she matches Yomi's pace, following along at the taller girl's side, "I'd hope so. It'd be nice to show a side of myself that isn't already resorting to violence." An eyebrow lowers as she glances down at interlocked hands, and she lifts Yomi's in her own, "Afraid I'll get lost?" 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Tilting her head slightly, Yomi looks down at the DCC. "Mm hmm. It looks super cute on you." She can't help but smile at mention of research, though. "Looks a bit more like a school uniform than something casual, but you won't stand out. Only reason I'm not still in mine is I had time to stop by at home." The exorcist clicks her tongue in amusement. "Let's hope there's no violence." She glances down toward their hands and shrugs a bit. "Well, I did ask you out. Besides, you haven't seen how busy it gets in the train station sometimes." Once they're on the road, at least, she loosens her hold. "Besides, if you do get lost, you have my number." 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     Lexicon closes her eyes, "It's casual enough." This simple logic seems to be all she needs. She permits the hand-hold until the sidewalk, at least, though once loosened she reclaims her digits so she can fold her arms behind her back. Still keeping pace with the taller girl, she hums, "I still have my inventory if things go that way, but yes, let's hope not."     Her eyes wander up, looking down the street and towards the sky, framed by Tokyo's famously tall buildings, "It's rather a bit like Cadenza. But less annoying. I can't quite place my finger on why, though." Glancing aside, she asks, "So, where to? It's your town, this time." 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "An inventory like that must be so convenient... I couldn't bring Shishiou with me tonight." There is definitely no room to conceal a full-sized katana in the outfit Yomi has on right now. "I've got a backup in here just in case, but..." She shakes her purse a bit. "I don't really expect trouble anyway." Yomi tilts her head a bit. "I don't think I had the chance to visit Cadenza, so I can't really help with the comparison. Glad to hear it's not annoying, though." She gives Lexicon a bit of a smirk as she comes to a crosswalk. "Well, I had been promising you I'd show you a local bookstore. So that's our first stop." 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     "There are some things that are commonplace in the System," Lexicon comments with a shrug, "That don't exist in other worlds. And to be honest they're often things I couldn't imagine getting by without." Eyes closing, she hums thoughtfully, "Though you also don't have to deal with some of the problems the System has, like virus infestations and crazy bitches from the past trying to eat you or whatever."     Okay so she's still slightly bitter about Artifex.     "Ah?" Eyes opening again, she glances up at the crossing signal, "Well, this should be interesting, then."     A sidelong glance, "Oh, Tokyo's fine. I don't find towns annoying in general. There's just...something about Cadenza that gives me a headache." When a car covered in neon lights passes through the intersection, bass thumping through closed windows, Lexicon's eyes form a straight flat line, "Oh, there it is." 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "I guess I feel the same way sometimes. I can't imagine being without my phone. I'd have no way of knowing if an emergency happens." Yomi glances to the side. "How... is Artifex, anyway? I can't really trust her yet, but I hope she's at least been behaving." She briefly makes a face. "Here, there's no coming back from being possessed. Best you can do is put an end to their suffering." After a moment's pause, Yomi shakes her head. "Sorry, tonight's not for talking shop." The car drives past, and although the exorcist has a look of distaste on her face, she can't help but laugh at Lexicon's reaction. "Lots of music in Cadenza, then?" As the light turns, she steps out into the intersection. "I should visit more of the places there. But I suppose some parts of Tokyo are just as foreign to you. I don't think you're ready for Akihabara just yet, for instance." 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     Glancing up, Lexicon notes the signal and follows with quick steps through the crosswalk, "She hasn't invaded anyone or tried to kill anyone, that I know of. She's mostly busy trying to rebuild Gallery, I think." The results of possession are noted, but when Yomi discards the subject, Lexicon doesn't pursue it beyond making a mental note how the two situations are similar, but seem to be fundamentally different.     Instead, she lifts an eyebrow towards Yomi, "Not ready? Is that a challenge?" The taller girl gets a light elbow in the side, "I should subject you to Saltavi's city just for that. Maybe next time." Glancing ahead, she adds, "But yes. It's the City of Songs. The noise never stops." 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "Well, you let me know if she tries anything..." Yomi did give her a fair warning, though she never told Lexicon what she whispered to Artifex that day. "Oh, hey!" With a laugh, Yomi is shaken from her thoughts. "I'm not even ready for Akibahara and I've been there before! It's a pretty crazy place. Hard to tell the youkai from the humans sometimes..." She gives Lexicon a playful poke in the shoulder. "I'm sure I'll survive it, somehow. Unless all the music is off key." Besides, she can withstand a short visit. "And here we are." Yomi stops in front of a bookstore that seems to be privately owned, rather than part of a chain. She pulls open the door and gestures inside. "I figure someplace like this might be the most fun for you." The store seems to be split into sections. Off on one side are all the newest manga and light novels. The other wall has magazines with news and fashion trends. And the center few aisles are a pretty mixed bag, shelves full of used books. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     At least it's clear that Lexicon isn't actually annoyed or anything. Just some playful ribbing, "Oh, is that all? A virus lives in Britannica, you know." Eyes closing, she thumbs her own nose, "I can handle myself." Eyes open when the storefront is presented, and she glances up the face of the building. The rather small, corner store nature is noted. Curiosity written all over her face, she steps in when the door is held.     Pausing inside, Lexicon closes her eyes and breathes in deeply. The unique, unmistakable smell of old books. When she exhales, it's in a satisfied sigh, and a small smile crosses her face, "Well, I certainly can't complain about a store that specializes in well-loved books." Glancing back, she asks, "Am I that transparent?" 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' The checkout counter is manned by a single person, an older gentleman, and Yomi gives him a wave. She came by to check the place out the other day, so he recognizes her at least. She turns to watch Lexicon's reaction and pulls out her phone, clicking a picture. "Used book Lexicon face, into the collection~!" Yomi gives an innocent grin and shrugs. "Mmm... only a bit. I cast a pretty wide net here." It was the only place she could find with both used books and newer manga. "But I'm glad you approve." 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     Snap! Lexicon's caught off guard by the camera, her expression captured perfectly. It's only afterward that she leans forward, mock-angry, "Just what's that supposed to mean!" Eyes closing, she folds her arms with that sort of puffed up frustrated look about her, "Jeez..." Turning back, she ventures amidst the shelves down the center, "Sorry for the commotion," is directed to the proprieter, as she sets about browsing what's actually here.     "The manga and novels here are very different, though. I don't recognize any of these authors." One used manga is pulled out, turned around to examine the back, "...Is this one written by a virus?"     The author just draws a dog above his endpage commentary. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' The pout just means Yomi snaps another picture, humming cheerfully. "I'm starting a collection of Lexicon faces. Don't worry, nobody else gets to see it." Violet eyes shift aside to the owner, who just waves vaguely. "Ah.. he probably gets worse in here right after class is out for the day. But I'll behave." She pauses and murmurs with a smirk, "Mostly." Following after Lexicon, she leans over a bit to better see the back cover. "A virus? Oh, that's just the author's self-insert. He uses it to talk about things in the commentary pages in the back. A lot of manga authors have a persona like that." 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     ... "Oh, right. An author avatar, of course," Lexicon tries to pass it off as if she just forgot about such a practice. Glancing back down, she skims the pitch on the back cover, then tucks the volume under her arm and collects the first of the series as well, "This one seems like a lot of fun. Index and Codex will probably get a kick out of it. And the rating looks safe enough."     Pausing, she glances back, "But that's a souvenier for my sisters. I'll let you recommend something for me. Like last time, but reversed." Her head tilts, "So, Yomi, what would you suggest? Anything you're following?" 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "Do authors in the System do that?" Yomi seems geuinely curious, since she hasn't looked up much in the matter of multiversal manga authors. "Oh for those two?" She takes another look at the cover and nods. "Should be good for their age, yeah." Yomi isn't sure how old they -actually- are, but the twins do seem to act their appearance, at least. "What I'm following? Ah..." Yomi scans over the shelves for a moment, looking for anything familiar. "..oh. Here's one. I...I'm not actually sure what you think of slice of life stuff, but..." She pulls down a volume and hands it to Lexicon. It's volume two of a series, so she keeps looking for the first. A quick glance will show that it's slice of life romance with a mostly female cast of characters. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     "Ah?" Lexicon blinks, then closes her eyes thoughtfully, "I suppose some do, though when you have such a wide range of body forms, it's not as common. A pseudonym is a lot more likely, honestly." Lifting the volumes she's already acquired, she hums, "There's one up and coming writer who goes by the name Weiss. Pretty good material, but the name's obviously fake and nobody knows what they look like."     The recommendation is provided, and Lexicon accepts it with one hand, the other holding her purchases already, "Hmm? Slice of life have some very relaxing stories to it." The cover is glanced over, then she flips it to read the back cover pitch.     After a moment, she lowers the book just enough to peer flat-eyed at Yomi over the binding. It's not the bemused look she cast at the car earlier, though. It's the 'I know something' kind of amused expression, the book hiding her mouth and nose. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "Oh, that makes sense. I suppose there are some authors who really are dogs, then." Yomi taps her chin thoughtfully. "Weiss? Are you a fan of her work, then?" She glances back down from poring over the shelves. "Send me a copy sometime. I'd love to check it out." Why would she be suspicious of this suspicious name. Really, now. "It is pretty relaxing. I have to hide it from Noriyuki, though. He makes fun of me for reading stuff like this." After a few more moments of scanning the shelf, Yomi finally finds the first volume. "Ah, here it is! It was put in the wrong..." She turns back toward Lexicon, holding out the book. "...place. What are you making that face for, Lexi?" 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     Lexicon holds that expression for a while, at least until she's noticed. Only then does she let out a teasing sort of laugh, lowering the book and putting on a more neutral expression, "Oh, nothing. I suppose being into this kind of romance is rather normal?" She tucks the second volume under her arm and holds out that same hand for the first volume, "It seems interesting, it's just a surprising pick from you."     An eye closes, "Just, probably something to keep to myself. I don't think I need Index reading this and getting ideas of her own at such a young age." 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Once she's passed the book over, Yomi crosses her arms. "It's... you know. Maybe not standard, but not that strange." She shrugs a bit and pokes out her tongue. "I am allowed to like reading about a cute girl getting swept off her feet. Just because I cut up youkai with a sword doesn't mean I can't like this stuff, you know." She pauses a moment and shakes her head. "Your sisters are almost certainly too young for this. I don't even let Kagura see it, and she's not -that- much younger than me." Of course, Kagura has probably managed to sneak looks without Yomi knowing. "...I'll let you look at my shelves at home later, okay? You might find something else interesting." 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     "I'm just teasing," Lexicon admits, "Honestly, whatever you enjoy isn't going to bother me. Source knows I've seen enough fan-fiction shipping me with the other DCCs floating around the System network." She closes her eyes, tucking the first volume with the other three books under her left arm, "If that bothered me, Britannica wouldn't be nearly as nice a place as it is."     With a hum, she admits, "I think this is enough souveniers for the visit. Let me pay for this and we can move on." She's already making her way to the shopkeeper's counter..! 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' As Lexicon turns away, Yomi glances back toward the shelves. "I'll be up in just a minute." The shopkeeper does not judge. He just gives Lexicon a kind smile and tells her the total. It's in yen, but that's such a common conversion that most moneychangers know what it's worth. While the DCC is paying, Yomi walks down the aisle and around to the other side, humming softly as she looks for something. After a few moments, she walks up to the counter with a book in her hand and places it on the counter, along with some money. Once she's paid for it, she puts it into Lexicon's bag. "From me. I figure it might help next time you're here. It's... at least sixty percent accurate." The book happens to be a collection of information on youkai, written in the classic sense. "Ready to go eat?" 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     Yen. Lexicon pauses when the total is presented such, and she works it out in her head. After a moment, she lifts up her hand and projects a screen above her hand. 'Cr' in her inventory converts over to 'Y' until it achieves the proper total, plus an exchange rate tax. This is produced from her inventory as yen notes and coins, which she pays with. A surprisingly involved process when she can't just pay electronically.     It takes a bit, as such that Yomi's caught up by the time Lexicon's finished, tucking her purchases away. An extra book is shoved in, and she glances down at the cover, "Hm? Ah, a book on the monsters you deal with. This'll be very handy, thanks." She closes the bag, glancing aside as she steps out of the bookshop, "What did you have in mind? I'll let you choose, like I picked for you last time." 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "There might even be some similarities with your viruses. Just remember, that book was written by a historian, not an exorcist. Some things have changed." Yomi gives the store owner a smile and a wave as she walks toward the door. "But I figured you might find it interesting." Once they're back out in the street, Yomi places a hand on her hip. "Well, I was thinking ramen..." She glances back to Lexicon. "Real ramen, not the cheap covenience store stuff. If you're in Tokyo, you can't leave without trying some." She may have scouted out places a few days ago, since she seems to know where she's going. Like the bookstore, the place seems privately owned... and pretty small. In fact, it's one of those rare ramen storefronts with only a curtain to push aside to reveal some stools at a counter. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     "Noted," Lexicon nods once, "Like a book about animals written by someone who isn't a biologist. Some of the information might be incorrect. I'll be careful." When ramen is brought up, she lowers an eyebrow, but holds off until Yomi explains the difference. The fact that there IS a difference seems to surprise the DCC.     "Oh, well then," The expression neutralizes and she follows along, "To be honest, I'd only known of the convenience store noodles. So this should be an experience." She probably has a bunch of the cheap junk at home. It's a writer thing.     When Yomi stops at a little curtain'd stall, though, Lexicon seems puzzled. At least until the curtain is pulled back and the shop is on display inside. "...Huh." After a pause, she slips through and assumes a seat, lowering her bag to the ground between her stool and the counter, "This is unexpected." 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Like Yomi would make a guest eat instant ramen. "Hey, it's me again!" She gives a smile to the cook, then leans over a bit to speak with Lexicon. "No menu here, but the shoyu is probably best for someone who's never had really good ramen before. Or shio if you feel like something salty." She looks up again and calls to the cook, "I'll have a miso special." He gives her a nod of acknowledgement as he turns to stir some pots of broth. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     "Huh," The lack of a menu catches Lexicon off guard, and she glances Yomi's way when options are presented. A hand lifts, cradling her chin in thought for a moment. With a nod, she turns back to the chef behind the counter, "I believe I will take your recommendation. Sir, I would like the shoyu, please."     Eyes closing, she remarks, "I'm woefully under-educated in the ways of true ramen, I think." 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "Well then it's a good thing you have a personal tutor, isn't it?" Yomi grins sidelong at the DCC, giving her a brief poke in the arm. "You can call me Yomi-sensei if you want." The owner seems to overhear that, as he lets out a laugh. It really doesn't take very long, as the cook has a few pots of broth already cooking. A few minutes later, he places a very large bowl down in front of each of the girls, with a set of chopsticks next to each. "Looks great, thanks." Yomi smiles and claps her hands together once. "Itadakimasu~." She lifts up the bowl in both hands and brings it to her lips to get a taste of the broth, then takes up her chopsticks. "I'll let you taste mine, too, but miso is a bit strong for some people." By now, the owner is watching Lexicon, who is obviously a first timer at this. He's curious to see what a foreigner thinks! 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     When poked, Lexicon glances aside, "Don't count on it." Just flat declined the sensei claim right in front of the chef and everyone. Feeling rather smug, Lexicon dips her head to the chef, collecting the chopsticks provided. Gripping them with both hands, she repeats her own version of that cultural Japanese ritual, "Itadakimasu." And then punctuates it by splitting the chopsticks apart for use.     "I'll pass on the miso for now, though," She takes a moment to examine the bowl in front of her as she speaks, "I'd like to experience this fully, without scrambling my impression of how it tastes by sampling other dishes at the same time."     Lexicon doesn't lift her bowl. Rather, she dips the tips of her chopsticks in the broth and then tastes that. After a moment, her expression softens as she gets right to eating without further commentary. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "Spoilsport." Yomi doesn't seem too bothered by the rejection, though. "Mmm, fair enough!" She pauses for a moment to watch Lexicon's reaction as well, then nods, pleased, as she sees that the broth seems to have the DCC's approval. Not wanting to let her own ramen sit for too long, Yomi snags some noodles with her chopstick and slurps them up. She'll refrain from giving any more advice unless it's needed. Or if she sees Lexicon being too gentle with the stuff, but something tells her that's probably not going to be an issue. "This place has the best ramen I've had in town. Ever since Iwahata took me here on my first day with the Agency, I've been a regular." 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     Sampling the noodles next, Lexicon hums thoughtfully. Despite how she fights, she's rather meticulous with her food, by the look of it. Though at least she has the urgency to enjoy it while it's still hot. The DCC listens intently while sampling the various ingredients of her ramen bowl. Once she's back to noodles, she comments, "It's rather good." A glance up to the chef, and she dips her head once more, "You really know your stuff. Thank you."     Back to her meal, she considers, "You've mentioned a Kagura before, and Iwahata now, but I don't think I've actually met anyone from your agency. Are they also exorcists?" 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' The owner dips his head with a grin. "As long as my customers are happy, I know I'm doing my job!" After taking some time to slurp down a few more bunches of noodles, Yomi nods toward the DCC. "Everyone in my division is. Iwahata's the oldest one. He's our driver and up-close specialist. Kagura's my little sister." Yomi pauses for a moment. "Well, not -actually- my sister. She's an only child, and the youngest one there, so I sibling-adopted her. Her father is usually so busy with work out of town that she gets lonely pretty easily." Another slurp of ramen noodles, and Yomi lifts her brows slightly. "Oh! And sometime I should introduce your sisters to Nabuu. They're twins, too. I'll introduce you to the whole office sometime. There's Kagura and Iwahata and Nabuu. Noriyuki. Sakuraba. Then Jinguji is Minister of the Environment, and Nikaido is her personal aide." 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     Lexicon's head tilts as she eats, indicating she's listening even if she's focused on her meal for the moment. After another mouthful of noodles, she nods once, "Similar to Theurgus adopting Arcana, then." An eye closes, and she asks, "How'd she like that hat you got for her in Britannica, by the way?"     The rundown of agency members is noted carefully in her head. The two rookies, the old goat, two -- probably senior-- agents, and then what she presumes to be the boss and secretary. A light nod, "You almost sound like a detective agency, with that number of members. It's a bit inspiring, actually." Glancing up, she hums, "Paranormal police... No, a private eye. There's a story to that..." 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Yomi gestures vaguely and nods. "A bit, yeah. Kagura still lives with her father, but she lost her mother a few years ago... I was assigned as her bodyguard back then, since we're only a few years apart in age. She really needed a friend back then." Yomi glances up and sniffs, dramatically. "But now my little Kagura is all grown up." The exorcist glances aside at Lexicon. "I... suppose, though we are officially part of the government. Ministry of the Environment, all very formal. Everyone has a suit, except me and Kagura, since we're usually in our school uniforms." Yomi pauses again and squints. "And which role are you thinking up for me then, hm?" Nevermind that some of Lexicon's assumptions are a bit off. She'll learn when she meets them. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     "Not every story is about you," Lexicon teases. Without skipping a beat, she gestures with her chopsticks, "The mysterious transfer student with an unknown heritage and a mysterious paranormal power. You're approached by a shady elder man one day who seems really suspicious at first, but eventually winds up being a very helpful sort interested only in seeing you learn and master your mysterious powers, and maybe do some good with them along the way."     An eye opens, head tilting, "Not very accurate, but it makes for good storytelling." 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Yomi playfully pokes out her tongue again. "Sounds like you already have a lot of the story written in your head." She pauses again. "...maybe Master Michael is in town, too. He'd be interesting to meet. Ah, he's the one who built most of the weapons we have in our armory." By now, she's nearly finished with her ramen, lifting the bowl to drink the last of the broth. "It's great as always," she says to the owner before turning to smile at the DCC. "So what do you think of your first real ramen, Lexi?" 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     "Paranormal investigation is a good medium for a mind-oriented story," Lexicon comments, "Pun intended." She finally sets her chopsticks down and empties the broth of her own bowl in one long, slow draft. Any professional drinker would be impressed-- but she cheats. Lexicon doesn't actually breathe. Once done, she sets the bowl down, nodding once more to the chef, "That was the first time I've had real ramen. Thank you again for such a good experience."     She holds up her hand, projecting her inventory screen once again, "It really was quite good, Yomi. Certainly different from blue clams." 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Yomi gives a soft tsk, tsk at the pun. So terrible. "Well, if you do end up writing this, I'll look forward to reading it." She watches the draining of the bowl with amusement, waiting until the DCC is done before putting payment for the both of them on the counter. "Thanks again. I'll probably see you in a few days." With a grin anda wave to the owner, Yomi slips off the stool and holds the curtain for Lexicon. "I could probably keep you up all night showing you around, but the city is such a big place. Can't give you everything the first time, can I?" She grins, letting the curtain fall back once Lexi is through it. "So I think it might be better to head home, have a nice bath... and I wanted to see what you think of that manga." 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     Even though Yomi pays, Lexicon still pulls a few notes from her inventory and places them as a tip to the chef. In her mind, he's more than earned it. Collecting her bag after standing, the DCC steps out onto the sidewalk again, "I've got a good number of manuscripts in the works, so it might be a while before that particular one is ready." Eyes closing, she adds, "It's just a hobby I do in my free time, after all. Hardly something I can devote my full time to."     Shifting the bag to both hands, she pauses, "Ah, if you're going to head home, than I'll do the same." With a dip of her head, she adds, "It's been nice visiting Japan without running from monsters at the same time, for a change." 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' When she sees the extra money, Yomi blinks in surprise. So does the owner. "Ah... hold on a moment." She disappears back behind the curtain and has a few quick exhanges with the owner. A moment later, she slips back out. "You surprised me there... Most people don't do that here." The intricacies of cultural differences can wait for another time, but Yomi's expression says that she got the owner to understand. "Mm, well... I'll still look forward to reading any of them one they're finished enough you can show them to me." The exorcist pauses, resting a hand on her hip. "Ah, well.... I was hoping I could convince you to stay over tonight. But I suppose if you're needed back home, I can let you go this time." 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     Lexicon blinks, standing still while Yomi handles some kind of situation. When she returns, Lexicon leans forward a bit, "I wasn't trying to be rude. Was there a problem?" Given how European-based Britannica is, it's no wonder she's accustomed to tipping. Cultures collide at full speed, here. With a bit of a pensive look, she folds her hands in front of herself, but lets it go on the assumption that there isn't a problem.     "Well, I guess I could use you as a test market," Lexicon admits, closing her eyes. When the exorcist makes her request clear, though, an eye opens, "Wait, really? Isn't that something high school girls do in cliche slice of life stories?" Eye closing again, the program sighs, "Well I'm not playing truth or dare and I refuse to giggle about Boy A or whatever. If you're spending the night with a Drive Core Controller, than there's only one form of entertainment to truly test our friendship."     There's a flicker of pixellated light as she brings her hand up. Something twirls, like a Wild West gunman's revolver, until she tightens her grip--around a game controller, "It's time for Dario Kart." 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Yomi gives a vague wave. "Tipping isn't really done here. But he knows you're a foreigner, so it wasn't hard to clear up." She places a hand on Lexicon's shoulder and gives her a gentle squeeze. "Don't worry too much about it." With an amused smirk on her face, Yomi crosses her arms. "I -am- a high school girl, you know. But no, I didn't expect that sort of thing" She pauses and tilts her head. "Test?" The controller appears, and Yomi blinks a few times... then laughs. "Okay, okay. I'll take your challenge. But not too late, okay? I don't want the noise keeping father up." 
}}

5887/Tour of Ga-rei Tokyo

2018-06-01T05:24:24Z

Parasaurolophus: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2018/05/31 |Location=Ga-Rei Tokyo |Synopsis=Yomi shows Lexicon a little of her Tokyo. |Cast of Characters=Yomi Isayama, Lexicon }} {{Poses}}"

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2018/05/31
|Location=Ga-Rei Tokyo
|Synopsis=Yomi shows Lexicon a little of her Tokyo.
|Cast of Characters=Yomi Isayama, Lexicon
}}
{{Poses}}

Yomi Isayama

2018-05-31T06:24:43Z

Parasaurolophus: Created page with "{{CharacterRedux |NameOnMUSH=Yomi Isayama |Color=#0099FF |Char_id=1098 |Img=http://i.imgur.com/fh83R6r.jpg |FullName=Isayama Yomi |Gender=Female |Species=Human |Theme=Ga-Rei-1..."

{{CharacterRedux
|NameOnMUSH=Yomi Isayama
|Color=#0099FF
|Char_id=1098
|Img=http://i.imgur.com/fh83R6r.jpg
|FullName=Isayama Yomi
|Gender=Female
|Species=Human
|Theme=Ga-Rei-1
|Chartype=FC
|Active=Active
|Function=Exorcist
|Faction=Paladins
|Rank=Chevaliers
|Ranktype=Member
|Quote=From outside comes the shadow of the chasm of deepest night. I can't help but feel that someday, something will come from there to take you away.
|PAge=17
|AAge=17
|Hair=Black
|Eyes=Violet
|Voice=Kaoru Mizuhara
|Song=Yume no Ashioto ga Kikoeru
|Profile=A member of the Supernatural Disaster Countermeasures Division of Japan's Ministry of the Environment, Yomi Isayama is an exorcist trained since she was young to deal with monstrous, spiritual, and otherwise unworldly threats. As the heir of the Isayama family, Yomi wields the katana Shishiou, an exorcist's blade which also contains the sealed essence of the Sacred Beast, Ranguren. Now tasked with representing her agency outside of her world, Yomi must balance her responsibilities as a bodyguard, an exorcist, and a high school student while working to bring honor to the family name. While some of her methods may seem cold to those who do not know her well, Yomi is still a kind person, fiercely defending friends and loved ones with as much fervor as she protects innocents from any threats she can find.
|Defining=Exorcist:
Yomi has been trained extensively in hunting and slaying of supernatural threats.
Weapon Mastery - Katana: Yomi is an accomplished swordswoman, having used a katana since she first began her training as an exorcist.
Bane - Eastern Tradition Creatures: Yomi has been trained to fight youkai for years and has become one of the best experts among her peers. She is also skilled in channeling her own spiritual power through weapons in order to further damage these creatures.
NPCs: Yomi is able to summon Ranguren, the spirit residing in her sword. Ranguren has incredible strength, durability, and reflexes, is able to fly, and can fire devastating shockwaves from his mouth.
Superhumanity: Yomi is strong enough to cut through armored opponents with her sword, survive hits that might instantly kill a normal person, and move fast enough to dodge or deflect bullets.

Ranguren:
Ranguren is a Nue, a summoned beast resembling a chimera, and classified as one of the strongest categories of youkai. He is bound to the sword Shishiou and can be summoned at any time the sword is drawn.
Superhumanity: Ranguren has incredible strength and agility, with powerful jaws and claws.
Attack List - Ranged: Ranguren is able to unleash a powerful shockwave from his mouth, the Roar Wave Houkouha.
|Significant=Supernatural Vision:
Yomi is able to see and interact with youkai, spirits, and other supernatural entities which are invisible to ordinary people.
Extraordinary Senses: Yomi can see spirits, demons, and youkai, as well as detect the spiritual energy left behind by their special abilities.
*Anti-Intangibility: Yomi is able to channel her spiritual power through her own body and her weapons, allowing her to interact with (and attack) otherwise untouchable spirit or soul beings.

Superhuman Ability:
Yomi possesses strength, durability, and agility above that of a normal human.
Flash Movement, Mobility: Yomi is able to cross short distances in the blink of an eye and can navigate obstacles and terrain with ease in combat.
Weapon Mastery - Hand-to-hand: Even without a weapon, Yomi is a dangerous opponent. She is skilled in martial arts and has the strength to deliver powerful strikes.

Shishiou:
An heirloom katana given to her by the Isayama family, Shishiou is a powerful exorcist's sword. In addition, its wielder is able to summon the guardian beast Ranguren. Ranguren cannot be called unless Yomi has Shishiou on her person.
Bane - Spirits: Shishiou is also able to deal significant extra damage to spirit beings. This includes ghosts, astral projections, soul constructs, and other normally-intangible spirit forms.
Bane - Eastern Tradition Creatures: Shishiou was created for use by exorcists hunting youkai.

The Agency:
The Supernatural Disaster Countermeasures Division is a subdivision of the Ministry of the Environment. To the public, it doesn't exist, though it is the government's primary non-military means of dealing with supernatural threats.
Attack List - Melee: The Agency has a small armory of weapons suitable for an exorcist, ranging from simple swords and guns to more exotic tools like jackhammers and motorcycle wheels.
Share Powers: The weapons of the SDCD's armory are available to be loaned out on a temporary basis, allowing short-term access to tools and weapons designed for combat against youkai.
NPCs: The exorcists of the Agency sometimes accompany Yomi on missions. Each have their own personal weapons and have been trained in anti-youkai and anti-spirit combat. Yomi also has easy communication access with the Agency's higher-ups.
|Minor=Nue Mobility:
Ranguren is a Nue, a great spirit beast known for its strength and mobility.
Flight: Ranguren is able to fly, though he is not capable of aerial combat, using this ability mainly for transportation or retreat.
Vehicle Mastery: Yomi can ride on Ranguren as a mount, and he is large and strong enough to carry a few passengers.
Mobility: Rough or difficult terrain does not have much effect on Ranguren, even on foot.
|Disadvantages=Best of the Best <Trouble>: In her world, Yomi is one of the top three exorcists in the country. While this does not make her conceited, it does often make her overconfident, as years of experience has told her she cannot make the wrong choice. This may lead to her being unintentionally reckless if she believes her choice of action is the correct one. She is unlikely to take advice from others immediately, especially if she has already decided her way is the right way to handle a situation. She also has a difficult time trusting any action or advice that goes against her own training and experience, such as her belief in the universal danger of specters and certainty that there is no non-lethal form of purifying a possession. She has also been in trouble in the past for bringing a noncombatant on a dangerous mission, even if she claimed to have been certain of their safety.

The Living And The Dead <Significant>: Although Yomi has no compunction with using her full strength against youkai, monsters, specters, undead, or possessed individuals, living humans are another matter. She will not use her full power against the living. Not being able to go full force against such an opponent means she could fail to land a finishing blow, giving them an opportunity to escape or counterattack. The habit of only going all-out against the non-living also makes it easy to underestimate a human opponent, allowing them to gain the upper hand.

Ranguren <Minor>: Because the guardian beast Ranguren is bound to the sword Shishiou, he can be summoned by whoever wields the sword and possesses enough spiritual power, showing loyalty only to his summoner. This means that Yomi does not have access to Ranguren when she is without Shishiou, and that anyone who is able to draw the sword and channel enough spiritual power into it is able to command him.
}}

5616/The Crumbling Foothold

2017-12-28T05:44:03Z

Parasaurolophus: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/12/28 |Location=Ga-Rei Japan <GR> |Synopsis=In which our heroes investigate a supernatural missing persons case and find that not all youkai a..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/12/28
|Location=Ga-Rei Japan <GR>
|Synopsis=In which our heroes investigate a supernatural missing persons case and find that not all youkai are nasty
|Cast of Characters=1098, 290, 1132, 342, 973
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Once she found out just what was going on, Yomi put out a call to her friends, and any others she's worked with before. While she can fight youkai perfectly fine on her own, she also knows her own limitations, and missing persons searches was not her specialty. When the others arrive, they will see Yomi chatting with Officer Yamamoto, the two of them standing at the entrance to an alleyway. As she sees familiar faces coming, the exorcist raises her hand and waves toward them. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Rebecca has worked with Yomi once, and she's been trying to improve her knowledge of spiritual things. Unfortunately, between tasks in the Multiverse and other things taking up her time, Rebecca hasn't had much time to focus on it. Nevertheless, she got the call and she's willing to do her best to help out in any way she can. Rebecca arrives fairly quickly and, upon arriving, salutes Yomi and Officer Yamamoto. "Officer Rebecca Chambers reporting in," She says respectfully. "I came as quickly as I could." 

:'''{{#var:1132|Kyoko Takada (1132)}} has posed:'''     Despite the unexpected danger she ran into last time she was here, Kyoko Takada (going by "Hibiki") has again arrived. An investigation mission is at least something she can reasonably help with, though she'll be trying harder to keep someone more superhuman in-between her and any monsters that show up. It's hard to justify any job that might result in being devoured by youkai otherwise.     The season having gotten cold in at least her iteration of Japan, she arrives in a heavy coat, shiny with buttons, and a knit hat. She waves a black-gloved hand, walking up at a steady pace, greeting with a, "Hello again," and listening for what the news is. 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     By now, the soft footfalls of Nozomi Houken are probably familiar to Yomi - almost as much so as the clunkita-clunk of a certain robotiger ambling across the rooftops overhead. "Ah, hey," she greets, in her usual, rather subdued way - but the fact she's greeting Yomi at all is probably something of an improvement! "I... I don't know how much we can help, unless the missing person is magical, but... well, we'll try.     She turns to Yamamoto, and... well, /almost/ says something. But then falls short of it. The concerned look in her eyes probably says it anyway, though. 

:'''{{#var:973|Silica (973)}} has posed:'''     Most people would wonder why a young twenty-something woman would be approaching the exorsist and police officer. But Yomi, even if she doesn't instantly recognize Keiko from her time in the System Tower or elsewhere, she would probably recognize the little white dragon looped around the brunette's shoulders. Beady little eyes peering at Yomi. "Hello! I got your call, how can we help?" 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Oh no. There's no shyness allowed. As soon as Nozomi is in range, Yomi pulls the girl into a hug and musses her hair. "Good to see you again, Nozomi!" Ruffleruffle, then a bit of a pat to smooth the hair out some. "And I think I've met you all before..." Rebecca last time, Hibiki with the Yamabiko, and that little girl with the dragon looks familiar from one of her times helping Lexicon. "So, I'll let Officer Yamamoto here explain what's going on." The man looks a little overwhelmed, and more than a little uncomfortable with sending a few kids along with adults into danger, but... he was assured that Yomi was a professional, despite her age. So the others get the benefit of the doubt. "I think a few of you have seen me before, though I don't remember too much from that night..." He shrugs and shakes his head. "Wish I could forget what I did remember, but that's neither here nor there. This place..." He gestures to the alley. "We've gotten reports of people going into here and not coming out. Thing is, it's a dead end and only goes back about ten meters. You can see the end from the street. But the instant I stepped inside to check it out, my radio and cellphone both went completely offline, and it looked a lot longer than ten meters. So I called the Agency." Yomi gives a nod. "That place is too narrow for Ranguren, and I'm no good at tracking, so I was hoping to get some help. We'll be cut off from outside communication in there, though." 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     "Hwa-?!" This is not the greeting Nozomi expected! She comes out of the sudden hug with a bright red face and a flustered stammer that approximately amounts to 'I have no idea what just happened'. Thus, it is rather fortunate that there is a sudden, loud WHUDCLUNK from next to Silica and her dragon. Because, sudden loud noise aside, it means that Taiga has descended to take the lead in 'doing that talking thing'.     "Potential pocket space of some sort. Some form of naturally-occuring phenomenon or grudge, or potentially a trap laid by an outside force. Or possibly an ambush predator of some variety or other. There are numerous possibilities. I will attempt to analyze the space." And that's precisely what robocat does. His ears quirk forward, his head moves in subtle ways that almost suggest a nose scenting the air; but all of that is just his way of sweeping the sensors in his ears and nose, performing a complex and in-depth sweep of the space ahead. Granted, things like this are often much easier to scan from /in/side, but he wants to learn all he can from out here first. 

:'''{{#var:1132|Kyoko Takada (1132)}} has posed:'''     Kyoko has at least worked with, and spoken with, most of those here. That's a little reassuring. To Nozomi, she says, "You can leave the inanimate analysis to me. That should cover most of it, shouldn't it? It sounds like a magical issue is likely."     The communications block is less reassuring. "Not even a low-bandwidth connection? Without knowing what's in there to prepare for, that's going to make things difficult. What about leaving a hard line heading back out? I can more or less make one that'll stand up to a little pressure, but any line's easy to cut if you try." 

:'''{{#var:973|Silica (973)}} has posed:'''     Keiko nods. "I'm not all that good at tracking myself, I never leveled up that skill too much, but if we need some extra firepower, I have Pina, Hibiki and Nana to call on." She touches a button on the little headset hooked around her head. Before she can say her 'activation phrase', Taiga thuds down beside her. "HAWAWAWAWA!" she cries out, hopping away from the robot. "Uwaaaa you scared me Taiga!"     Collecting herself, she speaks her activation phrase. "Link Start!" becoming engulfed in a wireframe, that fills in with the texture skin of her Cait Sith form, including the tail and ears emerging. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Meanwhile, Rebecca simply nods and stands attentively as she listens to the briefing. Once it is finished, Rebecca salutes and says, "We'll take care of this, don't worry!" She doesn't have a spiritual link, but that would leave her able to take care of things in a more 'physical' sense. She readies her flashlight and begins to make her way into the alley. Her flashlight shines primarily on the ground, although the walls in the area as well get some light as well. "Even if I can't deal with spiritual things, I can still help!" 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Yamamoto holds his hands up. "Not sure. We didn't have any wired connections handy. But I'll be staying out here to make sure nobody else wanders in." Also because he'd like to avoid getting stabbed or shot this time. Taiga gets a grin as he jumps down and startles Keiko. "Well... if it helps, I haven't really felt any killing intent coming from here. So... probably not a grudge-based youkai." When Silica transforms, Yomi reaches out... and musses her hair too. Even though Silica may be older, she still -looks- tiny and cute, and those ears must be petted. "I'm sure it's worth a shot, at least." She inclines her head toward 'Hibiki' and her idea. "At the very least, it will tell us if something did cut the line, right?" The flashlight doesn't seem to illuminate anything out of the ordinary, as the light shines onto the ground in the alley. The sensor readings that come to Taiga are weird, in that it seems like there's nothing there. Not that there's nothing there, but -nothing- is there. Whatever is in that space, it stops abruptly at the edge of the alleyway. "...Right. I'm going in." Yomi steps forward into the alleyway and... is just no longer there. Rebecca's flashlight doesn't cast her shadow, Taiga's sensors can't pick her up, and even her footsteps can't be heard anymore. A few seconds later, she pokes her head back out of empty space. "Nothing waiting to jump us at the entrance. Also, if you get vertigo, might want to close your eyes on the way in." And then she vanishes again. 

:'''{{#var:973|Silica (973)}} has posed:'''     Silica squeaks as she's ruffled like that. The cat ears splaying out to the sides. "Jeeze..." she grumbles softly, fixing her hair after Yomi finishes ruffling it up. She then gestures, summoning a winged serpent, and a boar-like creature with ice shards where tusks should be. "Guard Me." she commands imperiously, the two monsters making an affirmative sound, and sticking close as the Beast Master crosses the threshold after Yomi gives the all clear.     Silica's hand gravitates to the dagger at the small of her back, hovering over the handle as she moves into the alley, and vanishes into the pocket dimension, along with her pets. 

:'''{{#var:1132|Kyoko Takada (1132)}} has posed:'''     "...alright." This world just got weirder, but Kyoko can deal with that. She's too busy going through the contents of a small backpack to comment on surprise robot entrances, though Yomi's touchy-feeliness gets a glance from the suddenly old-feeling woman. "Here, this should do." She sets something down on the ground, "this" turning out to be a small, black box with some ordinary-looking plastic antennae on it. She begins drawing in the air, and lights spring into existence in a holograph-like display, configuring the construction of a glowing, ethereal bundle of cables that plug into the device's side and then disappear into her pocket. She steps away, stretching the line, and walking in after Yomi and the others do. Despite the virtual look, the line she's leading is purely magical, for whatever that will matter. 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     Taiga rumbles. "I would urge caution. All my sensor readings abruptly terminate at-" Aaaaand they're all going in. "...the entrance." If a robot cat could sigh, he would. "Nozomi. Please seat yourself on my back and remain close." The girl nods, frowning faintly, and moves to obey. The cat moves swiftly once she's there; he fully intends to move his way up to the front of the group, where his sensors will be of best use. Kind of silly reporting readings if everyone's ahead of you, after all. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Is Rebecca surprised by Yomi disappearing then reappearing? Yes. Is she surprised by her flashlight not casting a shadow? Maybe. Is this whole overall thing suprising? No. "Well, looks like we've found the entrance to the source of our problems." Reaching down into her holster, Rebecca draws her Beretta and loads a clip. "Just to be safe," She says, before putting it back in her holster. "All right, let's do this." Taking a deep breath and counting to five, Rebecca closes her eyes and then follows Yomi's lead. She doesn't get vertigo that much, but she doesn't want to take a chance either. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Stepping through the alleyway is a bit disorienting, mostly because what's on the other side is not an alley. Or, at least, not the -same- alley, which is immediately obvious as there's an opening on the other side. On top of that, the buildings look much older, the ground is dirt instead of asphalt, and the stars are all wrong. And it's at least ten degrees warmer. "..huh." Yomi is still in her winter school uniform, so at least it doesn't feel too hot, but the sudden change is really weird. "So... everyone look around. See if you can see anything weird?" Aside from the difference in temperature, the breeze feels all wrong. It's not the breeze one might normally find between two walls. The wired connection Kyoko left works.... sort of. It seems like any signal loses a -lot- of power, but at least it's connected out there, if quiet and staticky. And Taiga's sensors, tuned to youkai, find all -sorts- of interesting things. 

:'''{{#var:973|Silica (973)}} has posed:'''     Silica flicks a finger, making her pets spread out. The winged serpent spreads right, the ice boar goes left, and Pina, the little dragon, lifts off her shoulder and hovers above. Magenta eyes track around. She can feel that breeze, not normal, not what's supposed to be between two buildings anyway, the ground is different, the temperature... She draws her dagger, as much to reassure herself as to actually use it and heads a little further from the entrance, creeping forwards slowly, but not venturing too far from the group. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Once she's through and gotten a feel for where she is, Rebecca attaches her flashlight to her Beretta before searching the general area again. This time, she's not taking any chances. "I wonder what we'll turn up here? I suppose it'll be more interesting than the latest experiment I did in the Bio-Research Center." 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     Taiga comes to a full, complete stop as soon as they enter the strange, otherworldly space. His ears twitch and shift, going this way and that. His head bobs, lifting his nose up into the air. There is a soft, almost-feline rumble from the robotiger, before he declares simply, "Isayama. This is the work of a Nurikabe." His cannons twitch on his shoulders, prompting a little start from Nozomi. "Those of you who are very vertical fighters, be aware, the sky past approximately 4.5 meters is false. I request that someone locate the lower left portion of each wall and knock on it. Unless that legend is inaccurate here," he adds, turning to look Yomi's way with a silent 'IS it inaccurate here?' 

:'''{{#var:1132|Kyoko Takada (1132)}} has posed:'''     Kyoko pulls her phone out of her pocket, the line trailing to it, and checks her connection. She "hmms" and plays it with it for a few seconds, sliding fingers across the surface. "Workable. Inefficient, but workable." The workhorse of a cluster she has back home will do all the heavy lifting. Questions and answers don't take that much bandwidth, when you do it right.     That accomplished, there's still the immediate environs to check, and she doesn't really need a connection back home just to see what responds. Without putting her phone down, Kyoko sends out a ping from her body, magical sonar that naturally increases ones own visibility, but is the only way to get the kind of fidelity she needs to work. Like she told Nozomi, though it's magic that powers it, it's better at picking up machinery or terrain than it is for analyzing other magic, and for living things it can't tell her much more than that they exist.     She sticks behind Taiga in the meantime. Well behind, and closer to Silica, even. "Geez, I really don't want to have to take my coat off." Maybe just the gloves and hat.     "Nurikabe?" Tap, tap. "Oh, right, the walls. I'll... let someone else do that, physically." 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Must resist urge to pet small adorable familiars. For her part, Yomi can't summon Ranguren in here... the nue is just way too big. She gives Silica a wistful look, then settles for patting Taiga on the head, since she's fairly certain it won't distract him. "Huh.. a Nurikabe. I guess that makes sense." She pauses and tilts her head slightly, then lifts her hand and wobbles it a bit. "Only works on the polite ones. Or the ones who aren't asleep. It's worth a try, but where does the wall end for there to be a lower left?" She tries tapping on the wall with the shealth of her sword, but nothing happens. "It looks like the alley ends up ahead, so let's check that out, I suppose." Yomi steps ahead again, reaching the end of the alley. She glances to the side, out into the street, and makes it about three more steps before she just... stops. "....that would be an invisible wall." Sighing, she pushes back from the place the world ends and reaches out to both sides. "Hey, so... who here is really good at making maps when you can't see the walls?" The magic sonar ping does, at least, show that the way branches left and right. "Aside fromt his being really confusing, I still don't sense any dangerous intent, though... Maybe it was asleep and someone wandered in by mistake." 

:'''{{#var:973|Silica (973)}} has posed:'''     Silica follows Yomi, then frowns a bit. She reaches out along the wall beside her, then erks softly as her hand slips off and she nearly falls down a 'passage' to the right of Yomi. "It might be like a giant invisible maze, like those glass houses at the funfaire." she observes. "Maybe we need to find the end to break the spell?"     She looks back to the others. "I can have my pets fan out and find the volume of the spaces, if someone can draw a map from the visual cues?" 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     "My answer to that is... complicated," Taiga replies, seemingly unbothered by the pettings. "I am equipped with ultraviolet and infrared scopes, so 'invisibility' due to darkness is not an issue. I am also equipped for seeing through basic illusions, so I am often unbothered by magical invisibility. However, if it is something stronger or more complex, or non-illusionary, I am afraid I may not be able to help." He remains by Yomi's side for the time being, which means that by extension, Nozomi does as well.     After Silica speaks, though, Nozomi develops an odd look. "...isn't there... isn't it an old trick for funhouse mazes, that you can find your way out eventually by just... keeping your hand on the wall and walking?" 

:'''{{#var:1132|Kyoko Takada (1132)}} has posed:'''     "As long as 'something' can see them, we can work it out. I'm picking up a branch here... so I think I can work that out, but I'm not getting anything deeper in. I don't have a way to make the ping higher-power in here, either."     At Silica's question, Kyoko gives a "sure, that much is easy." She puts her phone away, and resummons the holographic readout with a wave of her hands that probably isn't at all necessary. It flattens out, then begins raising at points, forming into a glowy, three-dimensional model, as well as an accurate representation of what her ping picked up on. There's a faint bit of sparking around her in the process. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Rebecca frowns a little at the question about making maps. "I'm afraid I'm not..." Still, she keeps her flashlight raised and at the ready. Even if she can't find anything just yet, she's not about to give up that easily. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "They can't get lost or stuck, can they?" Yomi frowns, pressing her hand against the empty wall in front of her, then reaching it at the space to her side to help steady Silica. "Following one wall might help as long as the Nurikabe doesn't move on us... It would be a really bad idea to split up if that happened, especially if we got blocked off." She drums her fingers thoughtfully on the invisible wall in front of her. "Nurikabe are notoriously really tough, so I doubt we could break it anyway. Though with everyone here, I think we have some sort of chance to map it out as we go. We have your familiars and your sonar thing and Taiga's sensors..." She nods to Silica, Kyoko, and Taiga in turn. 

:'''{{#var:1132|Kyoko Takada (1132)}} has posed:'''     "If you have anything that can broadcast a signal--and I know Taiga does--I can keep the map updated. But getting trapped behind things we can't bust through sounds pretty bad." Kyoko fiddles with the holograph, but it doesn't seem to change much. "All the walls read as... probably the youkai itself, but we knew that." She squints. "Some kind of vibration from the left. Something down that way?" 

:'''{{#var:973|Silica (973)}} has posed:'''     Silica nods, "I can just recall them to my inventory if they get stuck in terrain." she comments. "I won't be able to use them again for a while until they regenerate though if I do that." she adds. She gestures to the group of pets, Pina lands back on her shoulder, but Hibiki, the serpent, flits up and starts to 'slither' along the walls and ceiling, giving an indication of the space. If it finds a turn, the serpent stops before going around the corner, and returns to the ceiling, carefully tracing the span of the gap.     "For now, lets map out these two branches, then we can decide where we go from here, ne?" 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     Taiga cants his head slightly. "At my absolute maximum output, I believe the brute force option would be viable. However, there are a number of reasons which make that a very, very unwise option." Like 'severe damage to both equipment and user'. But he's not saying that out loud. "I will begin passing sensor data to Hibiki. It should be in readable format, but I apologize if there are any particular sensor readings you cannot use. Much of my equipment is proprietary hardware, so its compatibility is nonexistent." 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Yomi glances up as the serpent keeps along the walls and ceiling. "Oh, good thinking. Now we can tell where the corners are." She smiles and reaches out, petting Silica's head again. "Oh, look over there." Yomi points off to the left, where several cherry trees can be seen. "It must be March or April in here, instead of December. Or at least that's what the Nurikabe wants us to think." It explains the slightly warmer temperatures, anyway. "Vibration? I guess it's as good a lead to follow as any. Left it is." And, as everyone takes the left turn, there is a sudden ~thunk~ from behind. Scans will show that the right branch is now completely blocked off, even if there's no visual cue of it. "...I suppose we can knock out the possibility of it being asleep." She takes a few more steps and pauses. "...I think your vibrations might be voices. I can hear it too." Sure enough, there are faint echoed sounds of -someone- yelling way off in the distance. 

:'''{{#var:1132|Kyoko Takada (1132)}} has posed:'''     "Progress, I think?" Kyoko hazards, as her scans update the map with the closed-off passage. She follows in, though not in front of the combatants in the party. "Living things are messy and uneven and generally hard to model, but I think it's more the closed walls and low power that's preventing me from just picking up the life signs." She shifts uncomfortably in her coat, stuffing her gloves into her pockets, her hat into her bag, and unbuttoning. "Deathly cold a few hours ago, and now 'mild' feels sweltering."     She shakes her head. "Taiga's coming through just fine, at least. This should improve my range." 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' "I hope it's progress," Rebecca comments, feeling a bit on the frustrated side since she has no spiritual capabilities and feels like she's in the dark. Although she does hear the sound of someone yelling, and she tries to get a sense of where it's coming from... 

:'''{{#var:973|Silica (973)}} has posed:'''     Silica is glad she called Hibiki back before the group head down the left fork. She nearly got caught in there! "Wow, that was close... Anyway, yeah, seems our host is awake... lets see where it's trying to lead us, then." she orders Hibiki back up to the ceiling, seeking out the corners but again not going very far from the group, returning before passing across the threshold of any branches she comes across. 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     Voices. Voices immediately cause Taiga to go perfectly still. "Nozomi." Understanding the unspoken request, she quietly nods, then slides off. "I will scout ahead," he adds for the rest of the group. And off he goes straight ahead, his movements swift - and surprisingly silent, given his usual clunking. When he wants to, he's got all the stealth of a jungle predator, stalking ahead exactly like the animal he resembles. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "Just don't get too far ahead, Taiga!" Yomi continues to lightly tap along the wall with her sheathed sword as she walks, picking up her pace just a little bit. "I think this will work, but--look." The path takes a sharp turn, and as soon as Taiga goes around it, communication with him is blocked again. Probably the body of the nurikabe in the way. Once line of sight is restored, communication is as well. It's only a few more twists and turns before the path hits another fork. Again, completely invisible... but it can be felt, and of course the various radar senses can see it. Only this time, there's the sound of voices on -both- sides. If everything is quiet and one listens carefully, it sounds like laughter on the right side, and angry yelling on the left. 

:'''{{#var:1132|Kyoko Takada (1132)}} has posed:'''     Kyoko keeps spooling out her wire behind her, conveniently doubling for labyrinth-related purposes, so long as no whomp blocks falls onto the way back. "Okay, then... there's somewhere between five and nine of us, so we *could* split up here, and try to check what's going on in either direction. And I refuse to accept bad movies as a reason not to. Thoughts?" She looks toward the laughter side, herself. That seems somewhat safer than yelling, though not terribly. She's vaguely familiar with both old Japanese and old British myths about "spiriting away." 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     Oh, that's worrying. Even line of sight is enough to stop comms entirely. Taiga is careful to wait until the group catches up before darting on ahead again, and the next corner he comes to, he stops once more. "Both directions present equal possibility," he conclueds. "The angry voice could be someone displeased with their capture. The laughter could be someone who has been entranced, or lost their sanity. It is difficult to choose one or the other. However, I do not believe that we should separate while within a hostile magical space; my inclination is towards the one that sounds upset." 

:'''{{#var:1132|Kyoko Takada (1132)}} has posed:'''     Kyoko says, "I'm not sure if I'd describe it as hostile... but the point is taken. I'd rather go the opposite way, but I'm not going to walk down first. Crazy people yell angrily more often than laugh, in my experience." 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' "From my experience," Rebecca comments to Kyoko, "It could be either or. We don't know what to expect." She narrows her eyes a little. "Although the yelling could very well be someone who is upset," Rebecca comments to Nozomi. "Still, I've got a bad feeling about this. It feels like no matter which way we choose, it'll be wrong..." 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "Whichever we choose... I think we should stick together. Here, feel.." She puts her hands forward against the wall and spreads them. "It's not a sharp turn. We go a little ways down here and we won't be able to see each other anymore. Neither of them sounds like someone in immediate danger, so..." Yomi glances left, glances right, then shrugs. "Let's pick one to try first. Maybe leave something on the floor here so we remember where the fork is." 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     Taiga turns left, then right. "I stand by my recommendation. Though if I am overruled, I have no particular objections. Either is valid; the shouting voice is simply my personal preference." Nozomi looks at Taiga, then looks down each branch, then nods softly. 'I'm with Taiga' is pretty much her choice by default. 

:'''{{#var:973|Silica (973)}} has posed:'''     "Anger usually means some level of personal danger... Humans react to dangerous situations with anger more often than laughter..." says Silica, even as she remembers Kirito in some instances laughing in the face of danger. "My vote it for the angry sounding voice... though this may be a test by the youkai, see how we react to situations." 

:'''{{#var:1132|Kyoko Takada (1132)}} has posed:'''     Kyoko draws out a coin, flips and catches it. "Heads, I stubbornly disagree with the tiger. Tails, I flip-flop." But then Silica is giving another opinion, so she slides the coin off without looking at it. "Let's get a move on, then. If someone /is/ in trouble... which I somehow doubt it immediate, but if it is, we should get there quickly." 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Biting her lip but then shrugging, Rebecca says, "Well, we're not going to get anywhere if we don't move out." She reaches for her Beretta, just in case. "If we're going to leave something behind then..." Rebecca reaches into a sheath on her belt and removes a knife. She drops it on the ground. "Not very useful really. I can leave it here... Assuming nobody touches it." 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "Hmm... left side it is." Yomi glances at Silica and shrugs. "Maybe, though I'm not sure if Nurikabe are that smart." And then she walks right into an invisible wall, which disappears again. "...look here, you!" Growling a bit, she points at the wall. Points! Sighing, she shakes her head and walks with the others. As they go along, the yelling gets louder, and Yomi slowly reaches over to put her hands over Nozomi's ears. That's a -lot- of angry cursing. As they round another invisible corner, the voice seems to be coming from -below-, and Yomi stops walking. "...bet there's an invisible pit there." Sure enough, once getting close enough to the edge of the pit - not that any of it is visible - there's a man down there trying to climb a wall he can't see, but occasionally just running into new invisible walls that pop up just long enough to stop him. 

:'''{{#var:1132|Kyoko Takada (1132)}} has posed:'''     "No worries on finding our way back, at least," Kyoko says, somewhat belatedly. She still has her golden thread.     Letting others take point, she isn't likely to be the first to get to test Yomi's claim. She does, however, keep up her scanning, regularly sending little bursts of magic to bounce off everything and give her its shape, insofar as her magic can understand the shapes of the surroundings. Some things can fool that, others can't, but if it's an open pit that just looks like open ground, it should at least feel substantially different when her scanning touches it. Her magic is a fair bit more sophisticated than mere RADAR.     "Huh... are the walls moving around down there? It sure seems like it." Helping someone climb a wall is, unfortunately, not in her skill-set. The most she could do is tell them where the wall is. In fact, her holo-map is continuing to update, but having trouble with terrain that moves. 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     Nozomi looks vaguely confused. "...I... I work on a military base," she mumbles, cheeks heating up. This is almost certainly... well, okay, it's bad, but at least it's not the /first/ time she's heard language this foul. The hands covering her ears are kind of embarrassing!     (Nozomi is very quickly realizing that Yomi is very good at that.)     Taiga is quite happy to edge his way up to the edge of the pit. He rumbles once, and then calls out a simple, "Hello. Would you like to be helped out of this pit?" 

:'''{{#var:973|Silica (973)}} has posed:'''     Silica giggles as Yomi walks into a suddenly appearing wall. "Don't upset it. I'm sure it's really smart." she says, reaching out to pat gently at one wall. "It does seem to be watching us though... so, we'll see." she chirps a trilling whistle, which brings Hibiki back to her side, wrapping loosely around her left bicep, head resting over her shoulder opposite Pina. "Lets go then."     When they get closer, and the swearing can be heard, the Cait Sith's ears fold down flat to her skull, wincing a little. "He's definitely not happy..." she observes. "If I could fly, I might be able to go down and lift him out... but my Strength stat isn't really all that high, I focussed on Agility because of my build." and she's not talking about her body shape. "I don't think I can fly in here though, and wallrunning won't help if the walls keep shifting." she ponders. "Anyone have any rope or anything?" 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     Taiga lifts his head up. "I am strong enough to carry him on my back." 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' When she sees what's going on down there, Yomi scratches her cheek. "...huh. But there's only one guy down there, and Yamamoto said there were multiple missing persons?" Weirdly enough, the man below doesn't react to anyone calling out. "Not sure about going down there, Taiga... The way back might get sealed off. I think he's being kept there or something..." "That's riiiight~" A soft, singsongy voice comes from the wall right next to Silica, and a grotesque face soon appears, looking lie a weird cross between a pig and a monkey. The laughing in the distance seems to be getting closer, and footsteps can be heard coming closer from behind... until three people walk into view, two boys and a girl of middle school age, one of them holding something small on the palm of his hand. 

:'''{{#var:1132|Kyoko Takada (1132)}} has posed:'''     "Oh, good," Kyoko mutters under her breath, "they came to us." She quietly directs her magic the way of the newcomers, but doesn't expect to come up with a lot. She might get more from taking this opportunity to finally make use of the wired connection she's been carrying around, as she sends back some photos to be laboriously transmitted out to the facial recognition apps she keeps at home, hooked up search local Internet for matches and profile information. 

:'''{{#var:973|Silica (973)}} has posed:'''     Silica blinks at the voice, turns towards it, then just goes deadpan. She's surprised, certainly, but she's had just enough shapeshifters and phase shifters appearing out of seemingly nowhere to jolt back like she normally does. "So you really were watching us all this time..." she says to the face, then flicks one ear toward the approaching footsteps. "Company!" she calls out, stepping back from the face, and looking to the approaching kids. "Could they be entranced?" she asks Yomi, her posture shifting to a defensive one, hand gravitating back to her dagger at the small of her back, while all her pets get into a defensive posture themselves, Hibiki hissing, Pina growling and Nana snorting and digging at the ground with a hoof. 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     Taiga whips around at once, and immediately lunges to plant himself between the newcomers and Nozomi. Rather than respond to the creature whatsoever, he instead begins sweeping the people with his sensors. Especially the small object being held. He's suspicious of that. And his body language alone gives off a very clear warning. Nozomi, meanwhile, shifts a little so that both Taiga and Yomi are in a position to cover her. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' The face on the wall seems to laugh without moving, and Yomi turns to glare at it. She points to her eyes, then to the face, before returning her attention to the three approaching people. Scans report a few things. First, they're definitely human. Second, there doesn't -seem- to be any influence on them. In fact, they look up once they see the group. "Oh, are you here to bring us home? We got lost in here running from someone." And Taiga's scans will pick up that the thing in their hands is... another Nurikabe. Probably a baby, considering it looks more like a piece of brick than anything else. "He's been keeping us company while we waited!" Kyoko's device returns results fairly quickly, especially since all the faces involved are local. The three kids are the ones who went missing, and the cursing man seems to be wanted by the local police for robbery. "Oh!" The girl runs up to Silica and makes big sparkly eyes at her. "Your dragon is so cute!" It seems Pina has a fan, growling or not. 

:'''{{#var:973|Silica (973)}} has posed:'''     Silica's ears fold down a bit as the girl runs up to her. She doesn't pick up any ill will, and neither do the pets, so they relax a little bit. Pina herself puffs up a little, feathers fluffing at the praise. "Oh... uh, th-thanks? Her name is Pina." she says, offering out a hand. "My name is Silica... were you, maybe, running from the man down in the pit back there?" she asks, pointing behind her, toward the sound of the cursing voice. 

:'''{{#var:1132|Kyoko Takada (1132)}} has posed:'''     Kyoko doesn't take a defensive stance or anything, as little good as it would have done her. She just smiles that slightly awkward smile of an adult who doesn't remember how to deal with children. "Yeah, we were looking for you three." She gives a nod in the direction of the pit. "And that guy is... a wanted suspect. Did the officer mention one of those being nearby? I think I get something of what's going on here, now." 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     Taiga relaxes a little. But only a little. "I strongly recommend against continuing to carry that small item in your hand. It is a miniature version of the creature which has trapped you here." The easy solution would be to yell 'drop that' or try to swat or shoot it out of his hand, but that would probably just upset them - it'd make this much more difficult in the end. "If you will please follow us, we will escort you out." 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "Small item? You mean Nurikko?" The boy holding it blinks at it, and it makes a happy squeak, which prompts him to laugh again. "She's been keeping us company. Or maybe he? We could never tell.. But we probably should leave it with its parent." The face on the wall makes an approving sound and slowly begins to fade away, as the small Nurikabe leaps off the boy's hand and just...vanishes. It's still visible in sensors, wandering off to merge with one of the nearby walls. "If the guy down there is wanted, we probably shouldn't leave him there. Don't think the police would be able to find him here." Yomi turns back to glance at the man who... isn't there anymore. In fact, the entirety of the scenery is fading away slowly, leaving behind the drab gray walls of the alleyway. Everyone seems to be there, including the man, who is passed out on the ground. "...well. I guess we're back then. Can you double check for us, Taiga, Hibiki?" There's not really any need, of course. Once he can see everyone again, Yamamoto carefully steps into the alley, then moves a bit more confidently once he realizes he hasn't disappeared. He sees the man on the floor and reaches to pull out his handcuffs. Seems he recognizes the suspect as well. 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     "Affirmative," Taiga replies. "We have returned." Nozomi is fairly quick to plant herself on his back again - if for no other reason than 'things are over, need some form of reassurance'. 

:'''{{#var:973|Silica (973)}} has posed:'''     "I guess not all youkai are nasty." comments Silica as the Nurikabe releases them. "I mean, it protected those kids from something at least, even if it wasn't the guy." she gestures to the passed out robber. 
}}

5601/Double Double Toil and Trouble

2017-12-10T05:41:37Z

Parasaurolophus: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/12/10 |Location=Fuyuki Alternate <FA> |Synopsis=Saber, Berserker, and their Masters are called to Fuyuki to investigate a magical disturbance...."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/12/10
|Location=Fuyuki Alternate <FA>
|Synopsis=Saber, Berserker, and their Masters are called to Fuyuki to investigate a magical disturbance. Things go from Bad to Weird.
|Cast of Characters=227, 415, 151, 946
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:227|Moonlit Saber (227)}} has posed:''' It's a normal enough evening in Fuyuki, but something has been tickling at the back of Saber's mind all day. That bad feeling only got worse when she received word from Kotomine that there were strange magical readings in town. The same message went out, albeit late, to Berserker and her Master as well. With her hand already on the hilt of her sword, Saber arrives at the indicated leyline intersection. "I do not like anything about this, Master. Something seems very wrong." Of course, the entire Grail War has been really abnormal since the start, Saber herself included, but still... "..are you certain that our alliance with Berserker and her Master still holds? I know I consider her a... a friend. But the terms of our alliance included the rules of the Union, which no longer apply." Green eyes glance this way and that in search of anything out of the ordinary. "I do not want to have to fight her." 

:'''{{#var:415|Kazusa Ujikane (415)}} has posed:'''     Life has been interesting in general for Kazusa Ujikane; after the big change in the Multiverse, the lack of a Union to give her life direction has left things a bit... odd. Adrift. A visit to Fuyuki has provided some needed focus already, and with something going down that's rather strange, all the moreso. "I'm pretty sure we'll be alright. Berserker will listen to what Ainsley's got to say, and unless I misunderstood Ainsley pretty bad, I don't think she's gonna drop us just because the Union's gone! It'll be alright."     It had better be alright. She hopes. 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:''' When Ainsley shows up, it's in her black police-like uniform, her sword in its scabbard on a black leather belt. She wears black and white instead of her black and red from before, with the ribbon on her tail and in her feathered crown longer and white-colored. A metal-bound book with a mirrored surface shines on one side. She has her usual hard-to-read expression, which cracks in favor of a subtle smile as she approaches. She doesn't say anything at first, only glancing over her shoulder to where Berserker is walking behind her to check for her presence.     "Been a while," she remarks to Kazusa and Moonlit Saber. "Shame we have to meet again under circumstances like these." She looks around, her bright blue eyes seeking the origin of the magical disturbance. She hasn't proper magical senses like some mages do, so she asks the others while her eyes scan their surroundings, "Do we know where the disturbance is? We should investigate immediately."     Seems the pact is still in effect. Ainsley doesn't easily forget her alliances. 

:'''{{#var:946|Frankenstein (946)}} has posed:'''     Berserker's been walking behind Ainsley, silent as ever, shaking her head some when the other Servant and Master duo is in view. She knew about the pact, but they were no longer of the Union, nor were they. For now, she'll act for her Master and approach non agressively. She takes a soft breath, looking left... then right. The Servant at least on the look out for anything that may want to try to eat or hurt her Master... When no such immediate threats are known to her, she turns back towards the Saber and Master..     "Hello." it's slow... it's grumbly... it's a greeting at least. "Library... visit on... hold. Got... message from... allies." she nods, turning to Saber. "Are... you well.... Saber?" comes a curious question from the Berserker... "You... are silent... for long time..." 

:'''{{#var:227|Moonlit Saber (227)}} has posed:''' Saber is a bit on edge as she sees the pair approach, but the greetings make her relax a bit. It seems her Master was right... which makes her very glad. "Berserker. And Miss Ainsley." As she releases her hold on the hilt of her sword, Saber allows a faint smile to come to her face. She walks forward, reaching out for Frankenstein's hand and giving it a squeeze. "I am well. I am sorry. Thigs have been hectic since... well, you know." She tilts her head slightly toward Kazusa. "We received word on something strange going on here and came to investigate. I am not sure what it would b--" She cuts herself off suddenly, and the expression on her face instantly changes. Her eyes widen and her smile grows cold as she draws her sword, turning to face an alleyway... just as a misshapen homunculus bounds out. Only one is easy enough to deal with, and a swift slash from her blade dispatches it, but she can see more movement in that alleyway as dozens of glowing eyes become visible. 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:''' Ainsley doesn't pause to think about the situation when a strange homunculus lunges out and gets cut down. She lowers her eyes to the slain thing briefly, and then her sword was pulled immediately from its scabbard and held in both hands. She spoke a single word in an odd and ancient tongue, and in that moment her eyes began to glow with eerie and impossible colors. With the spell cast, she scanned the alleyway and beyond it for life signatures, seeking to put a number to the forces to determine her initial actions. She stands defensively with her weapon and simply gives a command to her Servant without breaking her glare on the glowing eyes in the dark.     "Berserker," she states with a cool calm, "Smash them."     Her eyes flick in search of 'stronger' life signatures, hoping to spot a Servant in the fray, or perhaps their Master commanding the homunculi. 

:'''{{#var:415|Kazusa Ujikane (415)}} has posed:'''     Oh, good, they're not attacking each other. Okay. I mean, no, Kazusa was totally confident they were still buddies. Totally!     Ohhhh crap that's a homunculus. It doesn't take more than a heartbeat for Kazusa to fall back into Standard Master Position - in other words, right beside Ainsley, letting the Servants do the work. But while Ainsley watches the horde for signs of their real foe, the card-user starts watching their back, eyes open for assault from another direction, just in case. 

:'''{{#var:946|Frankenstein (946)}} has posed:'''     The hand is taken and she squeezes it back.. at least understanding this part of acknowledgement and the like... but when the Saber catches wind of that homunculus... Berserker is immediately going into her own battle stance, her Bridal Chest open and sparking, ready to take on whatever shows up... at least, until Saber takes it out. "Mmm. Berserker... Underestimated...you." she comments, a slight ego boost and a genuine compliment.     The new eyes show up... and the command from her Master is simple and to the point, something the Berserker likes. She makes an affirmative grunt before kicking off the ground in those armored boot-heels. "Grrawwrr!" comes a groaning battle cry from a charging bridal berserker, leaping into the new found fray... and the Bridal Chest sparks up to life as it's swung around hap hazardly, to smash anything in her way. 

:'''{{#var:227|Moonlit Saber (227)}} has posed:''' Despite their size and shape, the homunculi are fast. They're also not terribly durable, and both Saber and Berserker are able to dispatch them in single strikes. There are just quite a lot of them. While there doesn't seem to be any sign of a stronger magical signature among them, there -is- something strange going on at a magical level. The entire area seems to be going a little unstable, as the leylines beneath the streets pulse and flare. Keeping watch is still a good idea, though, since several other alleyways appear to be overrun with the creatures, and they begin to advance from all sides... Taking a deep breath, Saber swings out her blade, releasing an invisible arc of cutting air to slice several of them in half. As she charges toward one of the larger ones, raising Kusanagi high... ...she freezes in place, for just a brief moment. There's a sudden YANK of magical power, and Kusanagi falls from her fingers, clattering to the ground before vanishing in a puff of energy. Saber reaches a hand up, clutching her head, as her cold green eyes flicker rapidly between green and silver... then suddenly turn the latter, shining the same as pure moonlight. For a moment, anyway, until the large homunculus runs her completely through with its bladed arm, spearing through her chest and out her back. "...hrk!" 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     Ainsley's head turns when she realizes they are being SURROUNDED. She takes up a position nearer to Kazusa, prepared to defend her fellow mage. As the homunculi advance from all directions, she makes sure to stab and to slice the beings as they approach, not hesitating to fight alongside the Card Mage no matter their future potential rivalry. But then she feels something, something strange and magical, something between her and her connection to Berserker. It would make her heart skip a beat, her eyes turning...     Just in time to see Saber get skewered by one of the homunculi. She clenches her teeth, and doesn't allow the distraction to make her vulnerable either.     Panic thrums in her head, as she tries to get some breathing room to see how Berserker is faring... 

:'''{{#var:415|Kazusa Ujikane (415)}} has posed:'''     By now, Saber's bladework is almost a comfort. It's so familiar, both from seeing it in action and from using it for herself. But even with that, the fact remains they're being advanced on. "Hey, uh. We got more of 'em coming in-"     Wait, what just...?     Even Kazusa can feel something twist in their connection. She turns, deep concern on her face only growing deeper when she sees the strangeness happening to her Servant. And then- stab. "...Saber-!?"     Who needs self-preservation instincts?     Kazusa goes running forward at full speed, trying to slam the homunculus away from her Servant with all five pounds of her weight. "Hey, get away from her!" 

:'''{{#var:946|Frankenstein (946)}} has posed:'''     One swing.. one homunculi. Another swing, another one. Bteween Berserker and Saber... they're falling, but not as fast as she or possibly her ally wants... "Nnngh..." she groans out, "Blas...ted...." she starts to chant, "Tre...." she freezes in place once she hears Saber's hrk'ing... interrupting her Noble Phantasm to show some concern towards the Saber-class. "Sa...ber?!" there's a concerned look upon that emotionless face... moving towards her briefly, only to watch Kusanagi clatter... and dissapear.     There's another hrk... this time from Berserker herself, her head turns downwards as a long peircing implement is ran through the bridal berserker's chest... staining the white dress red as her eyes go wide. "Ma...ster?" she whispers... the Bridal Chest dropping soon after... sparking after a few hits upon the ground before, like Kusanagi, dissapearing in a wave of fleeting dust. "Ma...ster?!"     She turns towards Ainsley, her eyes look like they're losing color from them... only for the Berserker to drop to her knees... "I... can't... feel you." she shouts out... "Master....!" 

:'''{{#var:227|Moonlit Saber (227)}} has posed:''' Cough. It's a wet, ugly cough, as Saber slowly blinks, looking down at the tendril through her chest. "...oh." She turns her head and gazes blearily as Kazusa charges in, knocking the homunculus away. Just as slowly, she looks back down at the tendril and grips it with both hands... burning right through it. "This is.. unpleasant. Master, you should keep your distance." Her voice in battle usually has a hardness to it, but right now it's just... cold. There's no emotion in her words. Despite the blood dripping from her robe both in front and back, she turns toward Berserker and reaches out... then shoves Frankenstein with surprising strength, to launch her free of the impaling homunculus. "I... I cannot access my sword, Master." Her other hand closes on midair as she tries to summon it, pausing only to reach out and glare at one of the homunculi closest to Kazusa. Nothing seems to happen, until it just... dissolves under her gaze. Yes, something is definitely wrong. "Permission to use my Noble Phantasm, Master?" Yes, she is indeed ignoring the fact that there is a gaping hole through her body, only bothering to hold her robe closed to hide it. 

:'''{{#var:415|Kazusa Ujikane (415)}} has posed:'''     Oh no. That coldness. Kazusa knows that tone. This is very not good, if only for the fact it indicates that things have gotten very bad. She's quick to put some distance between her and her Servant, of course. And she's just as quick to give Saber a quick, firm nod. If something's gone weird, they really can't afford to hold back. "Do it."     Only then does she realize something's happened to Berserker. "B- Berserker?!" She pauses, torn between running to Fran's side, or staying where she can assist Saber. 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     Ainsley spots Kazusa running to Moonlit Saber's side, and promptly makes the same decision for her own Servant ... especially when she makes such a yearning comment in her confused pain. The lizard gets between another homunculus and her Servant and speaks a single word: Death.     And her hands begin to glow with, somehow, the absence of light, warping the air around her fingers. She snaps out at one of the nearby homunculi, batting it away with the back of her hand... and as if the impact had robbed it off all of its life force, it simply collapses, spiderwebbing veins of necrotic damage visible from where she struck it. She does the same with each homunculus that dares get in range of her or her Servant. She trades some damage for this tactic, but she is competent enough to hold her ground against these numbers.     Her tail wraps around Berserker's forearm. She speaks up.     "I'm here."     Her eyes glance aside to Moonlit Saber and Kazusa, the withering gaze from the Servant making Ainsley swallow and hope nothing like that is turned against her. 

:'''{{#var:946|Frankenstein (946)}} has posed:'''     There's a straining noise coming from Berserker, as if she's reaching for something... that something being her Bridal Chest. "Mmm.." she mutters, a low groan coming... it intensifies and becomes all encompassing, only to stop as she's unceremoniously shoved, pulled free from that homunculus. She tumbles a moment, only to pick herself up to her knees.. feeling her Master's tail around her arm. She looks up... a frown upon her face. "Master...?" she whispers... turning back to the group of homunculi.     "I... feel... tired." she whispers, picking herself up slowly. She turns around, keeping the feel of that tail around her arm. "I... can't... Bridal... Chest... unavailable." there's a pause, there's a lot of homunculi... then there's her Master... then the Saber and her master. She gives a bit of a nod...     "Mas...ter? Can... I use.... it?" she requests, speaking of that one thing... 

:'''{{#var:227|Moonlit Saber (227)}} has posed:''' A single nod is all she gives to acknowledge Kazusa's permission. Those otherworldly silver eyes close for a moment and she begins to murmur softly, "This princess exiled to a far off land, in the name of Kaguya-hime, I humbly request for a refuge from this cruel world." Her eyes open again, silvery moonlight shining out from them, as she spreads her arms wide. The moon above begins to shine more brightly as the Bounded Field forms, and the homunculi near her just start to... dissolve. "Last Refuge of the Exiled Princess..." The range is somewhat limited, but Kazusa can feel a massive draw of mana. This is... not exactly how it went last time, was it? She turns her head slowly, looking at Kazusa, then Berserker and Ainsley, and, despite the glow from her eyes, she looks confused. "Something is... not... right..." 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     Ainsley doesn't hesitate to answer Berserker. With them surrounded and their allies likely hamstrung by whatever has been done to the Servants, she answers Berserker with a single phrase.     "Do it."     She punctuates it by performing a great overhead swing of her sword, which bites into a homunculus as it comes toward her. It comes short of skewering her as she steps back and to the side, leaving her a gap just big enough to chop its outstretched appendage clean off. She doesn't come away without a scratch, but she has yet to sustain a mortal wound the way the Servants have.     "Could it be Caster...?" she thinks aloud. 

:'''{{#var:415|Kazusa Ujikane (415)}} has posed:'''     This. Kazusa remembers this. And yet... no, it wasn't like this. Something's going very wrong with both Servants. The only natural conclusion is that it's something central to all the Servants, or at least all from this Grail War. With the mooks dissolving away, Kazusa goes scambering over to Saber immediately, already fussing over her injured Servant, but she does pause to turn to Ainsley. "I dunno, but... if it's not him, then it's /something/ with the Grail here. I don't like this..." 

:'''{{#var:946|Frankenstein (946)}} has posed:'''     Berserker gives a bit of a nod. "Thank... you." she states, clearly. She moves to pick something up, a stick... or a metal pipe... and she starts sparking. There's a loud moan coming from the Berserker and a noticable spike in power, oddly enough Ainsley doesn't feel /any/ mana drain, even though the seals are still quite visible on her hand. Bolts of green lightning spark around the earfins... the horn.. and the stick-like object in her hands, holding them tightly.     She closes her eyes... then runs into the fray once more, leaping in the air, there's a ball of lightning energy upon the tip of the stick-like object, and with a resounding echo... she shouts. "BLASTED...." a pause "TREE!" there is a lot of power behind this one as she slams the stick into the ground, and a giant tree made of lightning arcs up into view, bolts of thunder strike down on random homunculi in the vicinity, ten.... fifty.... a hundred... all targeted.     The explosion is huge, wind buffeting from the shockwave as what's left is Berserker... kneeling down... and looking transparent. Her head lifts up... eyes colorless but they move to stare at Ainsley, Kazusa and Saber. "Caster...?" she questions, slowing her breathing. "A...re... you safe...? Master...?" 

:'''{{#var:227|Moonlit Saber (227)}} has posed:''' Most of the homunculi explode from the lightning, leaving only a few still standing. Those few still up, though... don't seem to be moving. In fact, they're slowly melting into very foul-smelling puddles. Saber still looks very confused as Kazusa fusses over her. "Master, what are you worried over? The threat has passed. I am already healing from my wounds." It was a great victory! She's not even the type to cough blood for no reason. But then, her eyes shift again, fading from a glowing silver back to their usual green, and she pitches forward as her legs turn to jelly. "What... what was... What happened?" She lifts a hand and Kusanagi appears in her grasp, and a faint frown crosses her lips. "Am I back to myself again?" 

:'''{{#var:415|Kazusa Ujikane (415)}} has posed:'''     Kazusa tries to catch Saber.     Kazusa immediately loses her balance in trying to prop Saber up.     Kazusa is now on her butt.     "Owowow... Saber, you... you turned on the no-emotions thing, and you and Berserker were on the fritz, and Kusanagi disappeared, so you activated the moon, only it was different, and Berserker used her lightning tree at full pow... er..." It's here Kazusa trails off. And slowly turns her head. Because Berserker using her lightning tree at full power is... Bad.     'Berserker seeming to fade away' bad. "...oh no..." 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     Ainsley turns her eyes on Berserker, shock in her gaze as lightning courses into the homunculi around her. Her ears ring and her eyes burn from the light, but her gaze fixates on Berserker nonetheless. Why wasn't she feeling her mana being drawn? Why?     And then the reason she feared became true. She feels her head spin, and her mouth cracks open. She drops her sword aside with a metallic clatter, and she kneels down to try to scoop up the fading Servant. She clutches at the Bridal Berserker as she begins to vanish.     Caked in the blood of homunculi and hugging the spiritual shape of an artificial being. She hasn't words for Frankenstein's Monster except for two. She whispers, 'Don't go.' And a soft red glow shines from her hand, a burning sensation as an old magic responds to her own and it's expressed as a proper Command. It happens because of the emotional weight behind her demand, the desperate consideration to just use her own power to bring life to the lifeless to simply try to recreate Fran... Not out of a selfish desire to keep her alive, but because of something more tragic than even that.     All she can think of in a moment where she thinks she will lose Fran is how the most notorious of artificial humans may lose the chance to live a real life of her own, free of the torment of her loneliness. But, in her desperation, it was the only connection she could think of to prevent her Servant from fading away. 

:'''{{#var:946|Frankenstein (946)}} has posed:'''     Blasted Tree, full power. The one thing that would take her life, would also save not only her Master, but another Servant and Master. "I... did ... good." she whispered towards Ainsley. "You... are a good... Master." she comments, hoisted to lean up against her Master. "Ain...sley." she smiles... "Keep them.." her head turns towards Saber and Kazusa... "as ... friends." she sighs. Eyes close and... soon she dissapears. Mostly at least. That burst of mana from the Command Seal.     That mana... it was a nice feeling... the fading of the berserker slows and soon reverses. There's a small gasp, and a twitch from the servant. Next to her a fin slowly comes into view, a weapon forming slowly. The energy coming from Frankenstein is different though... the rage... the feeling of the Berserker doesn't seem to be there. Something else does though. "Mmm?"     Frankenstein's eyes slowly open, the heterochromic eyes look up towards Ainsley... and she gives a curious tilt.. "Master?" her voice seems clearer, no stutter either. "What... happened Master? Where are we?" she moves her head a bit, looking towards Saber and Kazusa, "Oh... our friends are still there. Are you two okay?" 

:'''{{#var:227|Moonlit Saber (227)}} has posed:''' Saber isn't that heavy! ...okay, so she had momentum going. But there had better not be a word of this later! "It was strange, Master. But... but I am fine now." She lifts a hand to rub at her eyes as she shakily gets to her feet. "...I will need rest, though, to recover. I believe I am missing several important organs." She places a hand to her chest, holding her robe together, as she turns to look at Frankenstein and Ainsley. "You seem... different, Berserker. Not Berserker?" She looks confused for a moment, but that soft smile comes again. "At least you seem to be unharmed." 23:41, 9 December 2017 (CST)~~ Meanwhile, in another part of Fuyuki... A robed figure clutches its chest, stagging back from a cauldron. On a table beside it sits several shards of a shattered sword, along with a rusted hilt. In a fit of rage, the robed figure slaps the pieces of sword to the ground. "Bah! And I wasted good heroic souls for this experiment!" Letting out a breath, the robed figure shakes its head. "That was too close. I never thought her Saint Graph would wrest the Caster shell from me... Ah, well." A thin hand comes out, holding a pencil, and scratches off an item from a list on a piece of parchment. There are several others scratched out, and quite a few not. "We don't learn unless we try. Now, perhaps this one might be more fruitful..." 23:41, 9 December 2017 (CST)~~ 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     Ainsley opened her eyes when she heard Fran's voice again, but when she hears it she realizes something has happened to her Servant. She releases the former Berserker, and leans back to get a look at the new appearance the Servant has likely taken on, and blinks owlishly at the sound of a more coherent version of Fran's voice ringing in her head. She gathers herself to a stand and peels back her glove to get a look at the Command Seal. She frowns at it for a moment, thumbing over the one faded portion of it.     "We need to find that Caster," she asserts, holding out her hand to help Fran up to her feet.     "... I don't think she /is/ a Berserker anymore," she murmurs, "What class are you?" 

:'''{{#var:415|Kazusa Ujikane (415)}} has posed:'''     "Berserker? You're talking more..." Kazusa trails off, blinking once or twice, owlishly. "...w-wait... change classes?! Oh my gosh, that's..." She pauses, frowning faintly. "...actually, that's kinda worrying. But if you're okay, then we're fine, right?" There's a beaming grin there now. 

:'''{{#var:946|Frankenstein (946)}} has posed:'''     Frankenstein blinks a bit.. "I... was a Berserker. I don't know what you did, Master... but..." she moves to pick up the newly reformed Bridal Chest. She swings it a bit and the head pops open to reveal a poleaxe head. "If... I have to say.. I'm ... a Lancer?" she questions curiously, "Umm, is... our alliance still valid since... well... I'm a Lancer?" 

:'''{{#var:227|Moonlit Saber (227)}} has posed:''' "I think figuring out what happened is something that should take place somewhere warmer." Saber pauses a moment, obviously not bothered by the cold, but... she doesn't like being out in the open and wounded, especially when the cause of the attack is still at large. "I am sure that the priest in charge will be able to tel us more when we inform her." She pauses a moment and just stares at Frankenstein... then smiles faintly. "The alliance was between Masters, so it is still valid, as far as I am concerned." 
}}

5554/Sacred Eyes Show You The Pain

2017-11-09T06:28:58Z

Parasaurolophus: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/11/09 |Location=Ga-Rei Japan <GR> |Synopsis=Yomi's friends are called to a house where something suspicious is going on. What could possibly g..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/11/09
|Location=Ga-Rei Japan <GR>
|Synopsis=Yomi's friends are called to a house where something suspicious is going on. What could possibly go wrong?
|Cast of Characters=1098, 342, 705, 290, 998, 1106, 707
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Not long ago, a broadcast was sent out to public frequencies. Though fairly staticky, Yomi's voice was unmistakeable: "Going to need some help. More Category Cs than I expected! If anyone can help me clear this out, I'd appreciate it!" An address follows. The address, it turns out, is a fairly large, old house on the outskirts of town. Darkness of night is approaching, the owls are letting out soft hoots as they wake up, the crickets just starting to chirp. And a storm is rolling in, judging by the distant sounds of thunder, though it hasn't started raining yet. The gates to the house are wide open, and only one window on the second floor has a light in it. Aside from the sounds of the coming storm and of the night, the only thing of note is a man standing near the gates, looking quite surprised to see anyone showing up. Specifically... it seems to be a policeman. "Are you the backup I was told was coming? I didn't expect..." He pauses and just gestures vaguely. 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     By now, Nozomi Houken has come to look at Yomi as a friendly face. There's something reassuring about her. So hearing that Yomi needs help? Of course the TIGER-user is gonna come running. Or rather, she's gonna come riding. Because Taiga can run far faster than she can, of course. The heavy mechatiger's full-tilt run is a constant rumblethud-rumblethud, carrying him over the road at breakneck pace, far faster than an ordinary person OR tiger could run. And Nozomi herself only leans into the charge, expression tense.     As they scamper to a stop in front of the house, Taiga doesn't even bother to crouch down - Nozomi's not getting off. This is a little too urgent. "I am an autonomous, anti-supernatural unit. I am perfectly suited to hunting the entities currently threatening this city. Please, give directions quickly; Isayama Yomi is potentially in danger." Nozomi herself only nods, quiet but worried. 

:'''{{#var:705|Reiji Arisu (705)}} has posed:''' Well. This certainly is ominous enough. Reiji walks up to the policeman at the gate just as a tongue of lightning booms across the distant horizon. "Didn't expect this much firepower?" Reiji helps, pulling his Official Badge out of his pocket and lets it hinge open. Paladins have badges. They're cops. They get badges. "That's us, yes. Reiji Arisu. This is the location?" He glances at the gate, then back to the cop. "Looks pretty typical. Can you give us a sitrep?" 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Unlike Nozomi, who's making quite the entrance, Rebecca Chambers is not so keen about making her presence known right now. Instead, she approaches the house with a cautious demeanor, keeping an eye out for anything that might be waiting to get her or any possible traps. Hey, it could happen, you never know. Once Rebecca arrives, she can only scoff for a moment at the sight of the old house, complete with the creepy atmosphere and impending thunderstorm. At least there's a police officer there who seems to be on their side. Rebecca walks up to him and salutes. "Rebecca Chambers. We're here to assist in any way possible." Her voice is firm yet respectful, almost as if the cautious demeanor has been thrown to the wind for the time being. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     About a block away, a bus stops. When it starts up again, turning a corner and motoring away, the white-clad Drive Core Controller of Britannica stands underneath the bus stop sign, checking a small pamplet map. When she's certain this was the right stop for the address provided, the paper disappears in a flicker of pixellated light and she crosses the street, trotting along the sidewalk at an almost-jog.     Spotting Nozomi and Taiga, and Reiji-- All familiar faces-- Lexicon's pace slows and she brings her hand out by her side. A flicker of pixellated light elongates into a distinctive shape, then scatters, and she hefts her hammer up over her shoulder during those last few steps.     "If you're going to give us information or advice, go ahead," she implores, "But don't try to turn us away." 

:'''{{#var:1106|Tamamo no Mae (1106)}} has posed:'''     Tamamo's sitting on Taiga's back behind Nozomi, holding the little 'mouse' close for protection, "Ah, this is comfortable." she mutters, fortunately for the mechatiger, she's lighter than she seems. That... and Tamamo's feeling lazy enough. "You know I'm going to help whenever you of all people say it's important, Master." she smiles, her tail twitching behind her. "After all, your allies are mine too." she nods with a firm look upon her face. Tamamo's not gonna get left behind with her Husband galavanting off to who knows where in danger...     Once they arrive, not even Tamamo's getting off her new found ride, "It would be good to let us know /where/, after all, Tamamo has express interest in keeping this place safe, you know!" a small cough, "Tamamo has work here, and my Husband's ally needs help!" She looks around at everyone else gathered... there was at least /two/ familiar faces here. Reiji and Xiaomu... but Rebecca and Lexicon's visual isn't too familiar to her.     "More allies?" 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' "One of these days," remarks Xiaomu, "I'm going to get a copy of the classification table this world uses for apparitions and other noctural bump-goers, and I'm going to copy it onto my phone so I can look it up in a hurry. Or maybe get Professor to rig up an app that'll display the summary when a call comes through like this." She's standing a little behind Reiji at the moment, basically letting him take care of socialization, but the fact that it's a policeman greeting them - or at least somebody who appears to be one - rather than Yomi herself does not go unnoticed. Particularly given the dark and stormy look of the house, with an actual storm warming up its lungs in the not-great distance. "... Y'know, I hate to be That Fox, but could we see your badge for a moment before we go inside and set about our business?" Xiaomu adds after a moment. Something about this *already* doesn't feel like it's adding up. Either that, or maybe she hasn't had time enough to relax since Halloween. (Whose idea was it to import a holiday that's all about spooks, specters, and other supernatural nasties to a country that has a rich and vibrant tradition of some of the weirdest and most dangerous phantoms in the known world, anyway?) 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' The policeman looks doubtful as more shows up, but he just sighs and shakes his head. "Didn't expect you to be so young." As the light from the street lamp flickers, it seems like the man must be at least in his 40s. "Heh... I know I can't judge that, though. Some of you are about the age of my daughter. She just had a son the other day, you know? Look at me, only grandfather in the precinct. They're all calling me Old Man now..." The policeman blinks a few times. "Ah, sorry. Went rambling there for a bit. I'm Officer Nakamura. My partner Yamamoto went in to investigate about fifteen minutes ago, but something around here is blocking our radios." He glances at Xiaomu, then Taiga, then Tamamo, then back to Xiaomu, not sure if the foxes and robot cats are stranger than the short girls with huge hammers. Nakamura does produce his badge, showing that he's an officer from a precinct office across town. "We were called in by a neighbor reporting screams coming from inside that place, but I haven't heard anything since getting here. Yamamoto said to come in after him if he didn't check in after fifteen minutes, so..." Almost reluctantly, he begins advancing toward the gates. "I'm sure you're all capable, but stay behind me. I'd feel like I wasn't doing my job letting someone from out of town go into danger while I stay safe..." He's visibly nervous about this, but he pulls out a flashlight and walks to the front door. The grounds seem normal enough, if a bit spooky due to the lack of light. Trees and bushes cast odd shadows, a few moths flitter by, owls hoot... and the thunder gets louder. "Hello?" Nakamura calls out as he pushes the front door open and steps inside, shining his flashlight around. Then the flashlight bulb goes out with a soft *pop* and Nakamura drops it in surprise. "What the.." 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     Oh, this isn't a headquarters or the like, it's the actual site. Nozomi looks briefly confused, then a tad embarrassed, but she turns her head to look over her shoulder at Tamamo. "I guess this is it." She carefully slides off the robotiger's back; Taiga won't move until Tamamo's off as well, but once she is, he turns to head in through the doors, looking only briefly towards Reiji and Xiaomu, and not even batting an eye at Rebecca's arrival. "Sensors honed to maximum sensitivity. I-" Pop. Nozomi jumps with a tiny little yelp.     "...switching to UV/IR visual mode. I will not be hindered by the dark." 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' "Well, I do admit I am a bit young, yes." Rebecca forces a smile. "I am eighteen years old. You would be surprised how many people say that about me." She neutralizes her look again and then sighs. "Creepy old mansion with something funny going on. Story of my life." She then shakes her head and says, "Come on, Rebecca! You're supposed to be a professional! Act like one!" With that, Rebecca loads a clip into her Beretta and turns on the flashlight, following behind the police officer to offer him cover if need be. She would shush him when he calls out hello, but declines to knowing that it would be even more unprofessional of her to shush a police officer. Besides, she's technically a police officer as well in a sense. Speaking of senses, Rebecca's sense of vision diminishes a little as her flashlight goes out as well and she gasps a little. "W-what's going on?" She asks, starting to feel her pulse move into high gear. 

:'''{{#var:705|Reiji Arisu (705)}} has posed:''' "Oh, Nozomi. Good to see you," Reiji calls over as the other figures materialize out of the haze of dusk. "I see you've brought your fox as well. Fine and good. Have you been doing well?" There's a beat as Xiaomu (wisely) interrogates the policeman about his credentials. It was probably fine, but better safe than sorry with these things. "You don't have to worry about age with us, Officer. I have it on good authority that our average age is somewhere in the hundreds." Xiaomu alone accounts for almost a thousand years, after all! "Screams are nothing good. It sounds like you could use some backup." Reiji advances after the officer. The landscaping of the huge house is... 'creepy' is a good way to put it. There's a spooky air to it. The shadows are too thick. The thunder too near. Reiji's lips draw into a tight line. "While I admire your sense of duty, please, don't hesitate to allow us to take the front if things go bad--" The lights die. Reiji clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth and darts in front of the officer. His crimson sword comes away from its sheath with a sudden /roar/ of flame. A literal torch to replace an electric one. "Stay calm. Don't worry, this isn't too bad." Yet. What was a class C again? Maybe they SHOULD invest in one of those charts. "So," he says, trying to keep the man's attention off the fact his flashlight just died /without/ him tripping any more death flags. "Tell us about this partner of yours. What does he look like, exactly? Anything we need to know if we run into him?" 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Xiaomu doesn't know the arrangement of precincts hereabouts all that well, but the badge looks legit enough to her, so she relaxes a little. At least they have plenty of allies, all familiar faces - even Tamamo no Mae is kind of a welcome sight; Xiaomu has a fair sense of what the Casterfox is capable of and she's glad (if in an understated way) to know that kind of power is on the same side Xiaomu herself is. There's a piece of her that wants to debate the point when Nakamura takes the lead, but ... well, if he's *that* dubious about what the Multiversal responders can do, arguing the case won't do a whole lot of good and is more likely to come off as grossly unprofessional. She's not reaching for her handguns, though - she just lets Nakamura lead the group, whatever order people are sorting themselves out into. *pop* The sage fox's only outward reaction is to prick her ears up as far as they'll angle, letting her eyes adjust to the returning darkness. "Something tells me we know why Officer Yamamoto hasn't gotten back in touch with you yet," she says mildly. "Might I suggest that those of us who can see conveniently in the dark should maybe take the lead?" Xiaomu pauses briefly. "And by the way, Officer Nakamura, with all due respect? ... Dealing with things which go bump in the night is what some of us do for a living normally. We may be dealing with something here that would eat a full clip of your bullets like they were hors d'ouvres at a dinner party; we've got other offensive options which are likely to be a good bit more effective." Reiji draws Karin, which is probably a fairly good idea in terms of providing light for the regular humans to see by. Xiaomu is still inclined to have Reiji at her back right now, rather than holding up a BLAZING SWORD OF ANTI-YOUKAI JUSTICE which is going to go right back to fouling up her night vision. (So much for letting her partner take the lead, but. At least she's motivated!) 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     "I appreciate your concern," Lexicon explains, "But in relative terms I'm actually older than you." While the officer further explains the situation, her eyes wander to the house itself. While considering the run down exterior, one eye closes and she lets out an appraising sound. The interaction between his badge and Xiaomu's inquiry is noted but accepted, and she offers, "At the very least we'll have your back."     Her grip shifts up the hammer's haft to the base of the head, so she can comfortably hold it one-handed, and she follows along behind and to one side of the officer, eyes scanning the grass as well. Gaze wandering back to the house the party is approaching, and she frowns.     This feels a bit too similar to some of the Tower's floors for her liking.     POP     Lexicon jerks, free hand going to the haft of her hammer, though once she realizes it was just the flashlight, she relaxes again. Reiji's already on top of things with light (from a sword, no less) so she simply keeps out of the way, inspecting the front room now that it is bathed in firelight.     "Nakamura, tell me about this house. Who was the last tenant? How long has it been like this?" 

:'''{{#var:1106|Tamamo no Mae (1106)}} has posed:'''     Tamamo indeed hops off her borrowed technomount, there's a brief nod, listening to the officer there. She doesn't say much, just listening to what he had to say, letting others take the lead here. There's a pause though, a look towards Reiji, "I /have/ a name, you know." her voice sounds slightly irritated, "I see you brought you own Caster too, an inferior one if I say so myself." she comments in return, following behind her Master.     She pauses a moment, "Master, it may do you best to get into the Regalia, I don't want you injured if something was to interfere with us. You can get out to ... combine... with your robot again, if the need arises, ok?" she holds her hand out towards Nozomi, teleporting her to Ringspace, to get comfortable assuming she doesn't fight back on it or declines it. "Tamamo only wants whats best for you~" 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     Nozomi blinks, but then nods. "...yeah, alright, I... alright." It really is safer; not perfectly safe, but much safer. So she fades into a mote of light, that flies right into the gem on Caster's ring. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "Yamamoto? He's a good kid. Just his second year on the force. I heard he had a bad breakup a few weeks back, and he's been really throwing himself into his work lately." Better than getting married next week, right? An odd thing happens as everyone walks inside. Communication doesn't cut off completely, but any attempt to radio out is filled with static, and something about the place just feels Wrong to anyone with supernatural senses. Or common senses, really. This place may be a normal house, but it's creepy. The sound of thunder comes closer, even as various magical swords light the hallway, casting long shadows. It seems like a normal, if very old, house, but there are no lights anywhere. "I appreciate you looking out for me, but this is a criminal investigation as much as anything else. I don't know anything about those bumps in the night you're talking about." Seems Nakamura has about as much spiritual senses as a jar of mayonnaise. He's just a normal human, after all. "...I won't complain about you all sticking close, though." Nakamura glances back to Lexicon. "There's a sweet old couple who's been living here since before I was born. I think their granddaughter's been living with them since last month. The neighbors were worried someone broke in when they heard that scream..." He pauses and holds an arm out. "Shhh! Do you hear that?" Sure enough, anyone who listens carefully will hear the sound of very soft sobbing coming from a room on the right, with the door partly open. Nakamura steps forward slowly, reaching for the door... and the light from the weapons glows softly into the room. It casts some disturbing shadows, but most of those are probably just normal things seen in the dim light. What does become clear is that there's a young woman kneeling on the floor, hands covering her face as she cries. She's facing the door... or rather, she's facing something on the floor between herself and the door. Something that looks like a futon, one that's definitely not empty, but the lights only show shoulders poking out from the top of the sheets. There is no head to be seen, and no sign of blood. 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     With Nozomi now stored in the Servant's ring, Taiga goes clunk-clunking softly along, sweeping his sensors here and there; not just 'looking around', but actively analyzing the atmosphere, trying to get a better read on that unsettling feel about the place. However, when they open the door to find a crying young woman over a headless corpse, he first freezes... then moves forward rather abruptly, possibly even shouldering Nakamura out of the way. "My apologies, but please step back for a moment. This exhibits signs of a potential haunting or grudge; allow me to confirm safety first."     And that's exactly what the robotiger does; his sensors sweep the girl and the body very carefully, trying to get a very firm read on any supernatural activity - whether it be an active source, or simply residue. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Nakamura's refusal to let anyone else take point should probably not surprise Xiaomu; some people just don't believe in the supernatural, for better or for worse, and sometimes that flat refusal to entertain the possibility can serve as a layer of protection. At the very least, it lets mortals sleep better at night for not knowing (or believing) that their neighbor's cat could be a nekomata, or that the badger whose den is under the hedge down the street is actually a baku prowling the night for the sweetest of dreams to feast upon. On the other hand, the air within the house is so thick with supernatural energies that Xiaomu's hair is trying desperately to stand on end, and the fur of her tails and ears likely would as well. How any human being can set foot here and NOT think something is Unusual is way beyond Xiaomu ... but hey, if Nakamura doesn't want to admit that it could be ghosts or youkai, then he probably sleeps better for not letting himself think that. Taiga's analyzing the figures in the room - both the sobbing girl and the headless body - and Xiaomu lets him do it; *she's* considering what kind of youkai might be involved here. A body without head or neck .... yeah, that sounds pretty familiar. Xiaomu leans towards her partner, whispering, "Think it's as simple as a kubi-nashi?" to Reiji. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     Lexicon's free hand lifts, rubbing her chin in thought. So the home is occupied, not abandoned. Two, by the officer's admission, 'sweet' old people and possibly their grandchild. This all sounds innocent enough. Her eyes wander the room again. So why does it feel so /wrong/ in here? She pauses at the sound, the unmistakable sound of crying, and her face softens, "Oh jeez..."     Door open. Crying woman. Possible corpse. Lexicon recoils a step. When she realizes she's not immediately under threat, though, she dismisses her hammer in a flicker of digitized light. The DCC is about to approach when Taiga takes the lead, and his words change her mind.     "--Uh. Yes. Yes, do that," she asserts to the TIGER unit. With a frown, she lifts her hand, projecting a flickering holographic screen, and appears to be sorting her inventory. However, something in the corner catches her attention and the offending app is zoomed in on. Four grayed out bars with a red O-slash across them, "...Huh. I lost connectivity with the Cathoderal." Her screen disappears, and she casts glance towards the officer, "And you lost contact with your comrade... Something must be affecting communications." 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Rebecca's gotten her courage back and is doing her best to stay with the others. It's a creepy old house, sure, but Rebecca has gotten herself back into professional mode and is no longer complaining to herself about how this should be the story of her life or anything like that. She manages to get her flashlight working, albeit with it going on and off. "Work with what we got I suppose." Rebecca doesn't have the same supernatural sensing skills that Xiaomu and the others might have, so she's at a bit of a disadvantage here. Nonetheless, she keeps a strong game face as she moves in and enters the bedroom with the others. However, once she gets a glimpse of the headless body, she gasps and steps away briefly to regain her composure. After that, she sticks her head in again and attempts to move closer to the body in order to look at it from a physical standpoint. "No blood or anything," Rebecca comments. "Definitely something beyond my capabilities." She stands up quickly and shakes her head. "I suppose I should've left that to the others." She looks to Taiga and Xiaomu, frowning a little. 

:'''{{#var:705|Reiji Arisu (705)}} has posed:''' Look, if a guy can maintain a lack of belief in the supernatural in spite of literally burning torch-swords being lit up in his presence, that guy deserves all the props he can get. Spiritually aware as a jar of mayonnaise as he might be, Nakamura gets shit done no matter how weird shit gets. That's Reiji's assessment of the man, anyway. It's fine though, they have enough in the way of ghostbusters assembled here already to know full well approximately how fucked the situation happens to be. Very. It's very fucked. This place is so haunted that its ghosts probably have ghosts. It's so spooked up that Halloween comes /here/ for Halloween. It's bad. Real bad. A body without a head or neck. A woman crying over it, and they can't see her face. "Kubi-nashi would be too easy. The woman over there is probably a ghost, too." Reiji narrows his eyes at the woman, his senses honing in through the haze of the raw supernaturality of this place. "I'm betting she's the main threat. Lure people in thinking that someone's lost their head, then pounce. Get ready." "Hey!" Reiji roars at the weeping woman. "What're you doing in there? Ma'am, are you alright?" And if she's not, and if she IS a ghost, well! He's got a flaming sword, and he's not afraid to shank something with it! "Nakamura, stay back with us. This could get hairy pretty quick. At least 'till we know more." 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Taiga's scan reveals a few things. First and foremost, it is -really- hard to scan in here. There seems to be a lot of interference coming from the walls and floors and ceilings. Second, both of the people in the room scan as human. Though... something is definitely off about them, in the supernatural direction. It's hard to tell just what. Both readings are fairly different but seem to have a similar energy. Third, the crying woman slowly looks up as she hears the sounds of footsteps and mumbling. Tear marks are down her pale face, and her cheeks look thin and gaunt. From the wrinkles on her face, she seems to be up in age, though her hair is still mostly dark, with a few white strands here and there. "O..oh. Guests..." Nakamura glances at Reiji, then at the crying woman, and shakes his head. "That's the woman who lives here. Ma'am, we came to investigate the sounds of screaming coming from your house." Flaming swords and foxes are one thing, but they're from Somewhere Else. It's different here. Although he knows about the gateways to other worlds, as far as Nakamura knows, this world is pretty normal. "It's okay. I'm with the police, and these others are with.." He pauses for a moment. "They're here to help. We all are. Why don't you come tell us what's wrong?" The woman smiles thinly. "Oh.. oh, nothing is wrong, dears. I don't recall hearing any screams. Would you like some tea?" She rises to her feet, wiping a tear from her eyes, and carefully steps around the futon. "Or some snacks?" A beat, and she glances down at the floor, embarrassed. "O..oh, that's right. We don't have any food in the house until I can go shopping tomorrow." She can tell everyone is looking nervous, so she gives them another smile, though her hands are shaking a bit. "Come. Sit, sit. I'm sure I can find something." "Ah, but... is that...?" Nakamura seems a little nervous still, mostly because of hat headless body in the futon. A body that suddenly turns over, hand reaching to pull the sheets up higher. The movement makes Nakamura jump, and he reaches out to grab Xiaomu's arm, the fox being closes to him. "It.. it moved!" Outside, thunder crashes, and lightning strikes, illuminating the room from the window. The old woman is still smiling nervously, wringing her hands. "It's... it's nothing, really..." When the light from the lightning flash fades, the room begins to fade back into flickering shadows... which flicker a bit more than the steady lights of magic swords would normally do. Those with passive supernatural senses, or even Horror Movie Senses, will have about a split second to realize that Something is behind them, before a shrill SHRIEK sounds and a glowing disembodied head, looking like it belongs to a young woman, dives right at Lexicon, mouth open wide with oddly sharp teeth. Another shriek can be heard right after as Nakamura -freaks out- and latches even more tightly onto Xiaomu's arm. This was not in his job description. 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     "...both the woman and the body read as human, but there is something... else. I am having trouble analyzing. This is strange. This is exactly the sort of interference my sensors were made to tolerate. Do not lower your guard." True to Taiga's word, he himself remains on guard as well. He does not venture further into the room, only replying, "This is far from 'nothing', miss. Please cooperate. There is some form of supernatural disrup-" Here comes a floating head.     When you lob a fast-moving object across a space while a cat is tense and ready to jump, the result is predictable.     Several hundred kilos of robotic tiger lunges through the air, attempting to intercept the head before it can reach Lexicon. And bad news for the head - Taiga's claws are designed to be able to harm even spirits. 

:'''{{#var:1106|Tamamo no Mae (1106)}} has posed:'''     Tamamo's just there right now, letting a few more experienced in this thing take the lead. Tamamo might be an evil spirit of Amaterasu, but, at least they aren't hunting her. (yet). "The fur on my tail is bristling. Tamamo doesn't like the look of here." she mutters, and then with that jump from Taiga and the object in the air, the Servant quickly jumps back and lets out a loud "MIKON?!" in surprise, "Tamamo demands to know what just happened!" she might be breathing a bit heavily here too, not used to being surprised like such! 

:'''{{#var:705|Reiji Arisu (705)}} has posed:''' "I'm picking up on something, too," Reiji says to the ever-reliable giant mecha tiger. "Sort of. I can't tell if it's just the background energy or something else, but this place is..." 'Haunted as all get out' is what he wants to say, but Taiga probably already understands that well enough without it being said. Regardless, Nakamura says he knows the woman, and it seems like he does. "Ma'am," Reiji says, keeping his burning sword at the ready, if not just for the light it provides. Admittedly, that's a good enough reason as just about any other. "I think we'll be fine. Why don't you just take a moment to relax and maybe help us understand what exactly is going on around--" Wait. It moved? No, that's not all. Something's wrong. Reiji turns his head just as /a giant robo tiger/ goes to catch a... Well. 'Flying head out of nowhere' was Reiji's second bet. "Damnit," Reiji curses as Nakamura screams in his other ear. "I should've known that was around here somewhere. Taiga, you alright?" He turns his head back, keeping his eye on the woman-- and the body behind her. "Ma'am. Your house appears to be haunted." 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     For the crying going on, the resultant conversation certainly is...unexpectedly ordinary. Which just adds to the wrong-ness of the situation. Lexicon's eyes narrow. Someone who was just sobbing shouldn't be trying to play hostess like that. Even if they're not possessed or haunted or a monster in disguise, that's just not normal. While rolling this over in her head, the shape on the floor moves. Lexicon's eyes immediately move to it. Even when the cop a few paces away loses his composure at it.     "I don't think this is a good time for snacks and a story," the DCC admits. Lightning cracks, the sound causing a flinch, and a new feeling of wrong-ness as shadows draw longer than they really should. Letting out a breath, Lexicon mutters, "It's behind me, isn't it."     Taiga confirms this by lunging for her, and by extension, the spirit manifesting behind her. Lexicon drops to the floor to facilitate the TIGER's pounce without getting in the way, "Holy shit--!"     Lexicon may be a rather tanky young woman, but even she's not interested in tanking a small car in the shape of a large cat. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' If the 'woman' is a ghost or something, she's REALLY good at acting like a living mortal - to the extent that her act is *too* smooth, *too* calm. If she'd been weeping over the headless body in the futon, she wouldn't be able to assert her calmness that readily, would she? Also, headless bodies typically don't roll over and pull the covers up like that. The sudden clamping of Nakamura's hand (or both) on her arm prompt the sage fox's ears to angle back. "Yes, it did move, and it would be --" Whatever it would be (and whatever 'it' might have been), Xiaomu doesn't get the chance to finish before her vulpine ears snap straight up, her free hand delving into the back of her vest for one of her handguns, namely the Roc's Icebrand. Arguably she'd be better off with Silver or Platinum, but she'd rather freeze whatever it is - - which turns out, very shortly, to be an independently mobile and independently luminous disembodied head - - rather than simply shoot it full of holes, whether with normal bullets or anti-spirit munitions. And then Taiga pounces at it as if it were a giant ball of yarn instead of a youkai, or part of one. On the other hand, Nakamura's latched onto her in such a position and is standing at such an angle that she *can't* get a good bead on the free-roaming noggin. "Don't maul it too badly, Taiga," she requests in a moderately loud voice. "We may need answers out of it and the bodiless head is more likely to talk than the headless body!" 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' OK, something's really wrong here. Even from her vantage spot, Rebecca can see the ghost rolling over and coming out of bed, and that's when she gasps again. Then she looks and sees the head coming as well. She doesn't know it's headed for Lexicon, so she dives out of the way, rolling quickly and drawing her Beretta at the last spot she saw the head coming from, only to find what Taiga is doing and she rolls away again. "That was a close one," Rebecca mutters to herself. "But seriously, a floating head? That's... ugh..." 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' When she sees the floating head, the woman's eyes widen a bit. She doesn't look very panicked, though. At least not until Taiga pounces. "...wait!" The woman seems torn between rushing forward and staying there, hands wringing each other. But when Taiga's claws hit the head, it lets out another loud shriek... and it's the body in the futon that flinches, one arm flying up in surprise as it tries to sit up. The head bites at Taiga's paws, but teeth designed to gnaw on flesh have a bit of a hard time against metal. From the strength of its bite, it at least seems capable of doing a lot of damage to anything flesh and blood it can bite down on. The claws digging in elicit a slightly more human, but still echoing, scream, as the body in the futon flails and clutches in a panic at where its head might be. the woman drops to her knees, reaching out to grab for one of the flailing hands. "Don't hurt her! Don't hurt my Keiko!" She's crying again, looking up toward the group with pleading eyes. "We're both... she's just so very hungry..." This has gone from a six to about a twelve on the weirdness scale, but Nakamura does finally release his deathgrip on Xiaomu's arm. "Ah.. sorry, miss. Disembodied floating heads are not exactly something I've seen a lot of before..." "Please, please..." murmurs the woman, beginning to crawl toward the group. "My Keiko is just..." Thunder crashes again, lightning flashes, and the room is briefly tinged with blue light. From upstairs, the sound of a gunshot can be heard, then several more in rapid succession. Nakamura glances up, hand falling to the hilt of his gun. "Is that where Yamamoto got to?" With so much going on in a situation he obviously was not prepared for, the poor policeman is at a loss for what to do. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' "... So Keiko's a nukekubi, then?" Xiaomu asks casually, reaching under her vest again to re-holster the Roc's Icebrand, then rubbing her arm where Nakamura was latched onto it. "Yeah, they aren't all that common," she admits to the cop. "And I hope we didn't hurt Keiko too badly there ..." She looks at the floating head, apparently named Keiko. "Can you talk in this state?" she inquires, her tone a mix of casual and polite. "And who else is in this house -" This time addressing both Keiko and the formerly-weeping woman. "- besides Officer Yamamoto, whom we presume is upstairs?" 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     Despite the very feline attack, Taiga's next responses are very human, or at least intelligent. When he lands with the head, he doesn't dig his claws in further; merely uses the hold he has to keep it in place, and to keep it from attacking anyone else. "Cease your attempts to harm me. If you continue, I will assume you are a threat to others present." Calmly, he lifts his head up, and turns to look at the woman. "Miss, I regret to inform you that /your/ Keiko is most likely long gone. If she is not, then she is almost certainly suffering by being forced to remain in this form. I do not know if my... coworker, Arisu, is capable of removing a curse of this type, but if he is not, please, do not be cruel to her." 

:'''{{#var:705|Reiji Arisu (705)}} has posed:''' "Nukekubi...?" Reiji's eyes widen as Xiaomu identifies the threat. Ah. "Ahhhh, so that's what this is about. I see." He glances at the old woman and shakes his head, "Ma'am, if I'm not mistaken, this curse is actually hereditary, isn't it?" "The Nukekubi," he explains, "Is a yokai that is otherwise identical to a normal woman, except for the fact that the head detaches and wanders at night, seeking flesh to devour. The legend says that a nukekubi can be cured of their curse by devouring the liver of a white dog, but that it also passes down from mother to child, even after being cured. As what seems to have happened here." "It's night," Reiji gestures vaguely upwards, "And Keiko's head has detached. I think we can probably cure this one, but ideally we'll need to keep her contained until we can do the job." There's a beat. Reiji gives the older woman a deep bow. "My apologies. You must be very confused by our sudden appearance. I am Reiji Arisu, onmyoji and exorcist of the Shinra Organization, here representing the Paladins." Gunshots. Reiji glances up, then toward Nakamura. "Keep calm, officer. Xiaomu, let's head up and see about what's going on upstairs. Taiga, do you have Keiko under control, or should I deploy a ward?" There's a beat. "Ma'am," Reiji says to the old woman, "If you can tell us anything about what else might be in this house before we get up there, please do. We're here to help." 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     "Hungry?" Lexicon repeats from the floor, "That's your precious daughter or granddaughter, and she's hungry?" Peering up from underneath the edge of her hat while Reiji explains, the DCC frowns, "I hate to break it to you, lady, but I'm not human. Unless your kid eats interlaced code strings, she's gonna be disappointed. I don't have any blood, flesh, or anything of the sort."     As she picks herself up, Lexicon casts a look towards Taiga and the head pinned beneath his paws, "I mean, traditionally speaking I'm the second least appetizing person in this room." Well, she doesn't seem to be angry. Just a bit tense, there's no signs of her legendary temper. Yet.     Gunshots.     By the time Lexicon's on her feet, her hammer has rematerialized, and she glances upstairs at the source of the gunshots. However, she doesn't move. She's going to wait for answers to Reiji's line of questioning before she investigates. And that means she's also sliding the haft of her hammer in Nakamura's way so the cop doesn't rush ahead without backup, "Let's hear what she has to say, first. Though I also have my own question."     Glancing back towards the old woman, "Wasn't there a woman named Yomi here, too?" 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Meanwhile, Rebecca has stood up and has aimed in the direction of the gunshots after all has been said and done. "Yeah, we're not exactly edible, you know," She comments briefly, before looking towards the sound of the gunshots again. Then she looks at the woman again. "Any information you can give us would be helpful!" She says with a hint of desperation. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "I thought nukekubi were just some old story..." Nakamura is completely at a loss here. He just saw a floating head, his own head is swimming from all the strangeness tonight, and the sound of gunfire upstairs has him -very- on edge. "Hereditary?" the woman blinks slowly. "This has never happened before. None of this has! She's just hungry... there's nothing..." Tilting her head slightly, the woman peers at Lexicon. "Nobody else has been here tonight. Just all of you." There's another gunshot upstairs, and a crash, but the woman doesn't react. "Just... don't hurt my Keiko. My granddaughter would never hurt a fly, we're all just so hungry.." The body in the futon spasms again, and a loud crunch sounds from beneath Taiga's paw as the head bites into the -floor- and dives beneath the floorboards. There's another crashing sound below, and another scream echoes from beneath. The body spasms, and the woman turns and falls to her knees, grabbing for her granddaughter's hands. Thunder crashes. In the flickering shadows of the lightning, the woman's hair appears to move. As she sobs and panics and frets over the flailing body of her granddaughter, her hair grows longer and longer... and the back of her head splits open, revealing a gaping mouth with hideously pointed teeth. Her hair twists into four tendrils and lashes out, each of them grabbing for one of Reiji's limbs in an attempt to pull him in closer. Nakamura makes a choked sound of surprise, reaching to draw his gun, but his hands are too shaky to manage to point it at anything. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' "NO YOU DON'T HE'S MINE." There is a time for trying to engage youkai in conversation, and there is a time for getting excessively violent. Judging by the tone and volume of Xiaomu's voice as the old lady's hair reaches for her partner, with a very toothy face framed by the tendril-like locks, her switch has just been very decisively and forcefully flipped - she may not exactly be out for blood, but she wastes no time at all in drawing Suiren and trying to slice right through all four tendrils - preferably in a single slash, but if it takes more than one swing to cut Reiji free, she'll swing as many times as it takes. This is, after all, not golf. And even after Reiji is free from the futakuchi-onna's clutches, the sage fox stands protectively in front of her partner, her sword still held at the ready in her right hand, left hand grasping the empty scabbard-shaft of what is normally her monk's staff. "There are meals youkai can enjoy which don't involve terrorizing or murdering mortals," Xiaomu snaps - very nearly snarling. "Where's Officer Yamamoto, where's our friend Isayama, and are there any OTHER mortals in this house who might desire a team of specialists like ourselves to rescue them from a terrible fate?!" 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' The officer might have too shaky hands to aim, but Rebecca doesn't. She grabs her Beretta and yells, "Stop! Now!" Of course a split second later she realizes that it's no use trying to issue commands, so she fires off a couple of shots in hopes of at least letting the youkai know that Rebecca isn't going to settle for this either. Of course there's also the issue of Rebecca not entirely realizing what a youkai is, so her gun may be ineffective. If that's the case, it might be time for Rebecca to brush up on her spiritual knowledge! 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     Gunshots upstairs. And now a scream downstairs? Lexicon casts a glance back at Taiga, and spots the head missing through a hole in the floor. With a tense frown, she shifts her hammer to both hands. And now craziness is erupting right here in the living room again, "--Crap! Another monster?"     Now something like a nukekubi is rather obscure. Lexicon's never heard of that one and has already resolved to research the name that Xiaomu said a moment ago. But this is a much more well known sort of youkai. The mouth on the back of the head is a dead givaway. "Futakuchi onna?" Shifting her stance, she stays in the wings in case needed, while Xiaomu contends with it attacking Reiji, "The design is familiar, but I'm pretty sure the book I read about them was fictional as hell, so..."     Okay so it was a gag manga about a youkai hunter with a youkai girlfriend but why sweat the details.     "You guys have this in hand," she reasons out loud, "Whoever is upstairs is armed. Whoever is downstairs only screamed, and that's where that flying dental case ran, so I'm taking the elevator down to investigate..!"     Why search for stairs? The fleeing nukekubi already has a headstart and already showed here where this will work. She lifts her hammer, waits for Taiga to vacate, and then brings it down on the floor right next to the head-sized hole, "EIN SCHLAG!"     And then drops down through the resulting Lexicon-sized hole. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' There is a -lot- of noise coming from various parts of the house. Several crashes sound from under the floor, probably happening in the basement. Upstairs, there are several uneven thumps, as if someone or something is limping. And then there's Xiaomu. The hair is cut fairly easily, but instead of just being cut hair, blood spurts from where it was cut. Or... ichor. Whatever youkai have. It's not pretty, and it splatters. The flying hair tendrils splat against the wall, and one goes flying toward the door. NAkamura ducks, but it still knocks the hat right off his head. Oddly enough, that's not what makes the old woman cry out. Keiko's body twitches and spasms... and then lies still, unmoving. And the woman grabs her granddaughter's limp hand and lets out a wailing cry, sobbing Keiko's name over and over again. "Keiko! Don't leave me alone, not again... Keiko!" The mouth on the back of her head snaps angrily, and her hair begins to regrow... when several bullets fired from Rebecca's gun slam into it. There's a sound not unlike bullets hitting a wall, rather than flesh, but the woman slumps forward, unmoving. What Lexicon finds downstairs is... not pretty. There's a flickering lightbulb swinging back and forth, barely illuminating what's below. There's Keiko's head...well, half of it. And there's the other half, on the other side of the room. It's already beginning to decompose, but it looks like it was cut by a blade. There's also another body, that of an old man. Probably the woman's husband. It looks like he's been ripped in half at the waist, with his upper half sprawled on the floor and the legs looking like they were dragged at least as far as the stairs. There doesn't seem to be anything -alive- down here, though. Th-thump. Th-thump. The sound of someone limping down the stairs. And then the sound of a gunshot from -very- nearby, and a body -falling- down the stairs. Any who look that way will see another police officer, probably Yamamoto, hitting the floor, his uniform torn. Reiji will notice something else Very Bad. Something right behind him. But before he can even turn around, the gun fires again. Nakamura unloads two bullets right at Xiaomu's back, face twisting into a blank, emotionless smile. As the thunder crashes again outside, what was under his hat becomes vaguely visible. It looks almost like a jellyfish, oozing down to cover his eyes. 

:'''{{#var:705|Reiji Arisu (705)}} has posed:''' Well. Things just got from 'fucked' to 'even more so than before.' Somehow. Reiji really should have expected a hair monster. Honestly, there are so many things here that he really should have expected. He growls as the thing's tendrils suddenly tighten around his arms and legs. His blade swings too slow to intercept them, but... Xiaomu. 'He's mine?' "I appreciate it," Reiji says with a slight arch of his eyebrows. "But this... Doesn't make sense. Officer, you said these people lived here for years, right? But this is just..." Wait.     'Don't let them touch you! There's no way back if they possess you!'     Is /that/ what this is all about? "Xiaomu. I think I understand what's going on here. "Possession. Multiple Category Cs. The one before was a Category B, but I'd wager that Cs are just as--" Gunshots. Reiji's eyes widen. He stares, glare burning hot at the creature perched on top of the officer's head. Everything goes absolutely, terribly, lethally still. Even the sound of a body tumbling down the staircase seems muted as Reiji's fury expands to fill the room. The exorcist sheaths his sword, casting the immediate surroundings into darkness... for just a moment. The world suddenly reverberates with spiritual force. The air ripples as a bright, blue glow surges up from below. In Reiji's hands... Are a pair of guns. "In the name of the Laws of Heaven and Earth, hear me." The blue light weaves and resolves into a grand mandala-- the creatures here, the evil power at work, would suddenly find itself being seized by an iron will. Sigils, writ in ethereal light, burn with raw, purifying energy. "I am Reiji of the Line of Arisu. I who walk the middle road, command thee wraiths, who dwells in shadow--" The mystic circle erupts with power. Reiji begins firing-- not at the monsters, but at the walls. He carves a second patern, a mandala of gunsmoke, a cartwheel spoked by ballistic trajectories and capped with burning, levitating, talisman-squares. The light only grows stronger. "Heaven. Earth. Fire. Water. Light. Darkness. By these powers, hear me. Obey me. All you evil spirits, hear my words and obey!" The Exorcist roars, firing one last series of shots, slugs of spirit-killing force that lance at flailing tendrils of hair, a gelatinous mass, the point at which the body would join the neck... and freeze there, focusing that purifying power. "SCATTER! BEGONE!" "By my will, by the power of the five elements, BY THE AUTHORITY OF TENCHI BANBUTSU - I BANISH YOU!" 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Rebecca fears that her gunshots are doing no good. She would attempt to tackle the officer, but with that thing atop his head, who knows what it might be capable of. In desperation (and gut instinct acting,) she opens fire on the being atop the officer's head. "You don't belong here! Die!" 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' 'Ichor' is probably the right word in this case, although there are plenty of youkai closer to the 'natural' side of the world who would bleed relatively natural blood. This house is not really populated by 'natural'-type youkai, though, and when it's 'hair' that bleeds? Yeah, definitely ichor. The old futakuchi-onna's grief seems pretty genuine, but Xiaomu is still in high dudgeon and not particularly inclined to let her off the hook because of her daughter's ... death? Well, it's not like nukekubi are undead, but then, Xiaomu doesn't see what Lexicon saw down in the basement - and the sound of gunshots right behind her, from where Nakamura was standing the last time she checked, has her turning to look. Ironically enough, that reflexive twisting around with a 'WTF?' look for Nakamura is what saves Xiaomu from those bullets taking a far more damaging path through her body. They may only be mundane handgun slugs, but it doesn't take anti-youkai rounds to injure the sage fox - she's one of those 'natural youkai' herself, even if she's also distinctly supernatural. One bullet drives through her right shoulder at an angle, the other blasts right into the adjacent shoulderblade, and she staggers with a yelp of pain, quickly slamming the butt of her 'staff' against the floor to try and stave off an all-out tumble. "Oh, you little ..." she snarls quietly while Reiji is setting up a large-scale exorcising mandala. That's where Xiaomu stops grumbling and starts focusing as best she can, managing to lift her right arm enough to sheath Suiren - and then channeling what power she can through her re-assembled staff to support Reiji's casting. She'd rather be drawing power in the other direction - not from Reiji, mind you, but from one of the other hostile monsters - but there'll be time for that in a moment. ... if, y'know, there are any youkai left in a position that draining them is a good idea (for Xiaomu). She's been hurt worse, but she is gonna be in a *mood* until her shoulder heals. And reaching up to sheath her sword really didn't help. Owwwww. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     "Ugh," is the immediate response Lexicon makes as soon as she gets an understanding of what she just dropped into. The previous youkai's head is severed in two. There's a bisected body down here, too. And so much blood. Her free hand raises, covering her mouth and nose with her sleeve, "Not what I was expecting..." The lightshow upstairs draws her attention briefly to the hole she'd dropped down through, but she pays it little further attention, stepping gingerly to avoid as much of the gore as she can on her way to the staircase.     Whoever did this, might still be down here. And, she reasons, there's no way she can ignore the possibility that the scream that drew her down here might have been the bisected nukekubi currently laying on the floor in pieces.     "Yomi, are you down here?" she calls out, keeping a firm grip on her hammer's haft. Just in case it's needed. Because fuck all knows what to expect in this house, at this point. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Those poor walls. What did they ever do to you? As the bullets hit them them, they seem to be... mostly walls, really. But the symbols still form without trouble. There must have been something else acting to block and scramble communication. Those other bullets, though... Well, Keiko is already dead. The woman-turned-futakuchi-onna is not quite there yet, but being shot several times seems to have done some serious damage. The hair tendrils start to stir, pulling the still-sobbing woman upright... at least until those bullets slam into it. The hair falls limp, the bottom of her skull goes slack, and she falls over, sprawled across her granddaughter's body. Nakamura turns to lift his gun toward Reiji, but his reflexes are just human. The bullet strikes the strange blob on his head, and several more from Rebecca's firearm, and... well, let's leave out the gory details, shall we? The policeman's body crumples to the ground, minus most of a very important part. There doesn't seem to be anything else moving on the ground floor now. "Get back here, you!" A rather familiar voice yells from a dark area of the basement. Soon after, something moves -fast- from the shadows, skittering along the ground. At first glance, it appears to be the upper half of a woman's body, dragging itself along at incredibly high speeds, with a small sickle grasped in its teeth. Upon seeing Lexicon, it makes a beeline for the DCC and leaps, reaching to grab the sickle with one hand... ...and really having no idea what's probably about to happen as it tries to pounce Lexicon when she's on alert. Yomi emerges from the shadows a moment later, her sword raised... and then pauses and blinks in confusion as she sees her friend. She apparently doesn't think the creature poses much threat either. "...Lexicon? What are you doing here?" 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     "TODESTROSS!" Something waist-high, skittering around in the dark, and leaping at her face with a sharp object? Lexicon's reaction is to swing first and then consider asking questions. She swings her hammer in an upward arc, catching the youkai mid-leap and smashing it into the ceiling with enough force that some furniture in the living room jumps.     WHAM     She lets go of her hammer, and it stays lodged there in the ceiling while she squints up at ...whatever that is. Or perhaps, was.     Voice gets her attention, and the DCC glances back down, "Oh, Yomi." Reaching, she grabs on to her hammer's haft and wrenches it free, giving it a swing to dislodge anything that may be stuck to it, "I caught your call asking for help, so I came. A few others upstairs are dealing with the other monsters already." 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' The situation is under control it seems. But at what cost? Rebecca looks around at the aftermath and can only shake her head. "This... is why I don't like dealing with things like this." She says with a sigh. "It's not always my thing." She looks down at her feet. "Maybe I should brush up on my supernatural knowledge before I check out something like this again." 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Whatever additional remarks or rejoinders Xiaomu might have had are forestalled, for a moment, by the *WHUMP* of something hitting the floor underneath her hard enough to bounce the foxgirl off her feet. Somehow she manages to land on her feet from that, but she's looking more wobbly for a moment or so. "Seems like it's back down to us," she comments, "although I think getting out of here sooner rather than later is the best idea." She needs about a bushel of fried tofu, and/or a visit to Shinra's infirmary wing to help get her injuries healing faster and more smoothly than they might otherwise. 

:'''{{#var:705|Reiji Arisu (705)}} has posed:''' That. Is not normally how these things go. Reiji breathes a long sigh. How long had that officer been possessed? Was he like that since they arrived? It certainly didn't seem that way. He shakes his head and sets his weapons back into their rack, even as the mystic square underneath him continues to pulse and radiate that purifying force. "Xiaomu," Reiji says, moving over to support his partner before she collapses off her staff. "You're... bleeding. Hold on. We need to get these bandaged up." There's a beat as he looks over towards the officer at the foot of the stairs. "We need to get him to medical, too. What a mess." 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' That poor teketeke never knew what hit it. One second it's leaping for what looks like an easy target, next it's splattering against the basement ceiling. "Huh. I'm kinda glad I don't need to do cleanup. I don't hear any more fighting upstairs, though." Yomi squints and peeks up through the hole Lexicon made to drop down. "Don't sense any more left either, but sometimes they're good at hiding themselves." Looking back down, Yomi tilts her head slightly. "Not that I mind having you all come by... would have taken me a while to finish them all off, but... what call? I haven't made a call all night." She pats the pocket in her skirt and frowns. "Phone must have fallen out while I was chasing this thing." Letting out a sigh, she leaps up through the hole and lands on the floor above, not far from the others. "...tch. They got police involved? I was too slow, then. He shouldn't have come anywhere near here..." Shaking her head, she begins to glance around, eyes falling on Yamamoto's fallen body. "...Xiaomu, Reiji. Either of you have a phone? I think he's still alive." Yomi is most definitely -not- a medic, but she'll at least stick around with the others until an ambulance arrives. "Now, where's my phone... oh, right there." And, in fact, there it is, a cell phone lying on the floor in the hallway, with a blue butterfly perched on it. Yomi stares at it for a moment longer than she probably should, then reaches out to snag it from the floor. The butterfly makes a few fluttering flaps before vanishing. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     "Not my house," Lexicon admits, "Not my problem. With the monsters taken care of, leave the cleanup to the experts."     Yomi's next comment, however, has the DCC on edge again. She holds out her free hand, projecting her screen and scrawling back through her history. As she does this, she follows the exorcist, using her hammer as a hook to help herself climb back up through her own hole. Once topside, she finds the file she was looking for. The static-filled recording plays: "Going to need some help. More Category Cs than I expected! If anyone can help me clear this out, I'd appreciate it!"     "It has bad reception," Lexicon comments, "It sure sounded like you, but if you lost your phone, than one of these creeps was really good at imitation."     Dismissing her hammer and her interface, Lexicon frowns, "I hate being manipulated. Freakin' monsters." 
}}

5483/Perfectly Symmetrical Violence

2017-09-14T04:26:40Z

Parasaurolophus: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/09/13 |Location=Ga-Rei Japan <GR> |Synopsis=Yomi calls for help after encountering a youkai that can match her move for move. |Cast of Charact..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/09/13
|Location=Ga-Rei Japan <GR>
|Synopsis=Yomi calls for help after encountering a youkai that can match her move for move.
|Cast of Characters=1098, 707, 1010, 1106, 342, 391, 973, 1132, 19, 998, 705
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' A whisper is broadcast over multiversal frequencies, "This is Yomi Isayama. I hate to ask like this, but I know there are a few people not in the Paladins who know me, so... Anyway, we're spread a bit thin here, and the rest of the Agency is dealing with another threat. I can normally handle a Category B Specter alone, but... Let's say I really need a few hands. Anyone who can come, I apprecia--" The signal goes silent but isn't cut off immediately. Multiversal coordinates are set for a point downtown in Yomi's Tokyo, then cuts off after a few seconds. Upon arrival, the city is relatively quiet, but not empty. It's extremely early, with local time reading a bit before six in the morning, and the sun is just starting to rise. Most people are still at home asleep in their beds, but there are a few lights on in nearby office buildings indicating those who wanted to get an early start... or perhaps never left work last night at all. A few early commuters and delivery trucks go by in the distance, but the streets in this part of town are mostly empty, with just a few parked cars here and there. In fact, there is currently only one person on the street. Or, to be more precise, there are two. Yomi is there, sword drawn, blade clashing with.... Yomi? What. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' When somebody has a distinct classification system for their supernatural entities, it usually means that there's something particularly worth knowing about them. And Xiaomu is STILL wondering what 'Category B' means when she comes tearing through the warpgate on her lightcycle. Oh well, she's going to find out soon enough. The lightcycle brakes to a halt and de-rezzes as the sage fox dismounts from her ride - but at the sight of Yomi fighting Yomi, she just comes to a halt. "Okay, which one is which here?" she wonders aloud, jogging again and moving closer - actually trying to get downwind of the pair. If there's anything significantly 'off' about either of them, *maybe* she can pick up on it. At least she has a pretty good guess what a Category B Specter consists of, now. 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     Yes, Reinhardt's gonna fight ghosts with a hammer. That's how he is.     He makes it to the city, jogging through the streets like a titanium gorilla as he tries to approach the young lady in the streets. He is very confused to see her fighting herself, but it may have something to do with the fact there's ghosts about. He may also be waking everyone up just by trotting down the street with how heavy his armor is, leaving footfalls that sound like metal thuds going off while the titanic German advances.     He's still not sure if these ghosts can be felled by hammer blows, though the time for figuring that out is NOW!     "INCOMING!" he announces himself loudly, charging toward the apparition to maybe catch it off guard. How he's gonna tell which is which is not certain, which is why Reinhardt isn't too good at...plans, sometimes. 

:'''{{#var:1106|Tamamo no Mae (1106)}} has posed:'''     Early mornings are nice. Some of the spirits are getting ready to make their way off to who knows where... but Tamamo herself? The maid outfitted fox blinks at her Master's radio call. With a quick excuse from her job in the name of saving someone... and to prove she can be /somewhat/ good, she makes her way to the area located... only to be confused. "Mikon?" she questions, if it's a question at all. "Wh... why are there two of Yomi?" her question only gets more confused noises when Xiaomu makes her way in. "Oh... the other fox."     And... that loud noise causes the fur on her tail to frizz up with Reinhardt charging right in, "H...hey! You're going to scare the customers... and the other citizens! Only I'm allowed to do that!" 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     It's not the first time Nozomi's been here. It's not even the second. She's visited this Tokyo a few times now, so finding it isn't all that hard. And Taiga, of course, has no problems taking to the rooftops; if anything, he can move more freely, with most of the city asleep. So there's a swift, darting figure across the city's skyline, moving with all due haste until the moment it comes to a stop on an overlooking roof.     From astride the robotic tiger, Nozomi stares down at the street, quickly growing alarmed. "Taiga, what... which one is... what's going on?" The TIGER rumbles uncertainly, ears and nose starting to work. "Unknown. I'm focusing all sensors on analyzing both." 

:'''{{#var:391|Reina Kinney (391)}} has posed:''' Got a problem with ghosts? Who ya gonna call? Well, Ghostbusters ain't available in the Multiverse, unfortunately. But GUARDIANS is, and they ain't afraid of no ghosts. Especially not Reina Kinney, one of the best of the best they got. Near the spot of where Yomi is squaring off against the apparition that looks just like her, a light form appears briefly, then it materializes into the form of the red-haired huntress herself, Reina. Almost immediately, she does a double-take as she gets a good look at what's really going on. "Am I seeing double?" She rubs her eyes a little before shaking her head. "Get with it! You're on duty, remember! Besides, one of those could very well be the apparition!" Unlike Reinhardt, who's rushing in blindly and attempting to hazard a guess at which one is the ghost, Reina's attempting to formulate a plan in her mind. Unfortunately, the sight of Reinhardt charging in makes her go wide-eyed before she rushes towards Reinhardt. "Hold it, you idiot!" Reina yells. "You're gonna cause an unnecessary injury!" Even then, Reina knows Reinhardt is in a different faction than her and he's not likely to respond to her kindly. But Reina tends to think on her feet a little too much sometimes. 

:'''{{#var:973|Silica (973)}} has posed:'''     Silica arrives flying overhead on her yellow pixie wings. She does a wing over, dips low and skims the ground, coming to a skidding stop and drawing her dagger as her wings evaporate. "Pina, Hibiki, Come!" she commands, a pair of pets emerging from her Inventory. A little feathered dragon, and a slinky winged Wind Serpent.     Magenta eyes track between the two Yomi's, and her ears pin down when Reinhardt come charging in. She frowns, and begins preparing her defensive spell, chanting softly under her breath as Words of Power form in the air around her. 

:'''{{#var:1132|Kyoko Takada (1132)}} has posed:'''     It's Japan. There's a Japanese woman here. She's on a motorbike, one that looks pretty good considering some monster hit it with a lance and then some kid with a personal ghost fixed it for her. Overall, the end, resulting image of this succession events isn't too unusual against the background. Seeing a woman dress something like a TV detective may be at least slightly out of the ordinary, but less so than most things.     Oh, and there's the thing she's probably here to find. She comes to a park WELL away from the fight, takes a few moments to look around at what else--and who else--is gathering in the area, and then starts to work. She's got a job to do, even if she wasn't asked. Even if she wasn't asked, she'll still send an invoice. The business bureau may complain, but it's still fair! That's her story, and she's sticking to it, even if she's not sticking her real name to it.     "Anyhow, let's see what we're up against." Something like a set of displays start appearing all around her, holographs that are nevertheless not holographs at all, but mildly incandescent lines of aether, precisely arrayed. Something quite like a sonar pulse, followed by several more, radiates out from her, easily discernible by those with any kind of predisposition toward magic, if invisible otherwise. This is a high energy scan, reading the magic in the area, and at least picking up on any powerfully magical beings. It will also pick up on technology, thanks to the focus of Kyoko's magical training. In fact, it's significantly better at that than analyzing another world's magic.     Aha, and there's a... giant robo-cat thing. And a powered suit? Wow, that's interesting enough that it's a lot harder to pay attention to the two girls fighting. In fact, it's immensely distracting, but Kyoko slides some elements of her displays around to refocus on the primary issue. 

:'''{{#var:19|Maya (19)}} has posed:''' Maya had helped before, and here she was once more to aid Yomi where she could. It iddn't take too long for hte blue haired junker to arrive. She aarrived a moment after ZIaomu did, but not on a light cycle, nope. She was hanging on to the back of the massive dog like robot she called Runner. She hops off dusts herself off and follows adfter Xiaomu as she too is confsued which Tomi is which?! 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     "She's helped me out before," Lexicon reasoned on her way out, "So it only makes sense to return the favor." Raising a hand, she gestures, "Keep the twins busy. Hopefully this won't take too long."     "Yes, Lady Silver Soul," Stylono bowed.     That was a while ago, naturally.     An early morning bus slows to a halt just a block away. When it moves on its way, it leaves behind the white-clad, hat-adorned brunette. A screen floats by her wrist while she consults a paper map, "This is reasonably close to the origin of her signal..." Clashing weapons is all she needs to confirm that. The map is tucked away, the screen 'closed', and she picks up to a brisk walk.     Two Yomi. The DCC pauses. After a moment, she tilts her head, cradling her chin, "A mirror match... Ah, I bet the fake will try to confuse us into attacking the real one..." Her other hand extends down, surrounded in digitized light, and she holds a spear with a silver crystal on the opposite end. This is leaned on while she considers, eyes glancing amidst the various other parties responding to Yomi's call. Still rubbing her chin, she considers. This kind of setup could work for the climax of the manuscript she was working on...     Think about that later. "Hey, Yomi." Lexicon's first going to see which one even reacts to being called out to while fighting. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Yomi was hoping that help would come. She didn't expect so much, but she certainly doesn't mind a disproportionate response. After all, this was a Category B. She's the only one in the Agency who has ever taken one on her own before, but some of them are harder to deal with than others. Scans are... inconclusive. Visually, they're exactly the same. There's definitely something supernatural going on here, but there's enough interference that it's hard to pin down exactly what. And that interference grows more as Reinhardt's heavy footsteps charge down the street. Both Yomi and Yomi look up at the noise, and both widen their eyes. The two swords pull apart, and both of them leap away from each other, and from the rushing human freight train. "Hey, be careful!" "Hey, be careful!" And Reinhardt's charging may be loud, but are those footsteps getting even louder? Yes. The answer is yes. There is still a -lot- of interference, both for energy scans and supernatural scans, but now that Yomi and Yomi are separated, it's a bit easier to tell the origin of that interference. The image of one of the Yomis shimmers slightly as the sound of Reinhardt's footsteps gets louder and louder and louder.... and the windows of the buildings all around begin to vibrate for a few seconds before they shatter, glass raining down toward the street below, accompanied by a deafening roar of louder and louder footsteps. "Ranguren!" As Yomi (the non-flickering one) flips backwards, she draws her sword, and the form of Ranguren appears hunched over her as she lands, shielding her body from the rain of glass. "...Hey, Lexicon. Hope you weren't planning to shoot anyone who didn't answer you in time." Violet eyes flick over toward her double, still flickering for a moment before it begins to grow and change form. No longer looking like a teenage girl, it takes the shape of a tall figure in a black and white cloak and mask, with large black antlers, floating a few inches above the ground. 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     Reinhardt skids to a halt when Reina stops him, not to mention he nearly bowls over the fighters. "Oh, OH! My mistake!" He calls out, before suddenly glass shatters, and Reina's point is proven thus. Throwing up his shield, Reinhardt takes a defensive stance, taking note of the flickering double before it dons a more eldritch form suddenly. "What is this thing? It's not the specter you mentioned, is it?" He asks Yomi, moving to defend the squishier Elites present. 

:'''{{#var:973|Silica (973)}} has posed:'''      "Oss. Vila, Pela, Mok, Vali, Dal, Svero!" incants the Cait Sith. Everyone in her 'Party', which is everyone here aside from the Spectre, gets themselves a little 'bubble' of hexagonal shields. "It won't stop an attack, but should help buffer against one." says Silica, moving to get behind the more tanky Elites. "Pina, Hibiki, Stun Needles!" Pina breathes out a stream of bubbles, which Hibiki skewers with little green needles made of wind magic. These lance towards the Spectre, trying to stun and injure, attempting to PIN it down. 

:'''{{#var:1132|Kyoko Takada (1132)}} has posed:'''     Uh-oh, this is going to be difficult. At least the enemy was identified, as it likely would have been anyway once separated from Yomi. Kyoko tightens her scan, putting aside the matter of all the off-world technology she's witnessing at the moment, trying to get a finer analysis of the spectre through the interference, and trying not to look at Ran-chan, which simply scares her, underneath the professional facade.     If she can't get too close a read on the thing itself, maybe the area of aether around it will tell her something. Even the way in which things don't appear to be somewhere can tell you what's under the surface, and processing scant data into valuable inferences is a large part of what she does. Does the aether move when it does? Does the aether move when it /doesn't/? Is the interference uniformly directed, and uniform over time? So many questions. She's already looping the data off-site for processing, but sooner answers are better.     The shield from Silica is appreciated, once she knows what it is, though chances are good that she'd be clobbered immediately if anything seriously came at her. Hopefully, with Reinhardt here, that won't happen. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Okay, so there IS a way to tell them apart, at least given an appropriate stimulus - which Reinhardt appears to have provided. And then the presumed specter shows what is probably its true form. Xiaomu is initially too busy trying to find somewhere that ISN'T getting a rain fo shattered glass - you know, something like a safe place to stand - to really take a look at the specter. Staying out in the middle of the street is the best she can come up with; fortunately, it doesn't seem like there's all that much traffic coming through at the moment, so it's relatively safe in the middle of the street. Now she has time to look over the specter's figure, and her eyes narrow a bit. The defensive buff from Silica prompts a quick wave and a call of "Thanks!" to the Cait Sith before Xiaomu's attention returns to the specter. "So what brought you into the city all of a sudden?" she calls out. "Making a lot of trouble here ..." 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     Taiga rumbles softly, uttering a sound somewhere close to... irritation? "A great deal of interference is present. Attempting to adjust..." Further commentary is sidetracked by the thing taking its true form; and by the way Reinhardt's footsteps are amplified until they finally begin to shatter windows. Nozomi covers her ears, gritting her teeth fainly, while after a few moments of twitching ears, the robotiger broadcasts, "Mimicry. Sonic attacks. The hostile is a Yamabiko. It is a difficult suggestion to follow, but I recommend making as little noise as possible. Do not provide it with 'weapons'."     He pauses, then turns his head slightly. "...Nozomi. You will be in danger." She bites her lip for a moment, before nodding faintly. And trembling, just a little.             "Disengaging Independent Mode. Rerouting Gensou Engine                                  power to motive and combat systems."                                                "Rampart Mode engaged."                                 TIGER's voice suddenly rises, not in its normal cadence, but in the tone of a 'system message'. Mechanical, emotionless. 'Hibiki' will detect the shift in magical flow. Possibly the merging of two distinct entities into one, as well. But everyone can see when Nozomi steps back up to the edge of the roof, clad in black magitech armor that used to be a robotic tiger.     Yellow eyes lock onto the Yamabiko. One black gauntlet is lifted, and several quick shots of energy are fired - from far enough away that there won't be much noise to work with, at least from the firing of the shots. 

:'''{{#var:391|Reina Kinney (391)}} has posed:''' Stepping back, trying to avoid the possibility of being caught in rumbling by the human freight train, Reina is surprised to see Reinhardt come to a stop. "Hey, what do you know, he actually has a brain," She says sarcastically, before the glass starts raining down. "Oh Falz no!" She curses, her shield automatically activating against the glass shards which, thankfully, are to her shield like pebbles to a military tank. "What have I gotten myself into?" When Reina looks again, she finds that the fake Yomi has made themself more apparent, and Reina can only stare with widened eyes as she says, "What in Falz's name?" 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     Lexicon almost looks disappointed. Instead, it's that usual tired expression on her face when she raises the staff in her hands, then strikes it down between the slabs of the sidewalk, right into the expansion joint. The 'fangs' around the silver gem unfold and the gem begins to glow, rotating.     "Well, I guess if it wants to do things the /easy/ way..." Pixellated light surrounds Lexicon in a column, then disperses. Her hair turns silver-white, her eyes red, and her clothes shifted to a white bodysuit. Reaching out, she produces an enormous mechanized rod from the same light, swinging it aside as it produces an axe blade of white light. Processors, armored metallic pieces, wink in around her shoulders, hips, legs, arms, and temples.     "If you're gonna throw out the dramatic option, that's FINE!" While her voice was soft before, the DCC's rather harsh and aggressive now. The axe is lifted up, and Silver Soul points at the apparition with it, "I'll just beat the crap outta you until I feel better!"     Wings of light, square-shaped, wink from behind her back and she takes to the sky. However, with everyone else already rushing it down, the Silver DCC waits for the right opening, her axe held back at the ready. 

:'''{{#var:705|Reiji Arisu (705)}} has posed:'''                                    WAIT!                                         A voice cries out from high up above. There, a figure atop a building, silhouetted by a great, glowing neon sign that reads 'SIMSANG' in bright white and blue letters. "To be one's own self and stand on one's own legs, this is the right of all those who live. To usurp that ephemeral but irreplacable thing that we call individuality is the domain of charlatans and criminals. To stand against this vile duplicity, special qualities are needed. These things are called..."                             Patience and Wisdom!                             The figure vanishes. The air howls as /something/ descends into the battlefield, landing in the space between the faker and the genuine article. It's a man in a red jacket, carrying a rack full of weapons. The cavalry waits until the moment is right to take to the field. "Xiaomu," Reiji calls as Taiga and Nozomi straight up start blasting the perpetrator. "Sorry for being late. I wanted to wait until we could confirm the enemy." Reiji turns towards the creature and draws his lips into a tight line. He shifts, falling into a characteristic iaijutsu stance. His hand is hovering over a dark, tattered hilt. A Yamabiko. An echo beast. Very well, he'll just have to wait for an opening. If it remains hostile, then he has the perfect, silent tool. If not... Then that's just fine too. 

:'''{{#var:19|Maya (19)}} has posed:''' Yomi got a lot of help, a whole lot of it. She takes stock of everyone else, it looks like they have quiote a response here she looks to both of the Yomis and she is legitl at a loss of how to handle this. She ooks between them and has no legit idea about who may be the real one and who is the gake? She then sees one flicker ad that's when she starts to move. "I think that's the one?!" She looks the Double changes and now she knows for certain, but the first thing Maya does is not attack but she starts to cast a spell ove the responders to ward them from damage and generally just boost howe strong they are over all in combat. "I'll get into the fight in a moment." Silicia pwn wpell covers the other end of things and between them the responders should be well buffed. 5R "Good thinking Slicia." 

:'''{{#var:1106|Tamamo no Mae (1106)}} has posed:''' "Yamabiko, huh?" the Caster Class Servant questions a bit openly... standing there curiously as everyone rushes in... and her Master transforms with her sentient robot cat. "Master?" comes the open question, something she hasn't seen before.... and now... there's the other 'Caster''s Master. ".... It's Reiji." she mutters, shaking her head, taking a few light steps forward. "Well, isn't this just a few parties all in one." The hexagonal bubble around the fox catches her next attention... and the voice who casted it.     "Thank you~" she cheerfully calls out, only to turn back to the Yamabiko and... people rushing it. With her mirror appearing, she smiles and points the Eightfold Blessings of Amaterasu right towards the echo beast and lets out a barrage of fireballs! "I can't let /everyone/ have fun~!" the maid-dressed fox smirks, before rushing herself in as well! "Master, be careful! You're not in the Regalia!" 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' "Promise I'll show you a better time when we're not fighting a Category B, Lexicon." Yomi smiles at the DCC and sheaths her sword, now that there's no more falling glass. As she does, Ranguren disappears, both from view and from all scans. The various shields seem to work, though, as the falling glass is just glass... it's an expensive mess, though, considering how many buildings just lost their windows. "So what brought you into the city all of a sudden?" echoes back Xiaomu's voice. "I'll just beat the crap outta you until I feel better!" echoes back Silver Soul's voice. "Master, be careful! You're not in the Regalia!" echoes back Tamamo's voice, and the asphalt of the road begins to crack. "WAIT!" echoes Reiji's voice.     "WAIT!"         "WAIT!"             "WAIT!" Louder and louder each time, the echoes grow, and the rumbling begins to sound almost like an earthquake as the entire area feels like it's shaking from the echoed sounds. Yomi winces and covers her ears, trying to keep her eyes focused on the Yamabiko, but its form flickers with every echo and becomes more and more indistinct. It's flickering and vibrating so much that it's hard to tell if the energy blasts from TAIGA or the fireballs from Tamamo or the wind needle bubbles from Silica's adorable pets actually hit.... There are definitely explosions at impact, and smoke from the blast. For a moment, all is silent, and Yomi lets out a breath, lowering her hands. "That... may have been a bit overkill. But thanks." As the smoke clears, the yamabiko is nowhere to be seen, and it no longer shows up on any scans. "I didn't expect such a big response, but I think it's taken care of." Yomi puts one hand on her hip and glances around, nodding once. "....but i think it's taken care of"    "but I think it's taken care of."    "BUT I THINK IT'S TAKEN CARE OF"     "But I think it's taken care of"         "..taken care of"    "care of"    "care of"     "care of"    "care of"    "care of"    "care of" "care of"    "care of"    "care of"    "care of" Yomi's eyes go wide as a ring of over a dozen identical Yamabikos appear scattered around them, each of them flickering briefly before turning into an exact duplicate of whoever is closest. 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     Even way up there where she stands, the cacophony of voices is loud enough to draw a wince from the otherwise cold expression on Nozomi's face. The TIGER protects her from the worst of it, but it still leaves her ears ringing. And then... it's gone?     No, that was way too easy. Nozomi's grip on the EM Zanbatou tenses-     And there they are. A dozen of them, surrounding the street-level forces... including Caster.     Wordlessly, Nozomi steps off the building. The armored girl falls silently, not a controlled descent but a true freefall, keeping her feet oriented downward and drawing the EM Zanbatou over her head. Only at the last second, only at the very last possible instant, do the thrusters on her armor kick in - in the exact instant she swings her sword. A blade infused with an energy equal parts 'particle' and 'magical', a weapon designed to carve apart monster and spirit alike. And she's bringing it down through the Yamabiko that has assumed Tamamo's form.     And landing in such a way that she stands /between/ Tamamo and the Yamabiko.     The blacktop cracks with the force of her landing. 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     Reinhardt is pretty glad to have DOUBLE SHIELD as Silica buffs the party. "Thank you!" He nods to her, before he begins to charge the Yamabiko with a swing of his hammer, just the thing goes up.     "HAMMER DO-Awww..." Sigh. He looks almost disappointed, as he's more or less robbed of a chance to smash today. He even came out at the wee hours of the morning too! Of course, that doesn't last, as suddenly MORE ghosts show up. They don appearances mimicking each of the party, with Reinhardt takes note of the lookalike of himself. "This...this might be a problem." He remarks, before he begins to make his way towards Kyoko directs him her way, knowing she can support him and TAIGA fine. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Yamabiko. *That* was what Xiaomu was trying to sort out - exactly what sort of youkai this was. The pieces all fit ... And as glad as she is to see Reiji, when the yamabiko's echoes start amplifying the sound of that yell, Xiaomu cringes and tries to cover her ears in a hurry. It's not until after the noise subsides that Xiaomu comments on the radio that she's glad Reiji could join the group. And then they have bigger problems. Problems such as being outnumbered by clones of a monster who can duplicate any one of them. That's actually not such an insurmountable problem, though; if they can shuffle the pairs so that the actual fighters are going after copies of the people they know best, that *should* play to the good guys' advantage. And with that suggestion shared over the radio, Xiaomu immediately hurtles towards the copy of Reiji. She and Reiji have been partners for over a decade; she taught him the vast majority of what he knows about fighting youkai, and they work together seamlessly when fighting as a pair. On the flip side, Xiaomu knows Reiji's moves better than anyone - and if anyone here has a good chance at exploiting the patterns and forms she's seen him using, it's the sage fox herself. (And the opposite applies as well - Xiaomu trusts Reiji to neutralize her own duplicate without much trouble.) Xiaomu hasn't gotten into melee range yet when she opens fire on the duplicate Reiji - and she's SURE it's the duplicate, she knew where Reiji was standing before the yamabiko went all Clone Wars. Rather than going for likely kill shots, she's aiming for his arms and legs, reading and anticipating the shifts in the duplicate's stance which will give away reaching to draw a weapon - and trying to disrupt any such attempt to bring a copied weapon to bear on her. 

:'''{{#var:1106|Tamamo no Mae (1106)}} has posed:'''     Tamamo covers her ears from the super loud echoing of voices, cringing at the feel of even her own voice being amplified who knows how many times. "Nngh!" she cries out a bit in pain, after all, the fox ears pick up a lot!     "Mikon!?!" comes a surprised shout from the Caster-Class servant as the sudden copy of Tamamo is there. "There can only be one Tamamo! You aren't the one!" Tamamo lifts up her mirror once more to fireball this copy, but the sudden sword going into her copy and her Husband... TAIGA... umm... combination... landing hard in front of her, it elicits another "MIKON!?!" shout, louder at the sudden entrance. "M...master?" she questions to the mechanical armored Nozomi.     Wait, if there's one of her... she looks around to see the copies of everyone else... then turns and fires off a few fireballs towards the NozoTAIGA combo! "How dare you imitate my lovely, wonderful husband! You cannot imitate that perfection!" 

:'''{{#var:391|Reina Kinney (391)}} has posed:''' By the time Reina's gotten close to her allies (and those who aren't exactly allies but fighting for the same cause) she comes to see that the ghost problem has gotten worse already. Not only has the ghost split into multiples, but it appears that it's playing a game of Doppelganger (if you want to call it a game.) And even Reina herself isn't immune from this. When Reina gets a look at her doppelganger, she snaps her fingers and her pistols materialize in her hands. Whether or not her doppelganger does the same is irrelevant, because Reina's used to many different fighting challenges, and this is just one of many. "I can't think of a good one liner for this one," Reina says as she attempts to fire a pair of shots at her doppelganger, aiming for the legs in hopes of rendering the doppelganger incapacitated for the time being. 

:'''{{#var:973|Silica (973)}} has posed:'''     Silica's eyes go wide. Ears pinning down to her head as the echos amplify. Eyes squeeze shut at that point, and only open after the dopplegangers have all arrived. "They're... everywhere." She looks at the one imitating her, ears pinning down and tail poofing out in aggitation and distress. She reaches for her dagger and points her pets at her own copy. They take the cue to 'Release' without being spoken to.     Now, problem with a sound-using monster... she /has/ to speak the Words of Power to cast anything, so she's stuck using her dagger and swordskills. 

:'''{{#var:1132|Kyoko Takada (1132)}} has posed:'''     Well, that was dramatic. Kyoko's not so sure that a loud speech is the best thing to do in front of a monster crafted from superstitions over echoes. An apparently real monster, even. "Aren't those supposed to look like dogs? Well, whatever. All the more reason to not get close."     TIGER transforms, but Kyoko isn't focusing her attention that way, anymore, and they're far enough apart that she only gets a vague sense of what's happening afterward. It's not until she finds herself face-to-face with her mirror image--or her echo, supposedly--that she returns her connection to the more robotic (or robo-suited) members of the party. In fact, she's all but ignoring the youkai taking her form. What's it going to do, slap her? She's an office lady. She doesn't even carry a taser.     What she can do, moving toward the congregation of chaos, is send out a feeler for the connection to TIGER and Reinhardt's tactical read-outs. While her connection starts out a magical one, it's not different from so much EM by the time it reaches them. The displays before her, floating along as she walks, shift rapidly, her eyes flicking from one to another, handling the customary handshaking protocols, reading through the information sent back, dumping it into a converter that forms a floating, non-physical component in the machine she's constructing out of her will magically impressed upon the world. All of that done, she sets to work.     The high-energy scanning resumes, rapid pings that take in both apparent figures of TIGER and of Reinhardt, finding far finer detail than she could of purely magical phenomena. Power distribution predicts immediate motion. Mechanical detail allows the instant construction of movement models. A ready-made database provides some cross-referencing for martial techniques based on body type. The end result is a predictive algorithm that can, when at its best, inform her allies what the scanned subjects will do before they've even made the decision to move, all sent to whoever here has the equipment to take the data. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     Lexicon pauses when she hears her own words parroted back at her, red eyes skimming the street, "I think that'll have to wait." When the youkai erupt and start changing their appearances, she shields her face, "--Grh..!" Arm lowering, red eyes dart from creature to creature, a tense frown on her face, "Oh damnit... Whack a mole, except when I miss I clobber a friend instead."     At least nobody down there looks like her. At least not that she's noticed, since she was airborne when they started duplicating whoever was close enough to reflect. With a frown, she floats sideways, 'dragging' her axe behind her as she maneuvers, trying to gauge the situation before she commits to an action. She doesn't want to do something she'll regret pretty much immediately.     Then again, focused on the street below, she's not paying much attention to the air around her. These things don't copy powers too, right? 

:'''{{#var:19|Maya (19)}} has posed:''' Now things start getting nuts as Silver Soul words are heard. she sees it mimicing people and she now moves in even as Yomi covers her hears? Maya's forced to do the same, she does't have the ear plugs she used in a similar situation so very long ago. She covers her ears. She holds back and is trying to take a moment to deal witht the sonic attack. It keeps comming over as more of the thigns appears. Maya soon finds she has a couple of clones staring right at her looking just like her sounding like her. "What kind of trick is this!" she calls otu as he pulls her hands off her ears and she now has no real way to tell who is friend and foe in this /mess/. Which was which? Maya now attempt to try something else. She'll move to try and flying tackle the cloest one all she can do without risk is target her own doppleganger. "I WILL NOT BE COPIED!" The other Maya shouts the same. "I WILL NOT BE COPPIED!" "YOU TRAMP! I AM MAYA!" "YOU TRAMP I AM MAYA!" It just goes on as the two fight it out. She could use a little bit of help here. 

:'''{{#var:705|Reiji Arisu (705)}} has posed:''' Well, this certainly escalated quickly. Certainly not an insurmountable one, though. Reiji wouldn't be a very good swordsman if he couldn't defeat himself in single combat. Though this is the first time in recent memory that he can remember being attacked by a perfect clone of himself. Strange, in the multiverse, you'd think that evil twins would be an almost biweekly threat. Still, Xiaomu seems to have taken the strategy right out of Reiji's mouth. The exorcist's lips remained sealed as he leaps backwards as Xiaomu vaults overtop of him. He pivots on the last step, turning and drawing in an... utterly invisible blade in a single, soundless strike. He anticipates the retaliation, darting back out of the way of his dance partner's counterstrike before scything in for another exchange. He knows Xiaomu's style better than any other. He's fought with her and against her countless times before, this is just another notch on that wall. The only difference is that this thing probably lacks her wit. Which is probably to his advantage, to be quite honest. 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' There is one problem with mixing it up: the Yamabiko seem to know who is attacking them. As soon as Nozomi dives toward the fake Tamamo, it flickers and changes to become her, bringing up an identical sword and meeting it in an exact mirror image. It slashes through, just as Nozomi did, and lands with an identical crack in the road, with its sword striking Nozomi and Taiga in exactly the same place it was hit. It seems to even work at range, as the Reiji copy shifts into Xiaomu, drawing the same guns and shooting with such an exact copy of movements that the bullets strike each other midair. Likewise, the Xiaomu one becomes a copy or Reiji as soon as it's attacked, and an identical blade meets halfway in between before it makes the same evasive action back away. "You cannot imitate that perfection!" yells another Yamabiko as it shifts from Nozomi to Tamamo, launching fireballs that streak past the incoming ones to fly straight toward Tamamo, even as the fox's blasts explode around it. "I can't think of a good one liner for this one," says the Reina copy, firing back at its originals legs. It falls to the ground as its hit, flickering slightly, but doesn't change form back. "They're... everywhere," says the copy of Silica, its tail poofing in the same way as it draws its dagger and executes an identical swordskill. Maya's copy leaps at her, colliding in midair. It's a mirror-image grapple, as it yells the exact same words back, making the exact same grabs. Those not attacking aren't left alone, either, though the copies don't attack directly. The copies of Reinhardt and Kyoko slowly move toward their originals, not even reaching out, just attempting to walk at them... or float, rather, as their footsteps make no sound. Even being in the air is not safe, as one of them floats upward, becoming a copy of Silver Soul, and makes that exact same frown right back at her. Kyoka's scan seems more effective on the Yamabiko not currently fighting, being able to easily track their movements. The ones that are engaged in combat have readings that flicker rapidly, changing in an instant as whoever is fighting them acts. It seems they operate much less on tactics and more on exact duplication of whatever is coming their way. "Don't let them touch you!" "Don't let them touch you!" Yomi's voice calls out in duplicate as she draws her sword, meeting her copy's blade exactly. "There's no way back if they possess you!" "There's no way back if they possess you!" A soft sigh comes from around the corner as a young woman steps out of an alleyway. She's dressed in a pink kimono, a white lily in her long silver hair, and holding a naginata. "Do not try to fight them singly. You will lose." "Do not try to fight them singly. You will lose." Even as a Yamabiko flickers into a copy of her, she speaks matter-of-factly, "It can only become one thing at a time. Team up on them!" As if to illustrate, she ignores her own duplicate and dashes for Yomi's, striking out with her naginata while it's still locked with Yomi's sword and skewering it through. "Mei!" Yomi's serious expression fades to a genuine smile as she sees the silver-haired woman, and she turns to slash at the duplicate following close behind. A second duplicate of Mei appears, and Yomi swings for it. As it begins to flicker forms, she calls out for her spirit guardian, "Ranguren!" Midway between shifting from Mei to Yomi, the Yamabiko is crushed beneath the giant paw of the Nue. 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     There is a moment, just a brief moment, where Nozomi turns to look at Caster.     In that moment, Caster will get to see Nozomi's face wearing a look that Nozomi's face should not wear. There is no gentleness. No timidity, no shyness. No borderline-sullen, 'I get nervous just having people look at me' quiet nature. There is only a cold, hard stare, the look of an anti-magical weapon without hesitation or remorse. Even Taiga doesn't get this deep into "eliminate the enemy" territory.     But there's only that brief heartbeat. Because Nozomi has more important matters to attend to. Matters like a replica of her own massive blade, slamming into the TIGER unit's shoulder, emitting a shower of yellow sparks as it bites in. Merciless yellow eyes meet their duplicates, flicking away only briefly when the newcomer gives them advice.     She promptly chooses to discard the advice.     There are things this creature can't replicate. Things that make the TIGER what it is. A constant suffusion of magic, empowering defensive enchantments, holding back that duplicate Zanbatou far better than simple armor. Infusing the sword, allowing it to cut through defenses both natural and supernatural. And sheer, brute strength, empowered by a core that no longer has to support Taiga's cognitive functions. It - SHE - is a weapon designed to fight exactly the kind of thing in front of her. And if all it can do is replicate her appearance and try to turn her sounds back around on her, it's in for a rude awakening.     One black-armored gauntlet comes up. Nozomi grabs the fake EM Zanbatou by the blade, holding it back, adding her gauntlet's armor and her own strength to the armor on her shoulder. The other hand tenses on the true Zanbatou... and begins to push down, with all her might. After a half-second, the jets on the weapon kick on, adding force to her swing far beyond even the TIGER's inhuman might. She's going to come out of this injured - hell, she's already injured. But she's banking on her armor and blade's anti-supernatural traits to guarantee that her fake will fold and be cleaved apart, long before she will. 

:'''{{#var:973|Silica (973)}} has posed:'''     Silica grunts softly as her sword skill strikes against the dopplegangers. She falls into a blade lock with the youkai... but it works to her advantage, as Pina and Hibiki descend on the fake, spraying it with high pressure bursts of water and compressed wind-elemental needles from the pair respectively. Magenta eyes bore into the copy's own, and she finally shoves back to break the lock, and skids back a few feet.     One of her ears pans back to listen to the new arrival, and she turns to flee, moving to help Kyoko and Reinhardt with their dopplegangers. Pina and Hibiki rejoining her after they finish their attack animations. Silica leaps, and charges her signature Glacier Slash sword skill, ice crystals following her blade as she aims to jam it into the back of the Fake Reinhardt.... at least she hopes it's the fake. 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     Reinhardt squares up as his doppleganger approaches himself and Kyoko, "GET BEHIND ME!" He roars loudly, as he narrows his eye and charges with hammer in hands. "RAAAAGH! COME AT ME...ME!" He slams onto his fake self like a linebacker, his hammer swinging wide to slam the other him away with meteoric force. Long as he can keep the other him on the ropes, that'll mean much, much less collateral damage present. That poor train full of innocents would be such a bad target to hit. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Xiaomu *was* admittedly wondering if the yamabiko might do something like that ... but it was worth a try, and the way they shoot down each other's bullets is actually pretty impressive. Rather than busting out the bigger guns, though (or rather, grenades), Xiaomu leaps back to where Reiji is fighting Reiji, forming up by her partner's side - after making sure which of them is the right one, of course. "That's no fair, they even *smell* the same," she grumbles as she puts an initial bullet into the duplicate. She's pretty sure she's shooting the duplicate, anyway. That niggling little doubt is why she makes her first shot one that won't necessarily be debilitating. But you don't live and fight alongside somebody for ten years and NOT develop some kind of attunement that even a yamabiko can't copy. "Thanks for waiting, you ready to do this?" she asks, as chipper as ever. She is *not* planning on a full-tilt Shinra Bansho, they may need their trump card for the original. But if Reiji's ready, Xiaomu takes the lead by drawing Suiren from her staff and executing an ice-laden slash at the yamabiko. 

:'''{{#var:1132|Kyoko Takada (1132)}} has posed:'''     "Dammit." So much for that. Kyoko gives a sigh, keeping away from the spirit as instructed, but not really able to do anything about it. But if it's just a totally unthinking, instant duplication of whatever comes at it, that makes the real solution here so simple it's painful.     "No, really, this is going to be painful just to watch. I never liked splatter films."     Somewhere on the ground, she'll find a few rocks. She picks them up as she keeps moving, and tosses one each at the fighting robots, as hard as she can. Reinhardt's the closest to her, but she'll get TIGER if she can, too. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     "Oh, damnit," Silver Soul remarks when one of the creatures notices and then starts imitating her.     "Oh, damnit," the duplicate Silver Soul replies.     She hefts her axe, floating backwards while evaluating how to deal with this problem. If it really is copying all of her abilities and actions, though... "That's it." Manipulating the pursuit, Silver Soul backs herself up against a building while giving Yamabiko Silver Soul nothing but open space to maneuver through... and then grabs on to a windowsill. In a flash of pixellated light, dispersing, she dismisses her transformed state. Which, if she's calculating it right, should leave the opposing Duplicate Lexicon in the same state.     With nothing to hold on to.     And no longer having an ability to fly. 

:'''{{#var:391|Reina Kinney (391)}} has posed:''' Fortunately, Reina was expecting to be shot at, and as her doppelganger falls to the ground, she jumps out of the way to avoid being hit by her own shots... or something like that? "I've heard of talking to yourself, but fighting with yourself?" Reina says as she doesn't wait for her doppelganger to get back up. Instead, she fires another pair of shots, hoping to keep her clone on the ground. Namely because she can't stand people who copy her. 

:'''{{#var:705|Reiji Arisu (705)}} has posed:''' Well, that's an unfortunate little quirk. Reiji doesn't reply to his partner with words, but with a nod of the head. It makes sense- these things can't deal with two attackers simultaneously. Almost like an interference pattern in the waveform, but that may be overthinking it. More to the point, while these things might be able to copy their moves perfectly, it can't copy positioning or camaraderie. Or, more importantly, two things at once. Xiaomu strikes at his copy and he joins her assault. If she strikes with Suiren, then his copy is almost sure to deflect with Chirai. If it turns into her, then it would deflect with Suiren. In both cases, the solution is a shotgun. Wood splits Earth and is fed by Water. Simultaneously, he turns to fight the copy that almost assuredly came to pursue his partner. This time, he counters with a katana, its blade burning brilliantly. Flame might meet flame, or lightning, or anything else. But no matter what it strikes, Xiaomu can follow up on it. This... is the power of the <Twin Unit> 

:'''{{#var:19|Maya (19)}} has posed:''' Maya slams into her own compuy hard she falls ot the ground dazed shaking her head as she tries to get up. Her clone does the same, rises in the same way looing to be in the same amount of pain. She hears the wanting to not get up close again. She also heas to team up and calls out. "I could use a little help here!" "I could use a little help here!" Maya looks to Xiamou and Reiji amd figures why not mke it. Runner is lost dealing with their own clones. The Shinja Agents would find Maya turning around with her rifle and joining the attack follow up the combo tech with a hail of gunfire the second she's got an opening though this leave her open to her own clone whose likely sneaking up on her. 

:'''{{#var:1106|Tamamo no Mae (1106)}} has posed:'''     Tamamo's look at Rampart Nozomi... allows the fake Tamamo's own fireballs to crash right down on top of her, sending her flying into the air! That was a look she wasn't ever going to forget, that cold... kill everything magical stare. If there was a feeling that Tamamo felt from seeing that, it would be easy to describe it.     It scared Tamamo.     With the mouse doing her thing... and her ears picking up on the tip, Tamamo recovers from her mid air ponderings to face the fake Rampart Nozomi... "You... will not live." she comments... kissing her ring... activating her own transformation into the Moon Crux form... and raining down icicles onto the Rampart Nozomi! 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' Perhaps the least satisfying thing about destroying the Yamabiko is that they don't yell or cry out or make any expressions as they're attacked, only mirroring the face of the person in front of them. As each is destroyed, it simply... dissipates away into smoke. At least there's no blood. The Yamabiko fighting Silica is alone, therefore has no adorable pet helpers. Even as it remains locked blade to blade with the cait sith, the combination of Hibiki and Pina are able to fill it with enough holes to destroy it. Reinhardy's copy springs into action at the same moment as he does. "RAAAGH! COME AT ME...ME!" Hammers clash with amazing force, sending a shockwave out in every direction. But it does keep the massive copy locked in place as Kyoko's rocks impact against its armor, drawing its attention. The yamabiko's form flickers, shifting partly to Kyoko before reverting back to Reinhardt... but even that moment is enough for the overbearing force from the large knight to smash it backwards before it can recover, just as Silica's ice blade skewers it through. The copy of Silver Soul follows after, keeping its axe similarly on its shoulder, and pauses as she does, staring straight back. When Silver Soul reverts to Lexicon, it stares at her for a split second... before it even realizes it's already falling. No cartoon physics here! While the Yamabiko can fly on its own, it's still in Lexicon's form as it plummets, flickering shape to change, but not fast enough before it impacts the ground with a heavy thump. With Reiji and Xiaomu fighting side by side, their respective yamabikos are hit by the opposite attack. Maya's approach casues them to flicker as well, and all three of the yamabiko fall to a variety of crossfire. The yamabiko copying Nozomi clashes blades,,, or, well... tries. While it's copying Nozomi's movements exactly, it's unable to match the pure force of something that was made specifically to destroy youkai. Its copy of the sword shatters, unable to match euivalent power, and as it begins to flicker back to its base form, the yamabiko seems to be missing an arm and an antler. It flickers again, beginning to change, when Tamamo's shower of icicles skewers it. Reina's duplicate matches her own quick recovery, jumping back... though being hit by the first series of shots seems to have slowed its reaction time. Several more bullets catch it, and, despite its spirit form, it seems to have several holes in it as it flickers back to its natural shape. It's not yet dead, but it drags itself, rather than floating, as it tries to regroup with the one Kyoko clone left. The two reach out for each other... and the Kyoka Yamabiko slashes its hand through the injured one, ripping it apart and absorbing the wisps through its hands. It slowly lifts its head, and... Well, one Yamabiko against twelve opponents (plus several support creatures) has no chance at all. Its shape flickers rapidly, image changing from one to another with less than the blink of an eye in between each transformation. The color drains out of it, and it rushes toward Kyoko, the closest person, shifting back to its base form as it finds itself unable to focus on any one echo. 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     Reinhardt does a little wrestle with himself, basically. They exchange blows, mostly tackling each other as they grapple and punch and hammer each other, delivering damage to each other that lingers still. Reinhardt knocks the dopple away, and SIlica finishes the rest. "Nice one!" He gives her a friendly thumbs up before he looks to see the other Yamabikos fall one by one, until the last one makes a move for Kyoko.     He knows Kyoko isn't much of a fighter by comparison, which is enough for him to get into protective mode quickly, his rockets propelling him towards the Yamabiko with the force of a semi-truck. "INCOMINNNNNNNNNNG!" He bellows. 

:'''{{#var:1132|Kyoko Takada (1132)}} has posed:'''     Well, that works, as far as it went. Kyoko backs off again, trying to not get caught... but she's not even all that athletic, so if a normal person can't keep away from it at a jog, this isn't going to end well. Fortunately, Reinhardt is right there. The OL pretty much just stumbles a bit and backs off. "I'll be leaving it to you, Mr. Power-Armor." 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     Her duplicate proves... unworthy. Nozomi pushes her blade into her opponent as hard as she can - until a blast of ice from Tamamo erases it entirely. She takes a step back, shifting the EM Zanbatou up onto her right shoulder, and giving her left an experimental roll, only to wince faintly in pain. She may have been the stronger, but she didn't get out of a brute-force contest like that unscathed.     But it's not enough to hinder her at the moment. So, instead, the armored girl turns, with a heavy clunk of armored bootfalls. She turns, to look at Tamamo, with those cold, golden eyes. No words are spoken, and her expression remains as hard as stone, but looking at the Servant, Nozomi's eyes aren't... hostile. There's no killing intent there. And indeed, after a second or two, there's just the barest, faintest hint of concern; she takes a step or two forward, looking Caster over for any visible signs of injury. Frown.     At least she still seems to recognize her allies. Even if she looks at them with eyes that could stare a hole in a concrete block. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     Hanging from a windowsill, Lexicon watches her duplicate plummet to the street. Lifting her free hand, holding her hammer, she tips her brow with a finger, "Better practice your landings, pal." Blue eyes wander to the remaining activity, as various Yamabiko have already been contended with. "Cyber Knight!" Yeah she never caught his name, "Shield up!"     She'd seen him project that energy shield earlier, and now she intends to use it to defeat the youkai. Releasing the windowsill, she swings her hammer behind herself with both hands as she drops, "Haaah!"     She'd timed her release to reach the monster the same time as Reinhardt, and as she approaches she throws her entire body into the swing, bringing her hammer around in an arc in the opposite direction that the burly German is charging, "EIN SCHLAG!" 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Xiaomu glances around briefly after the three yamabiko coming after her, Reiji, and Maya have all been disposed of. One is going after Kyoko ... but Reinhardt interposes himself with authority, and Xiaomu's too far away to do THAT much to help him out. She could probably squeeze off a shot or two, but she doesn't want to risk hitting an ally by accident - And even as she's thinking that, Lexicon (who was closer to start with) is already bringing her hammer to bear, with Reinhardt as the anvil and the yamabiko as little more than red-hot steel to be bent into new, interesting, and physically improbable shapes between the two of them. Now she wishes she had some fried tofu. She didn't have time to grab any snacks when that clal for help came through. 

:'''{{#var:391|Reina Kinney (391)}} has posed:''' No more Clone Reina? Good, that's all Reina needs to know. Still, she's got her pistols on the ready just in case something goes wrong with Lexicon and Reinhardt's plans to finish that final yamabiko off. "Next time I want someone to look just like me is if they're my stunt double." She hmmphs. "Not that I plan on making any movies anytime soon..." 

:'''{{#var:705|Reiji Arisu (705)}} has posed:''' "Hm." Reiji finally makes a sound, but only now after not one but three doppelgangers have been fatally extinguished. "Xiaomu," he says, "You sure we shouldn't apprehend that thing?" Well. It's probably too late now. He shrugs and digs around in his jacket before finally extracting... A pack of cigarettes? No! He thinks it is, but it's not. It's instead... A pack of fried tofu. "..." Reiji stares at Xiaomu for a very long moment. Damnit, Fox. 

:'''{{#var:1106|Tamamo no Mae (1106)}} has posed:'''     Tamamo lands right behind NOzomi after her ice blast... her Moon Crux staying as she looks over the metal armored Nozomi before her, the wince is noticed and she makes a step forward only for the armored girl to turn around, the Caster backing up slightly as she looks at that hard expression, those eyes... at least there's no hostility there. That she can see. The caster does look injured but, nothing she can't handle...     There's a small step back as Rampart Nozomi steps forward, giving the Castera light pout... "Nozomi...?" she whispers, "Husband? A... are you in there?", though she sees the concern upon the face, it's small but it's there. There's a frown, a pout... then her face trembles. "Master...?" she flings herself into her armored arms, "Please tell me you're all there!" burying her face into the armored mouse's neck, her own Moon Crux dissapearing, the Mirror dissapears... "This... this form is scary, my dear husband. Please, speak to me..." 

:'''{{#var:19|Maya (19)}} has posed:''' Maya with help from Reiji and Xiaomu her clone also perished in the storm of attacks. With the Nega Maya gone she looks around for a moment to see that her twin has winked out. It looks like others gone save one. Thankfully Reinhardt is there like a Underlost slamming into it or about to. She shakes her head a bit now and sees that LExicon is getting into finishing off the last one. She also looks to Reiji and Xiaomu. "I think our friends have that handled..." 

:'''{{#var:1098|Yomi Isayama (1098)}} has posed:''' It's a sad state of affairs that the base form Yamabiko echoes Reinhardt's yell of 'INCOMING!' and Lexicon's 'EIN SCHLAG!' exactly before it gets smashed in between the charging energy shield and the oversized hammer, dissipating into nothingness. Any further scans will show that there don't seem to be any more of the youkai left in the area. "Good job," says the silver-haired woman softly as she lowers her naginata, stepping closer to Yomi. "Some of you have promise as hunters, and I can tell that a few are experienced." She glances briefly toward Kyoko, inclining her head in acknowledgement. "And your plan was sound for someone not able to fight." Her glance falls briefly on Nozomi, regarding the armored girl curiously. "Thank you all for coming to help. A single Yamabiko isn't much of a threat when confronted as a group," explains Yomi, looking at where the last one used to be. "...which is why they never travel alone. You should have known that, Yomi. Even so..." Mei's voice is soft, but stern. She reaches a hand toward Ranguren, lightly petting his mane. "Between you and Ranguren, you should have been able to handle them all without help, and with less damage to the area." Mei looks away from Yomi, focusing on the Nue. "The sacred beast passed down the Isayama family line... His great power, used by an exorcist without flawless focus... is wasted." She focuses back on Yomi, locking eyes. "Just because you were adopted into the main family does not mean you are qualified to inherit it." As Mei turns away, she flicks her naginata to the side. The blade retracts, and a parasol unfolds from the end. "Thank you all for taking care of Yomi. Good day to you." As Mei walks off, Yomi can only hang her head. She slowly sheathes her sword, and Ranguren fades back out of existance. There is nothing she can argue against that. "Ah... as Mei said. Thank you all for coming to help me." 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Xiaomu grins lazily at her partner as he discovers the fried tofu she swapped for his cigarettes. "If you don't want any of it, I could stand a snack ... ah, Tamamo, you hungry or .... okay, disrtacted, that's okay too." She doesn't seem aggrieved about Tamamo's presence, which may be a relief given their previous encounters. She's also not going to barge in on a lovebird moment. 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     Nozomi's yellow eyes meet Mei's gaze. Where Caster at least received the barest, faintest hints of concern, a show of recognition, all the silver-haired woman receives is a cold, hard stare.     Her attention does return to Tamamo, though, when the fox clings to her - there's a hint of wide-eyed surprise, followed by her left hand coming up to gently, carefully urge Tamamo to stand back a pace or two. It does, at least come with a simple nod of acknowledgement, though. A wordless 'I hear you.'     However, she gave herself an arm's length of distance from Caster for a reason, and that reason quickly becomes apparent. The TIGER announces in that cold, machine tone again, "Disengaging Rampart Mode. Rerouting Gensou Engine power to cognitive functionality. Independent Mode engaged." And then the armor seems to... blossom. It unfolds, opens outward, allowing Nozomi to step out. The black undersuit dissolves away, leaving behind her street clothes, while the black color in her hair fades away to the girl's usual brown. It's only when that yellow fades from her eyes, though, that 'Nozomi Houken' reasserts herself.     The change is noticeable. Her expression goes from 'hardened' to 'quietly disturbed' in an instant, the girl dropping to both knees and shivering. Then there's a hiss of pain - her shoulder is still injured, and her left hand didn't get out of that clash unscathed either. There's a big welt across the palm. "Nnh... C-caster, are... are you... alright...?" 

:'''{{#var:1106|Tamamo no Mae (1106)}} has posed:'''     Tamamo's ears perk up to Xiaomu's comment, but with everything she has in front of her... it goes at least recognized. The motion to push Caster away, though, has her let go with a sulking face... "Husband?" then the nod and she brightens up slightly. She watches, listening to TIGER... "Rampart... mode?"     There's many words that are spouted by TIGER that just enter one fluffy ear and leave the other, just watching the armor blossom and then let her Husband go... to which once the expression comes back to being disturbed... and the knee drop, Caster is immediately there upon her Husband, kissing that cheek rapidly, "You worried me, Master! Y.. .you wouldn't speak to me... or acknowledge me... I was afraid I lost you to that sentient robo cat..."     There's a small tear that drops from eye to hand... before she hoists Nozomi up... and swipes her hand to open that rice paper door that suddenly appears... She turns to Yomi... "Tell my boss I'm going on vacation. I need to tend to my Master." and with that, she moves inside, the door shutting and soon, it poofs. 
}}

3097/Of Kings and Grails

2015-09-27T04:54:51Z

Parasaurolophus: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2015/09/26 |Location=Dun Realtai |Synopsis=Saber of Silver comes to talk to her fellow Saber about some concerns she's had of late. |Thanks= |Cast ..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2015/09/26
|Location=Dun Realtai
|Synopsis=Saber of Silver comes to talk to her fellow Saber about some concerns she's had of late.
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=227, 346
|Tinyplot=
|Tinyplot2=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:227|Saber of Silver (227)}} has posed:''' While it came seemingly out of the blue, there wasn't anything terribly out of the ordinary about the request that the silver-haired Saber had made earlier. It wouldn't be the first time she'd asked to meet with Saber to talk, and it (hopefully!) won't be the last. She is somewhat nervous, though, her mind going over and over several matters which have been brought to her attention over the past few weeks. Nothing too terrible, though she does seem distracted and a bit lost in thought as she approaches Dun Realtai. Upon seeing the lord of the realm, she offers a soft smile and a polite bow. "Saber. It's good to see you again. Thank you for letting me come by." 

:'''{{#var:346|Saber (346)}} has posed:'''      While it was somewhat unexpected, it was simply due to the fact that the King of Knights had not heard from the mysterious fellow Saber. Dun Realtai was a known neutral ground and safe haven for any who would submit to the laws of hospitality. Apparently, many thought such laws were not a lot to ask, and even those of the Confederacy or no affiliation at all have been guests of the present caretakers at some point or another. Naturally, most Unionites had open invitations, and Saber had met the other Servant previously with no reason to suspect trouble.      The petite knight received her guest in the Great Hall of the keep, dressed modestly in a blue sweater and jeans with cuffs extending over low boots, her hair bound in a high ponytail. Apparently, she had been working on some task or other. Returning the bow, her smile was faint, even perhaps slightly chagrined. "Greetings, Saber. I apologise for receiving you as I am...the preparations for winter continue, even if there is not the urgency of the previous year."      One of the castle's servants had brought a kettle of green tea, as well as a tray with bread, cheese, butter, and biscuits, setting it down on a low table by the hearth, where there were several chairs upholstered in damask fabric. Saber waited for her guest to be seated before seating herself. "What can I do for you?" 

:'''{{#var:227|Saber of Silver (227)}} has posed:''' On the other hand, the silver-haired Saber is dressed in her kimono as usual. Despite the autumn arriving, she seems to be not bothered at all by the cooler weather. "Oh! No, no need to apologize, Saber. I was the one who called out of the blue asking to talk..." She glances at her fellow Saber for a moment before her gaze darts away, then finally looks back again. The arrival of tea and food, especially tea, is welcome, though. Once the chair is offered, she sits down and lifts a cup of tea, taking a moment to slowly sip at it. She can't really stall for long, though, and finally lowers the teacup. "Saber, I feel that there may be some confusion. You were brought up recently on the Union frequencies..." She pauses and offers a faint smile. "Nothing bad, of course. Berserker was saying how brave you were in Paragon City. But..." Head tilted slightly, Saber gives the blonde Servant an earnest look. "English is not my first language, even though being summoned as a Servant has given me the opportunity to understand, and I know the frequencies are translated. But... how to put this...." Green eyes shift away briefly in thought. "I believe the wrong pronoun has been applied to you." 

:'''{{#var:346|Saber (346)}} has posed:'''      Cold might not have bothered her the same way it did normal human beings, but one might get the feeling that she did have a liking for warmth. "Not at all. Dun Realtai is open to all, in accordance with chivalry as well as our ancient laws. Anyone may simply 'drop by'...it is simply that some preparation is necessary for some accommodations."      Though puzzled by the other Saber's apparent discomfiture, the King of Knights politely made no note of it. But as she worked though attempting to build up her courage to ask her question, the flaxen-haired swordswoman tilted her head slightly. She wanted to ask about something, but for some reason she was reluctant to approach he subject.      Saber waited, however, until she finally got to what she had wanted to ask. It seemed an odd thing to her to be reluctant about....but then again, for some it seemed a faux pas to ask what gender a person is. "You mean they referred to me by a feminine pronoun? No, it is correct. I am, in truth, a woman." 

:'''{{#var:227|Saber of Silver (227)}} has posed:''' This is a serious matter, or at least the silver-haired visitor seems to think it is. While she's quite glad that she's been so welcomed, this matter has bothered her over the past few days. Perhaps she misheard? But no, it was repeated enough times that she was certain of the words that were being spoken. And then the blonde swordswoman herself confirms it. "...I see." Green eyes fall slightly, and she takes a moment to compose herself by taking another sip of tea. "It seems, then, that I am the one who has been mistaken. You were so gallant when I first met you, that I assumed..." Eyes close briefly, and she shakes her head. Leaning forward, she sets her teacup on the table, then bows low. "I must apologize for mistaking you then, Saber. I meant no slight." 

:'''{{#var:346|Saber (346)}} has posed:'''      Arturia had to admit some confusion. It wasn't embarrassment she read in the silver-haired Servant's expression, it was...disappointment? It seemed an odd thing to her, but then again, she had remained ignorant of what the other's intention really was. Mostly, it was on account of her own blindness regarding certain effects on people. She could be inspiring when she attempted to be, or even hero-worshipped. But she had never thought of herself as desirable from a romantic perspective.      "There was no slight," she reassured the other Saber. "In truth, history /does/ know me as a man. That is because, in my era, the people would have not accepted a woman as their ruler...or so my father believed." Her way of regarding Uther, the Saber of Silver might have noticed. was rather distant, as if she was speaking of an ancestor rather than her biological father. "Regardless of whether he was right or wrong, when I accepted my role, I disguised myself as a man to do so. Only my tutor and a handful of my knights knew the truth." 

:'''{{#var:227|Saber of Silver (227)}} has posed:''' There was definitely embarrassment there, but there was no small amount of disappointment. The silver-haired Saber tries her best not to let it show, but getting this confirmed was, perhaps, a bit harder on her than she expected. "Still... I apologize. I have seen you as you are now and was blinded by..." There's a faint blush to her cheeks, and she shakes her head again, sitting straight. "I.. I do understand the burden of royalty." While she's never divulged details, she has told her fellow Saber that she was a royal princess in her life. That's more than she's told most, even now. "Then perhaps I was mistaken about Sir Bedivere's relationship to you as well," she says softly, though doesn't dwell on that. "I would... still look forward to the day when I am able to introduce myself properly, with my real name." As subject changes go, that one was about as smooth as gravel, but she's still a bit flustered. 

:'''{{#var:346|Saber (346)}} has posed:'''      It was never easy to let someone down, particularly with the sort of regard the Saber of Silver held. No amount of reassurances or kind words could truly lessen the blow; only the passage of time would do that. It was especially problematic because much of her gallantry and noble bearing had been deliberate. She could not have been the ideal king she had tried to become with anything less. Moreover, the code of chivalry was likewise intended to inspire and treat everyone with proper respect. It had not surprised her that many Knights of the Round Table had been sought after by a great many women, who were treated as if they were goddesses...though some of them apparently /were/.      "I accept your apology, though I assure you that is is not necessary. You have conducted yourself with elegance and dignity, most befitting a lady of your status." Saber was only trying to be polite, but she was probably not helping matters.      She lets the matter of Bedivere go, likely having already guessed their relationship. And even if not, it would likely become quite clear soon. "I look forward to it," she replied with a smile. "I am rather...reticent myself with regards to my own identity, though perhaps it is not quite as necessary now as it was during my War." 

:'''{{#var:227|Saber of Silver (227)}} has posed:''' Being polite and gentlemanly and complimenting her like that certainly is not making things any easier for the silver-haired Saber to handle all this. Now that she knows the truth, however, she very, very carefully puts the blonde Saber's words through a mental filter. ....it still doesn't help much, granted, but it does help her come to an understanding. A bit. "Ah.. th.. thank you, Saber. I could not disgrace my station, or my country." Whatever country that is. Though if Saber has ever seen this one fighting, it would not be at all hard to know she's Japanese. You know, if the kimono didn't give it away. "Might I ask you a question about your War?" Saber seems a little hesitent, but lifts her head slightly to focus her gaze on her blonde counterpart. "Not the Grail War itself, rather, but what it feels like after the War is over. You see... I am uncertain what will happen to me should I win the War and gain my wish. My heart's wish..." Her gaze falls slightly. "I suppose it could be granted either here or in my life in the past. I'm not sure what it will be like after the War is over, though." 

:'''{{#var:346|Saber (346)}} has posed:'''      The matter of her identity was one Arturia could understand, though the other's reticence on other matters was a little peculiar. On the other hand, she was in no position at all to question or criticise, given how nearly-paranoid she had been over everything shortly after her Unification. Only in time might the kimono-clad Saber open up enough to speak of her country and her legend.      The jade-eyed knight sat back in her chair a little, closing those eyes in contemplation. "I had not had a great deal of time to contemplate it before my version of the world Unified," she explained. "It was so sudden...just as I was about to disappear, hovering between the end of the War and my return to my own time, it Unified. Suddenly, I had no Holy Grail, no Master, and no way to attain my wish. Yet, Archer had somehow Unified some time before I had...or perhaps he was from an alternate version. Whatever the case had been, he had been causing considerable havoc throughout the multiverse, and my purpose had become stopping him."      Saber shifted slightly in her seat, opening her eyes. However, they seemed immersed in thought. "I had not given up my wish, though I believed that there might be better ways to achieve it than through the Holy Grail. Yet, I had contracted with a new Master for the purpose of fighting Gilgamesh, and by the time we had dealt with him, she had become a close friend. I found that I could not achieve my wish without affecting her, and I found that unacceptable. Therefore, I relinquished my wish and dedicated myself to the Union."      That was not all of her story, but she paused to allow the other Saber to take it in. 

:'''{{#var:227|Saber of Silver (227)}} has posed:''' As the story of the blonde Saber's Grail War is told, the kimono-clad Saber listens on with wide eyes. "So somehow, two Servants survived from your War... It sounds like he's a rather powerful Archer, as well." Saber looks thoughtful for a moment. "I'm.. sorry, it must have been hard, though. My world's Holy Grail is still active, though the War is only really just beginning." Lips purse together silently as she gives a brief nod. "I would expect nothing less from a gallant king such as yourself. Truth be told, my own wish is a selfish one, but one I yearn for with all my heart..." She brings a hand to her chest and closes her eyes. "It would be all talk to say I would do the same as you, but I pray the decision will never be mine to make. I want to say I would choose my Master over myself, but..." A flush of embarrassment crosses her cheeks as she glances aside. "I am not used to that sort of disappointment. I worry I may make the wrong decision rashly. So I hope it will never come to that." 

:'''{{#var:346|Saber (346)}} has posed:'''      Saber shook her head. "In truth, neither of us truly did win the War," she admitted. "My Master was, while his goals themselves were noble, fought in questionable ways. He killed Archer's Master before using his last command seals to order me to destroy the Holy Grail. It had somehow become corrupted during the course of a previous War, which was why my Master ordered me to destroy it, but somehow Archer was able to endure the curse. It gave him a true body, permitting him to act without a Master. Once he had Unified, he began a mad quest in search of me, as well as an alternate form of the Grail."      The King of Knights sighed softly. "I was told once that the nature of wishes itself is selfish," she admitted slowly. "Mine might have been noble to some, it was nevertheless something that I was willing to sacrifice anything for. Though I believed the world would be better -- including the future -- had I been able to save Britain, the present as it is would change...which would upset the lives of those in it." 

:'''{{#var:227|Saber of Silver (227)}} has posed:''' "A Holy Grail War with no winner... That sounds terrible.." A moment after she said it, the silver-haired Saber quickly brings a hand up to cover her mouth. "Oh! I'm sorry, Saber. I didn't mean... I'm sure it was a difficult time." Green eyes cast downward, and the corners of her lips tug into a slight frown. "But for the Grail to be corrupted... and then destroyed.." She slowly shakes her head... then widens her eyes slightly. "That wish... somehow suits you. Mine would be far more selfish, I'm afraid. There's something I want... that I need." She bites her lip gently. "But my wish can't compare to what you were fighting for." 

:'''{{#var:346|Saber (346)}} has posed:'''      Shaking her head slightly, the flaxen-haired Saber smiled slightly. "What is done is done," she reassures the other Saber. "And it /was/ irredeemably tainted with all of humanity's sins. I daresay that, as insufferable and barbaric as he is, perhaps the King of Heroes was correct in that only he was able to bear such a burden. Even then, he was not completely unaffected. It was better that it was destroyed; any wish granted by it would have been similarly tainted."      The corner of her mouth quirked slightly. "I suppose that my true regret was that my Master had told me of what had become of it. He had somehow learned of the truth of the Grail, but he did not trust me to do what was right had I known. Or perhaps he had felt there was no time to do so."      The King of Knights shook her head. "Ultimately, all wishes supposedly are, even mine. My wish now is most certainly selfish, as there might be those among my knights who have no wish for reconciliation, or to come here and help to make something that, while not a utopia, is as close to our dream as possible. I have no need of the Grail for that...especially since I have no wish for them to appear as Servants who might otherwise be fighting each other for it." 

:'''{{#var:227|Saber of Silver (227)}} has posed:''' The story of the Grail being tainted draws a shudder from the silver-haired Saber. "I wonder how it could have become tainted..." Her Grail, as far as she knows, isn't like that. Perhaps it's just that one world? There are lots of different Holy Grail Wars that she's encountered in the multiverse, and she hasn't even looked very far yet! "Ah... it must hurt, knowing your Master didn't trust you." She tilts her head slightly, an amused smile playing at her lips, "I think my Master looks up to me, much as I've tried to dissuade that. Perhaps because she's younger than I am." And Saber looks young as is! Not too much different from the blonde Saber's apparent age. "I suppose you're right. But I can't give up on mine. It's a fate that I intend to fight..." She looks very determined briefly, then shifts to a more embarrassed look. "Ah... sorry, Saber. I get a bit passionate when I think about it." 

:'''{{#var:346|Saber (346)}} has posed:'''      The question drew a soft sigh from the blonde Servant. "None have been able to discern a cause," she admitted. "My previous Master -- the one after my first Master who has become a dear friend to me -- had told me of what ultimately became of the Holy Grail. I had not, in fact, destroyed it...at least, not in her version of our world. Yet, even its partial destruction had caused a terrible fire in the immediate area and claimed many lives...it would seem that the Grail in her world had been tainted, as well.      She shook her head slightly. "However, there are other versions of our world, other Wars in which the Grail had not become tainted. It is unfortunate, but it would appear that there is no way to know until the Grail itself begins to manifest."      With a slight tilt of her head, Arturia offered the other Saber her version of a shrug, closing her eyes. "I have met him since...a different version of my Master, to be sure, but I believe we have something of an understanding now. I have agreed to help him destroy his version of the Grail, on the condition that it be done safely."      Her eyes opened as she regarded her fellow Servant with a hooded expression. "It is all right. In spite of all I have lived through, I do not believe that it is wrong to fight one's fate. I think that I shall always reject the idea that we must passively accept what is supposedly pre-ordained. Only the Lord God can know that...I do not believe in such things as decided futures."      Sea-green eyes drifted away as she turned her face to allow her gaze to sweep the hall. "Perhaps there was nothing which could have been done to save my kingdom, but I do not believe fate had a hand in that. But more importantly, I would not be here, watching over the people of this land were I to simply accept my fate. I was told there was another 'me' who did so...and perhaps she had little other choice before Unification. But once we became a part of the multiverse, our fates became an unwritten book. Outside the Holy Grail War, only we ourselves can decide our fate. No one can take that from us." 

:'''{{#var:227|Saber of Silver (227)}} has posed:''' That is.. worrisome. "No way to tell..." She shakes her head slowly. "I think our worlds are different enough that assuming it might go the same way is just going to cause undo worry. I will definitely be cautious, but..." The silver-haired Saber smiles at her counterpart. "I'll choose to believe, for the time being, that it works as it should." That talk about fate, though... it heartens her a bit. "I can't accept my fate. The life I led had holes in it... and I refuse to believe they'll remain unfilled." She lets out a soft breath, then smiles. "Thank you, Saber. I think you've encouraged me to keep fighting, as well. Not just in my Holy Grail War, but to struggle against the path fate seems to have for me." She closes her eyes briefly, then takes a breath, slowly rising to her feet. "And thank you for having me as a guest. I should go check on my Master, though, before she gets worried." 

:'''{{#var:346|Saber (346)}} has posed:'''      Saber nodded slightly; though she personally felt that the Holy Grail War was unnecessary at best and a bloody and sorrowful fool's errand at worst, such were things the Saber of Silver would have to learn for herself. "There are Holy Grail Wars without counting," she observed. "Though many seem to have involved tainted Grails, there are many others which do not. It is as likely that yours is capable of granting your wish without that wish becoming corrupted."      The King of Knights stood, bowing. "Of course. You are welcome here any time. There is one more thing, however."      Arturia stood with the same pride and regal bearing as she always had. But there was a strange sort of lightness, as if she had been relieved of a great burden some time ago. "Do not feel that you must limit yourself to granting your wish through the Holy Grail. Though some might disagree, the multiverse itself is a greater miracle than even the Grail could grant. It might have the potential to grant any wish, but I have found that the multiverse is capable of granting those wishes that even we do not realise we have. You need not think of yourself as a mere tool, or that you merely exist on borrowed time. Here, we are more than what the Holy Grail has summoned us for."      With that, Saber saw her guest off, hopefully with a lighter heart. 

}}

3026/WMAT C1 Maya vs. Fate T. Harlaown

2015-09-15T08:31:26Z

Parasaurolophus: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2015/09/15 |Location=WMAT Arena - Northern Mountains |Synopsis=Bracket C1 WMAT 2015, Maya vs. Fate T. Harlaown |Thanks= |Cast of Characters=19, 306..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2015/09/15
|Location=WMAT Arena - Northern Mountains
|Synopsis=Bracket C1 WMAT 2015, Maya vs. Fate T. Harlaown
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=19, 306, 533
|Tinyplot=WMAT 2015
|Tinyplot2=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:533|Sir Gawain (533)}} has posed:''' The sun is slowly starting to set this afternoon, here at the Northern Mountains. Several helicopters litter the sky away from the mountains themselves, as distances away, people watch from on the other sides of blockades. Tonight is Round Three of the WMAT, the fight between Fate T. Harlawon and the Union's Maya. Sir Gawain, the commentator for tonight, sits on the side of one of the helicopters, a speaker system and mic hooked up, the mic in his hands. The knight is dressed in a golden suit with flowery designs, as he watches over the battlefield. "Ladies and gentlemen!", Gawain begins, "Tonight, the two lovely ladies of hte Union, the stunning Fate T. Harlaown, and the dazzling Maya, will battle for the right to continue in the World Martial Arts Tournament, here at the Northern Mountains!" A spotlight shines on each competitor briefly as their name is called, as Gawain cheerily continues his presentation. "Get on over, and find a seat, or for those viewers at home, tune into frequency 900.5, and let us see which challenger has the skill and determination to stand up on top!" The Knight of the Sun ends it with a loud, thunderous cry. "Are. You. READY?" 

:'''{{#var:19|Maya (19)}} has posed:''' Maya is clan in her junking clothing. Heavy leather armour, with metal over certain vital areas. Long blue hair sways behind her as she enters the area set up for the fight. She seems to be reay for the battle now as she looks about the mountain are going to be useful terrain. She's fighting Fate, so she's not even got her rifle out right now, she's got a deck of cards in hand, she shuffles them idly as she waits for Fate to arrive, she seems to be in a good mood and smirks at Gawain's announcer. This is going to be fun, and Maya waves to the camera and thus the crowd, somewhere on Septerra a gaggle of former pirates and Junkers have piled into the old Junker to watch this fight. 

:'''{{#var:306|Fate T. Harlaown (306)}} has posed:''' With her Barrier Jacket already in Sonic Form, Fate floats down from the skies to land on the main platform. Though in an aerial battle, the fight might not -remain- on that floating platform, she'll start there. Bardiche is already in Zanber form as well, prepared for a tough battle. "Good luck to you!" she calls out to her opponent, smiling softly. And as the pair of them are introduced, Fate turns to wave to the commentator as well. She's only an acquaintance of Gawain, but he is a relative of one of her good friends. Fate has never personally seen Maya fight, so a lot of this is going to be new to her. She's studied up a bit on her opponent, of course, but there's a difference between seeing records and experiencing it directly. "Let's start with testing her reflexes out a bit, Bardi ~chy">Yes, Sir. Plasma Lancer.~ As Fate takes to the air to hover a few feet above the platform, a single ball of crackling yellow energy appears in front of her. The mage extends her free hand, and the ball elongates into an arrowhead shape, flying straight toward Maya. "Fire!" 

:'''{{#var:533|Sir Gawain (533)}} has posed:''' Sir Gawain waves briefly in return to Fate, as he loudly speaks into the microphone. "And the battle has begun! Maya has a dack of cards in hand, but Fate takes the first strike, her blade crackling in what seems to be magical energy! This seems to be a warm-up attack, the small arrow flying straight at Maya! This isn't even a clue to Fate's full power! Can Maya dodge or block the strike? Or will it hit true?" The knight repositions himself in the helicopter, sitting eagerly on the edge, though it's likely not the safest place to be! 

:'''{{#var:19|Maya (19)}} has posed:''' Maya has never seen Fate fight, but she has seen other people with Devices fight before. So that's something Fate casters such as the junker are uncommon even with Elites in this sector. So it was going to be interesting. Maya's got a good deal of magical power, actually abormally high even for a people as magically gifted as her own are. Maya's quick she's got a card in hand it glows brightly for a moment some sort of ornate ward appears before her taking the majority of the blast that comes for her. She's then moving into a run, she seems to be pretty quick on her feet another card is in hand and this time the winds turn upon Fate lashing and striking out with enough force to cause injury. If she's paying attention blue energy of a magical nature is bleeding out of her body and into the card as she does this. 

:'''{{#var:306|Fate T. Harlaown (306)}} has posed:''' That blue energy is easy enough to notice, but the wind...isn't so much. While Fate is quite good at dodging attacks, dodging the wind is quite a lot harder. It's probably a good thing that she's already in the air, though, as the gust of magical wind that slams into her sends her flying back a good distance. The blonde manages to right herself before landing, though, and brings Bardiche Zanber up in both hands. "Let's change tactics a bit." Hair streaming behind her, Fate charges forward, pulling her Device back... Then, midway to Maya, she swings the blade, sending a crescent of energy flying from the tip of the sword toward the Junker! ~Zanber Saber~ 

:'''{{#var:533|Sir Gawain (533)}} has posed:''' "Maya takes the strike in stride, running straight for a counterattack!" Gawain excitedly exclaims, the helicopter moving ever so slightly for a better view of the battlefield. "The winds are in her control, and she's going to send them to strike straight at her opponent! They hit spectacularly, and Fate is knocked back! But, this warrior's not going to let that stop her, as she sends a moon-shaped wave of energy from her blade to the Junker in a single swing! Fate seems to have some raw firepower on her side, but who knows what is in those cards Maya is sporting?!" 

:'''{{#var:19|Maya (19)}} has posed:''' Fate would find that Maya's not quite quick enough to deal with melee attacks. Well ones like that, it's more like a energy weapon she has but it's far too late. She'd expect it in rifle or gun form. Her world does not ignore mass weapons after all. She's however on the move now tracking Fate and her action she's been cut up a bit. She dances about on foot for a moment longer then shifts with another card in hand, there's a rumble from under Fate's feet as the ground turns against her. The ground rumbles as the earth cracks free rising up trying to clam into her. Maya keeps moving now at high speed even as the enacts her magic. "Not bad...what can you do?" 

:'''{{#var:306|Fate T. Harlaown (306)}} has posed:''' That rumbling catches Fate's attention, and she quickly glances down toward the ground. If there was wind magic before, then that must mean.... When the ground cracks, Fate suddenly seems to vanish, reappearing a short distance away as the earth spears through the space she just occupied. "This could be dangerous... Bardiche, passive scanners on." ~Yes, Sir.~ For now, Fate plays to her strengths, quickly closing in on the Junker. Rather than firing another blast of energy from the sword, the blonde uses the energy blade directly, slashing the enormous sword at Maya as she closes in! 

:'''{{#var:533|Sir Gawain (533)}} has posed:''' Sir Gawain leaps to the side of his helicopter, hanging onto his mic in one hand, and the side of the door with the other, with the door being the only thing that keeps him in the air. His pilot doesn't bother trying to stop him, he already knows it'll be fruitless. "Maya has more tricks up her sleeve, as the ground comes up under Fate's feet! But Fate's wised up to Maya's tricks, and dodges swiftly! Look at her move! In a counterattack, Fate closes in, and this time, she uses the energy for melee combat, striking straight on! Will Maya dodge in return?!" 

:'''{{#var:19|Maya (19)}} has posed:''' Maya is quick but she's not used to dealing with Fate's type of magic. Fate casting tended to be a lot more up close. She finds Fate closing Maya's cut by the sword. She's got a bad habit about to be honest. She's not bleeding as the energy cooked her flesh on the the pass. She's sitll in the fight however and that's when she grabs a small pendant she had starts chanting and a pair of blue translucent energy wings sprout forth from her back and she takes flight flying up and takes her rifle off her back and aims, she doesn't fire bullets, no, the housing parts and missiles rain down after Fate. 

:'''{{#var:306|Fate T. Harlaown (306)}} has posed:''' "Ah... you can fly, too!" Fate smiles at her opponent as those wings sprout, floating quickly back from Maya. "I won't feel bad going higher, then!" As the missiles begin to rain down, the blonde picks up speed, darting in between the explosives with a golden trail of energy left in her wake. Though none of them hit her, one of them does detonate quite close by, prompting a wince and some char along the side of her Barrier Jacket. Even with her speed, she'll definitely still need to be careful here. "Bardi ~chy">Plasma Lancer, Get Set.~ A trio of crackling spheres of energy form in the air around her this time, and they all fly toward Maya simultaneously, following an uneven, spiraling path in an attempt to make it harder to evade them all! 

:'''{{#var:533|Sir Gawain (533)}} has posed:''' As the two fighters begin flight, the helicopter is making frantic movement to get out of range, while keeping Gawain close to survey the action. "They've taken flight, starting with Maya and her new energy wings! Maya's drawing her rifle...but those aren't bullets! Missiles strike at Fate, and while she dodges them, she still feels their impact!" Gawain's eyes are focused intently on all of the battle, as the helicopter continues to move. "Time for Fate's counterattack! This time, it's three balls of energy, and they're moving frantically in an attempt to strike Maya down! Can Maya beat Fate at her own game, or is the mage just too fast, both in offense and defense?!" 

:'''{{#var:19|Maya (19)}} has posed:''' Maya knews Fate could fly and would likely take to the skies, but Fate wouldn't have expected to her to and that did give here a bit of an edge. Well in this one attack she cumes under rapid attack from a number of energy sphers and she can't dodge them all she's getting pretty down up. Maya's now dropping down at rappid speed. She swoops along the ground banks up and then starts launching pillars of flame into the skies trying to bring down Fate. 

:'''{{#var:306|Fate T. Harlaown (306)}} has posed:''' First wind, then earth, now fire. Missile isn't an element. Technically. ...probably. Although she flies up from the ground, those pillars of flame follow her, and the blonde is engulfed in the fire. Her Barrier Jacket keeps her from being burned too badly, but it can only protect so much, and Fate is left with soot on her arms, legs, and face, and charred edges on her Barrier Jacket. "Best to stay in close if she can throw spells this quickly, then..." And then, Fate is gone. ~Thunder Arm~ And she's right there an instant later, next to Maya. Golden energy runs over the armored gauntlet of her left arm, and she quickly drives it upward, trying to uppercut the junker as the magical energy discharges! 

:'''{{#var:19|Maya (19)}} has posed:''' Maya is now not expecting unarmed close combat like that. Or maybe she was but there was no time to respond as Fate comes in and just socks her a good one. There's doubtless several people over the years whom have wanted to do this. Fate may have made them jelous, but she got it. Maya's recovering now and she's taking off to the skies again and now comes lasers, yes the rifle has some sort od beam mode there as she starts to rain beam blasts down upon Fate. 

:'''{{#var:533|Sir Gawain (533)}} has posed:''' As the Pillars of Fire set through the skies, the helicopter, as well as several others in the area, are swerving out of the battlezone. It seems there's a fair chance of collateral in this specific battle, and nobody wants that! "Maya is hit! She almost crashes, but is able to regain flight! Pillars of flame fill the sky, and they're making things quite dangerous from up here in the helicopters! We're going to need to pull out, but first, Fate is scorched by the fire! She's still going, however, and this time she attacks with her gauntlet! A burst of speed, and her energized gauntlet is going into an uppercut on the Junker!" The helicopter is just now about pulling out, Gawain waving to the crowd. "Thank you folks, those at home, after a few short messages, we'll be back with silent coverage of the rest of the match!" 

:'''{{#var:306|Fate T. Harlaown (306)}} has posed:''' When the rifle fires this time, it draws Fate's attention. Her Device's as well, as Bardiche lets off a soft chime. There's magic involved in that shot, and knowing that helps. Magic is defended against in a different way than mass-based weapons, so knowing the rifle is itself magical gives Fate at least some idea of how to handle it. In this case, though, she reacts with speed rather than defense. The blonde seems to appear and disappear from sight as she dodges and weaves around the beams, though one of them does score a hit along her upper arm. Wincing through the pain, Fate nonetheless flies closer, slowing down just enough to be easily visible as she swings Bardiche Zanber around, trying to slam Maya with the flat to launch the junker back toward the platform. 

:'''{{#var:19|Maya (19)}} has posed:''' Maya isn't about to think she got Fate, she has an vague idea of how she fights and she knows one thing. Fate isn't known to give up from all the reports she has seen. Maya now is noiw moving at a rapid pace and casts another spell. The card glows red, and then Maya's just /gone/ It's like she was never there. THe attack gets nothing but air in it's wake. There's a momentary pause as Maya now appears some distance away and this time she's got another card in hand but this time? There's a spike in magical power blue flames appear and a ghostly knight in strange light armour appears he carries a bladw with no crossguar and sh slams his sword downwards dropping to the ground causing a massive shockwave of force before he vanishes. 

:'''{{#var:306|Fate T. Harlaown (306)}} has posed:''' It seems Fate isn't the only fast one here. As Maya disappears, the blonde quickly turns... just in time to see the incoming shockwave. She quickly falls back, but the wave of force overtakes her, sending her tumbling back and showering her with rubble from the ground. "...Riot!" A soft chime sounds, and the energy blade shifts and extends, splitting into two thinner blades as Fate separates the handle into two, to form a pair of swords connected by a glowing chain. As she flies in to close the distance again, the mage swings her blades at the air, sending a series of shockwaves and slashes of golden energy flying toward Maya. 

:'''{{#var:19|Maya (19)}} has posed:''' Maya will likely tell Fate what she did later but for now she's got to worry about the counter attack. Riot? That's a new one on her. She's clealry trying to keep the distance between them but they keep throwing melee attacks at her. She will think it was pretty impressive later but for now? She's going to be caught in a bunch of shockwaves of Fate's own making at her. She's still not out of the fight it seems. "Not bad..." Her rifle comes up again and fires, but this time it's not a rifle shot it's high fragmenation grenades which almost act like flak... 

:'''{{#var:306|Fate T. Harlaown (306)}} has posed:''' Keeping distance from Fate is vey difficult. Aside from the fact that the blonde is trained in combt at all ranges, her speed makes it hard to outdistance her. Several of the incoming grenades are either dodged or batted aside with her swords. One of them explodes nearby, and while she's well out of range to be affected by the explosion, a few of those fragmentation shards fly through the air and hit her arm, drawing several streaks of blood. Despite the pain, Fate flies closer again, raising both swords high overhead. "Haaaaa!" The blades come down, each slashing diagonally as she tries to bring them across Maya's chest. 

:'''{{#var:19|Maya (19)}} has posed:''' Maya is hit hard by the cross slash but now has Fate in range. "I know of your world's magic it us quite powerful and refined. Yet? My own draws on the same energies of creation that forged my world..." Theres' a massive spike of magical power from Maya now the flames are a storm about her as she works to cast. She's clearly been cut up,m burned and otherwise ripped up at this point. Yet she keeps her focus, as she draws not one but two cards. One has a glyph upon it much like the barrier she used at the start of the fight, the other has different one but it seems more disorted and unlike the first which is blue? This one is green. That's when core energy surges to the cards from Maya from the storm. "Many forces, the power of Marduk, War and Law. The power of the fallen one the elments and the thrist for power." Maya is almost muttering, chanting isn't needed but this helps her keep her focus and that's when reality starts to break about fate like something is pulling, teating at whatever it it that makes her up it's like Maya's trying to unmake her for a brief moment. Should this even work Fate would remain away but then the pain would come as reality over powers what Maya has done and she would for lack of a better term snap back togehte rbut not without damage. "DESTROYER!" 

:'''{{#var:306|Fate T. Harlaown (306)}} has posed:''' "So that's the source of your world's magic," muses Fate aloud. She may have to look into this more in the future, when she's not trying to fight against it. Fate knows ritual magic chanting when she hears it, and although she doesn't yet know exactly what it will be, she does all she can to prepare for it. Still holding a sword in each hand, the blonde lifts both blades up and forms a magic shield in front of herself. A soft chime sounds from the blades as a sphere of translucent golden energy forms around her. ~Defenser Plus~ It's almost not enough. As reality bends and shifts, the barrier begins to warm and crack. Fate grits her teeth as she pours more magical power into it, but it seems to be only holding together through sheer force of will. Even so, it eventually cracks and shatters, leaving Fate to deal with the remainder of the wild energy tearing at her body. "That... hurt." The blonde takes a breath and shakes her head, bringing both swords together. They meld into each other, the blade extending out again. "Bardiche, load cartridge." A chime sounds, and the cowling pulls back, revealing a revolver cylinder. The cylinder spins, locking in a cartridge, then spins again, then a third time, and a fourth. As the cowling slides back, four cartridge casings are ejected, along with a burst of steam from the center of the Device. "This isn't something I've tried before without Nanoha, but.... Haaaa!" A quick swing of the blade sends a shockwave toward Maya, though not an exceptionally powerful one. Wha tit does, however, it keep a cylinder of swirling air formed between Fate and her opponent. Electricity begins to charge on the blade, and as Fate swings it again, lightning shoots out and into the funnel of wind. Rather than heading straight toward Maya, the bolts of magical lightning bounce and reflect inside the wind tunnel, crashing into each other and splitting apart, until they finally converge at the end and explode with concussive force. "Blast Calamity." 

:'''{{#var:19|Maya (19)}} has posed:''' Maya world was young, even science had proved the planet was far younger than anyone suspected it should be but now isn't the time for May think about such. FAte is still in the fight and Maya's still attemping to keep with it but Fate's living up to her reputation. She braces for the magic that is to come. Maya's not however doing nothing as Fate charges she casts anotehr barrier it flares to life about herk but there's so much power coming at her? The Barrier can't stop all of it as the deonation happens. Maya's dropping to the earth and doing so hard she hits causing a massive impact crater to forms. Dust is going eveyrwhere but as it starts to fade the roar of an assault rifle can be hear as Maya's starring up and shooting all teh while. 

:'''{{#var:306|Fate T. Harlaown (306)}} has posed:''' Powerful as that blast was, Fate knows better than to assume it's finished off her opponent. That suspicion proves true as bullets come flying from the cloud of dust left by her blast. The blonde is able to avoid most of them, but it's a bit harder to dodge when it's impossible to see exactly where the projectiles are coming from, and several of them find their mark. One of them strikes her leg, another grazes her side, and a third hits her square in the shoulder, but Fate spins with the force of impact and somersaults midair, coming back to a hover. Once more, she splits the swords into two, and even before the dust is fully settled, she dives right into the obscuring cloud. Flashes of light can be seen as her swords swing, seeking their target over and over again. 

:'''{{#var:19|Maya (19)}} has posed:''' Maya is injured she's jsut about out of it but she's haning on as the attacks come in. She's however got a plan here she sees the sword comming after her again and again some hits get her but several find themselves parried by a simple long knife? Dagger it's hard to tell but it does save Maya Maya however is now dropped her rifle and goes in for the unexpected a rapid assault with said knife. Rapidly slashing as she goes. 

:'''{{#var:306|Fate T. Harlaown (306)}} has posed:''' With both swords out, Fate deflects the first slash of the knife. The second is parried, but the angle is just enough that the blade of the knife slides off the energy blades and slashes at the back of her right hand. The blonde hisses softly at the pain, but manages to knock away yet another slash from the knife. The next one, though, manages to find its way past her weakened right hand and embed itself into her upper arm. Fate's hand twitches, dropping the sword, and although her left arm still holds its blade, her right hangs limp, unable to grab the dropped sword or even rise up to motion for a spell. "...I yield," she says softly, eyes closing. "To continue to fight in this condition would be dangerous." 

:'''{{#var:19|Maya (19)}} has posed:''' Maya halts her attack at the moment Fate says she's yields. She'll put the knife away and move to ty and help her up now as the fight's over. "Come on then lets get somewhere I can get us a bit patched up...You lived up to your reputation, by the way." 

}}

3023/WMAT A1 Ika Musume vs Mokuba

2015-09-15T02:48:34Z

Parasaurolophus: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2015/09/14 |Location=WMAT Arena - Diablo Desert |Synopsis=Ika Musume vs. Mokuba in bracket A2 of WMAT 2015! |Thanks= |Cast of Characters=623, 685, ..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2015/09/14
|Location=WMAT Arena - Diablo Desert
|Synopsis=Ika Musume vs. Mokuba in bracket A2 of WMAT 2015!
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=623, 685, 840
|Tinyplot=WMAT 2015
|Tinyplot2=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:623|Seto Kaiba (623)}} has posed:'''      The sun shines brightly upon the Diablo Desert, brightly lighting up the battle arena. Mokuba stands on his side of the arena, waiting for the fight to start. He has been here for a long time. Far too long, really. He is, simply, excited to partake in this fight. He has made it into the tournament proper, going above what many thought he could possibly do. He smirks, looking around the audience, smiling as it slowly gathers in the shaded stands.      This short young boy with long black hair is looking for one person. And, a smirk is on his face as he finally spots him. Sitting in a private stand, set to the side from the public? Seto Kaiba, Mokuba's older brother.      Mokuba's excitement grows. He will /not/ lose in front of his big brother! He shuffles his deck, slotting it into the Duel Disk on his left arm. His cards are drawn. His strategy is planned. And, he knows /exactly/ what he is going to be doing to win this fight. 

:'''{{#var:840|Ika Musume (840)}} has posed:''' "Aaaaa..... how is someplace with so much sand so hot?" Hunched over slightly, with 'hair' hanging limply, a girl about Mokuba's age, perhaps a bit older, trudges out into the arena. "I thought this was like a beach! Beaches are supposed to have water!" Once she's finally in her place, Ika Musume looks up and squints, lifting a hand to shade her eyes. "Are you the one I'm supposed to fight? Don't think I'll hold back just because you're a kid!" She stands up straight, hands on her hips, and puffs her chest out! ...then slumps again. "But why'd it have to be so inkredibly hot? Muuu...." 

:'''{{#var:685|Kuma (685)}} has posed:'''     Kuma and four other girls sit in the commentators booth. Tall, Raven-haired Yamashiro being the latest addition, stands behind Shigure, who is seated next to Nowaki. Chitose comes back from getting drinks, while Kuma announces the bout beginning on the radio, before swapping requency.     Chitose opens up, after giving everyone their drinks. "Mokuba has his cards again... I wonder what kind of monsters he'll summon this time." she muses.     Shigure mmns softly. "His opponent does not look like much, but we have all seen how dangerous that mentality can be. We should expect a good fight." 

:'''{{#var:623|Seto Kaiba (623)}} has posed:'''      Mokuba draws a set of five cards, setting them in his left hand. The duel disk is set on his left arm, and he is /far/ more than ready to begin. He points forward towards Ika Musume, laughing loudly. "AAHHAHAHAHA! You call /me/ a kid? I'm Mokuba Kaiba, vice president of Kaiba Corp! /You're/ the kid! Seriously. What is a little brat like /you/ doing here?!"      He slams a card down on the Duel Disk, face up. Suddenly, a large, human-sized rat apppears. It is covered in a vast amount of blue fur, and has horrible hideous look all over him.      "GIANT RAT! ATTACK!"      And, the rat rushes forwards towards Ika, leaping to try and bite at the blue-haired squid girl before it. 

:'''{{#var:840|Ika Musume (840)}} has posed:''' Taking a breath, Ika Musume reaches up an arm to wipe her forehead, even though there's no visible sweat there. "What I wouldn't give to fight in an ocean or something... that would be a lot more fun." But then her opponent laughs at her, and she begins to fume, steam rising from her head... or maybe she's just beginning to bake in the hot sun. "I don't even know what a Corp is, so nyeh!" She pokes her tongue out. "And don't call me a brat, you brat!" There, that'll show him! But then a giant blue rat thing appears out of nowhere, and the squid girl just stares. "What in all the ocean is tha---aaaaaa stoppitstoppitstoppit!" Tentacles begin to flail as the rat bites down on one of them, and Ika Musume begins to run in circles. "Getitoffgetitoff!" More flailing, and she finally thinks to flail the one actually being bitten, trying to whip the rat off and back toward where it came from! 

:'''{{#var:685|Kuma (685)}} has posed:'''     Kuma hmms. "Opening with the rats again, kuma! I guess it worked for him before." Shigure winces a little, remembering her defeat, but remains silent. Nowaki adds. "He may be using a similar opening set, but his overall strategy could be entirely different... that match was televized, so his strategy would be compromized."     Yamashiro finally speaks. "Ika Musume does not appear to be doing well in the desert sun... and that rat manages to get a mouthful.... though she is definitely much smarter than she appears, as she flings Mokuba's monster back at him." 

:'''{{#var:623|Seto Kaiba (623)}} has posed:'''      Mokuba could have, in fact, made an ocean based deck. But, he's thankful he didn't. Especially due to all of the ocean comments. Mokuba smiles, even as the Rat is tossed aside. And then his face turns into a frown as the rat strikes into him. Mokuba stumbles back, crashing down on his rear in the desert sand. The rat vanishes into sparkles, destroyed.      "HAH! That hurt, but when you kill my giant rat? It lets me summon another from my deck! And so I summon... A SECOND GIANT RAT! Also, seriously, learn to deal with the heat! If you can't deal with the sun, just give up now!"      Another rat appears on the battlefield, hissing and gnashing its teeth. At least, Mokuba has a good strategy. Kind of. Flood the field with monsters via card effects.      "And, to join my rat... I summon.... KROKODILLUS! Now, both of you! ATTACK!"      The Krokodillus appears. It looks like a bipedal crocodile, with humanoi features for its body. It starts to run forward, while the rat does the same. Attack, with no defense. That is the Mokuba way of things! Both of the creatures do another similar attack, once again. IE, they both try to bite at Ika's arms, trying to get a taste of calamari. 

:'''{{#var:840|Ika Musume (840)}} has posed:''' "Oh no! What have I done?" Ika Musume seems genuinely worried over the fact that destroying that rat seems to have been part of her opponent's plan all along! But then she blinks in confusion. "...say that again?" Even as another rat appears, she scratches the side of her head. "I don't get it." Arms crossing, she begins to pace a few steps back and forth. "This is weird. Weirder than fighting a tiny cute flying thing." But then another monster appears, and the squid girl takes a step back. "...geh! What is this?!" Both rat and crocodile come charging at her, and two tentacles are snared! A quick wrap of the appendages keeps them from getting teeth sunk into them, but Ika Musume finds herself being yanked from two directions now. "Ow ow ow ow! Hey, I am not for man o'war!" The sounds of tentacles stretching is audible, until she finally digs in her heels and ducks her head slightly. "I said...." Tentacles suddenly whip inwards, trying to slam the rat and crocodile together over her head. "CUT IT OUT!" 

:'''{{#var:685|Kuma (685)}} has posed:'''     Shigure mmns. "This is different, large reptile instead of the plants. They don't seem to be very effective, however." Yamashiro gently squeezes Shigure's shoulders. "This may be part of a strategy, though he is currently on the back foot."     Chitose hmms. "They seem to be playing tug of war with those... hair, arm, things... Oop... I don't care if they /are/ fake... That had to hurt." 

:'''{{#var:623|Seto Kaiba (623)}} has posed:'''      The two creatures slam above the head of the squid-girl, hitting into eachother. There is a roar of pain from both of them, and soon both vanish. A flash of light happens right near Mokuba. And, yet again, a Giant Rat appears. The third, and final, Giant Rat.      "Hahaha! Again, right into my plan! Seriously, though! It's not that weird! I'm just kicking your ass in one of the most /perfect/ ways possible! Through means of a /collectible card game!/"      This is a level of nerd beyond what most people in the Multiverse are experienced with. But, Mokuba soon draws his next card, smiling.      "And... I am going to summon something to /defend/ me! SO! Watch out! I SUMMON IN ATTACK MODE, THE BOTANICAL LION!"      He places the card down. This animal is a bit... stranger. A large lion made of wood, with a rose for a mane. He stands in front of Mokuba. Though in Attack Mode, he is staying on guard and not assaulting.      Instead, the giant rat moves to attack forward. Again. At least this time, it's moving to /tackle/, as opposed to bite.      "--And no I am not just a one trick pony!"      In the audience, the elder Kaiba brother is just sighing, watching with embarrasment. This is /not/ going to go well. 

:'''{{#var:840|Ika Musume (840)}} has posed:''' Both of the creatures disappear again, and Ika Musume glances up to where they were, blinking in surprise. "I still don't get it." A pause. A blink. "Oh. Ohhhhhhh! You're playing a game! I know about games!" She looks confused for a moment. "Where's the controller, though?" All these strange terms like attack mode and summon and such go right over her head. But there's another rat coming in, and she's already prepared to pull her tentacles out of the way before they can be bitten! Which.... they're not, because the rat just lands on her. "Mmmph!" The squid girl flails her arms a bit from beneath the rat, tentacles writhing, before they finally wrap around the rat to lift it off her. "Fwa! This thing smells!" Her tentacle winds up as if to throw the rat, then she pauses. She peers up at the rat, then over to the lion. "Squidn't you rather use something besides this? It's all ugly and smelly." A finger points up to the rat. Rather than trying to throw it, though, she just tries to hold onto it, keeping it far away from herself, and sends two more tentacles out to whip at the lion made of plants. "Is this even a real animal? It's all flowery!" 

:'''{{#var:685|Kuma (685)}} has posed:'''     "Ah, there is the lion." mentions Shigure. "He seems to be fixated in a single line of action... I do not see how this can end well for him at this time... though his rat does seem to make a solid impact this time."     Kuma chuckles. "It was a solid impact, but now Ika Musume has a hostage, kuma! And she seems to be wising up, kuma~! A pair of tentacles snap out at Mokuba's flower lion... thing, kuma!" 

:'''{{#var:623|Seto Kaiba (623)}} has posed:'''      The tentacles fling out, whipping straight at the lion. Mokuba lets out a swear that he is far too young to know. The flinging towards the lion causes it to break apart, bursting into pieces. Mokuba reaches for his deck, drawing another card.      "Okay, first off! This is a game that my big brother is better at. Second, it's a /card game/. See?!" He points ot the cards. "And third... Damnit! You screwed up my deck thinning!"      A pause. He glances at the cards currently in his hand.      "...AND I FIND THAT UN-BEAR-ABLE! I SUMMON MOTHER GRIZZLY! ATTACK!"      A card is slapped down. This time, a large blue Grizzly bear appears. It starts lumbering forward, definitely /far/ larger than both of these two children. And, it actually goes in with a bit more strategy, as well. It rushes in, aiming towards the tentacles that are squeezing down upon the rat. Its claws reach forward to scratch, while its mouth opens up to try and bite. 

:'''{{#var:840|Ika Musume (840)}} has posed:''' "Fwa ha ha! Behold my master strategy! Now you'll never be able to bring out more of these smelly rats!" So indead he brings out a bear, though Ika Musume tilts her head slightly at the pun. "....I don't get it." But while she's confused, that bear is charging! And it's huge! "Wh.. hey! No squidding fair!" She holds the rat up high, away from the incoming bear monster, and tries to fend it off with a tentacle. The appendage gets scratched up, and the end is caught in those teeth, but she keeps hold of the rat! "I've already ruined your strategy! Don't think I'll let something like this stop me!" Two more tentacles flail about, wrapping around the bear. And despite the difference in size, the squid girl tries to lift up Mother Grizzly and fling it high up into the air! 

:'''{{#var:623|Seto Kaiba (623)}} has posed:'''      The tentacle lands on the grizzly this time, but it maanges to avoid being tossed in the air. It is still squeezed down upon, causing it light damage. But, it avoids the grip by moving back. And Mokuba actually swears under his breath again.      "Oh, the /one/ time you miss!"      He draws yet another card, placing down another one. At least, he has /a/ strategy now. Tentacle vs. Tentacle....      "I SUMMON DARKWORLD THORNS!"      A large blue plant appears, with a strange round mouth filled with teeth. From this orb-shaped base, a large number of blue thorny tentacles come out. They fly forward, trying to hit at Ika's own tentacles. At the same time, the Mother Grizzly moves forward, trying to bite at the tentacles /more/. And Mokuba shouts out, angrily.      "GIVE ME BACK THE RAT AT LEAST!" 

:'''{{#var:840|Ika Musume (840)}} has posed:''' Ika Musume has more than just three tentacles! She has ten, which leaves plenty to deal with the vines! Several more whip out to grapple with the plant's vines, striking one against the other in midair! Of course, the plant has thorns, which the squid girl lacks, and she winces a bit as she feels them digging into her tentacles. "Ha ha! Now that I know your strategy, there's nothing you can do to stop me!" When the bear tries to charge forward again, Ika Musume leans in, shoving it back with her tentacles. "But this is getting so annoying! Gah!" She stomps her foot and flails her tentacles, trying to slam both rat and bear back into the plant creature's mouth! Then she remembers she wasn't supposed to destroy them. "...oops." 

:'''{{#var:623|Seto Kaiba (623)}} has posed:'''      All three monsters are destroyed at once. Mokuba frowns a bit, but then turns it nito a grin. A glance is given towards his Duel Disk, and his life points. The numbers don't work /quite/ as well in the Multiverse, between cards and actual attacks. But, there is one thing he knows: The moment the Duel Disk runs out of Life Points, it declares him the 'loser'. And he can't attack anymore.      But, with all three of the monsters destroyed? He can at least summon two new monsters, using the effects of the rat and the grizzly.      Specifically, another Grizzly. And, another Darkworld Thorns. But, the Darkworld Thorns, that strange plant monster, won't last much longer.      "ALRIGHT! Fine! You know my strategy? I'll shift it! I'll go from a straightforward attack while keeping the field full... to A GIANT DINOSAUR! Go, FROSTOSAURUS!"      The next creature is... bizarre. A gigantic brachiosaurus, except made of solid ice. It starts crawling and lumbering forward in the harsh desert heat, seemingly not minding the sun. Its mouth opens, and there is a sudden blast of ice flying forward from this dinosaur's mouth.      ...Well, at least it's a /bit/ different finally.      The grizzlybear stays back, guarding Mokuba. 

:'''{{#var:840|Ika Musume (840)}} has posed:''' "Oh jeez, I messed up! Now you're just going to bring out another smelly rat!" Except he doesn't, and Ika Musume points at the plant. "Ha! That's not a rat at all!" She has absolutely no idea if this is a good thing or a bad thing, though. "Did I get all the rats? Does that mean I level up? You always level up in videogames from beating enough rats!" Because that's how it always works, isn't it? But then she looks up... and up... and up at the giant dinosaur. "Th...that's not a step up from a rat! Isn't the difficulty ramped too high?" She takes a step back and... is suddenly frozen in a block of ice. For a moment, there's no movement save for the blinking of her eyes, but Ika Musume sets her jaw and flexes her tentacles... and eventually shatters the ice around her, sending bits flying every which way! "Ahhhh~! That hit the spot, too! It's been so hot here..." Arms spread to the side, and six tentacles whip forward, extending to be long enough to wrap several times around the dinosaur's body. "So I'll let you try it out, too!" Despite her small size, she seems to have no trouble lifting something that enormous, though her feet do sink slightly into the sand. Whether she can hold onto it or not is another question... but she tries to throw the enormous dinosaur toward the general area where Mokuba and all his monsters are! 

:'''{{#var:623|Seto Kaiba (623)}} has posed:'''      Mokuba is now regretting signing up for the tournament, slightly. It's one of many things he is considering while the dinosaur flies at him. Where did he go wrong? What could he have done differently? How is a squid girl so strong?      But, the dinosaur impacts. First the Grizzly Bear, which is immediately replaced by another. And then, Mokuba. He goes sliding across the desert sand, prone on the ground as he looks towards his enemy.      Still, his cards are safe. He can /try/ to turn this around. A card is drawn. And, yet another frown. He wants to play it, but that'll send the Grizzly to the graveyard without summoning a replacement.      "I TRIBUTE MY MOTHER GRIZZLY TO SUMMON EMPEROR OF THE LAND AND SEA!"      And so ends his chain of summons. The Grizzly vanishes. In its place, yet another dinosaur. This one is almost certainly based on a T-rex, but with blue skin. It runs forward, tail flinging back and forth. And in fact, it turns its body so that its tail might attack.      "ALSO YOU DON'T LEVEL UP IN CARD GAMES!"      Meanwhile, in the audience? Seto Kaiba, Mokuba's older brother? He is standing up. And leaving.      He has decided that his brother has already lost. 

:'''{{#var:840|Ika Musume (840)}} has posed:''' Never underestimate the lifting and throwing power of the mighty squid! "E..emperor of the sea?!" Another dinosaur appears, and Ika Musume lifts a finger, opens her mouth... and pauses. She opens her mouth again... and once more pauses. Finally, after some thought, she remarks, "That's a land animal, not a sea animal. I don't get it! And how did it come from a bear?" This game is so confusing! As she's puzzling over what this could all mean, she doesn't see the tail until too late, and it sends her tumbling end over end through the sand! When the squid girl pushes back up, she spits out a mouthful of sand. "Pwa!" Oddly enough, what she spits is both sandy and black. "I liked the ice one better! It was a lot cooler!" She crosses her arms in thought. "Are you sure? Because I swear I just leveled up! Here, let me try something!" Several tentacles spread out, then slam against the ground, propelling Ika Musume high up into the air! She flips once, twice, then begins to slowly float downward, until she lands on the back of the so-called Emperor. "If I'm a higher level, I should be able to control this, right?" Don't ask where her logic comes from. She may be making this up as she goes. Regardless, she whips a few tentacles out to act like a bridle, trying to yank the dinosaur's head in the direction she wants to make it start rampaging! 

:'''{{#var:623|Seto Kaiba (623)}} has posed:'''      As the tentacles wrap around hte dinosaur, it causes it some pain. Thankfully, it is a bit more resilient than the previous one. It helps this is meant to control it. The rampaging dinosaur runs around the arena, trying to buck off Ika. And Mokuba runs away from it, trying to hide.      Another card is pulled. He frowns. All of his /good/ cards have either been used, or not drawn. Nothing quite useful. For now, a simple strategy. He plays another card, a small bipedal dinosaur appearing. It looks more human in proportion, even having a pair of large fists.      "GO, GIGOBYTE! ATTACK HER!"      It runs forward, trying to leap onto the back of the larger dinosaur. It moves in, trying to punch Ika in the back of the head. 

:'''{{#var:840|Ika Musume (840)}} has posed:''' This is like some sort of weird rodeo! Ika Musume holds tightly onto the rampaging dinosaur with her tentacles while waving one hand in the air. It's sort of cheating, since she's holding on so tightly without using her hand -anyway-... but she doesn't have a hat to wave, so that makes up for it. Sort of. "This is fun! Squidn't you like to come join me and do the rest of the fight here?" But then a smaller dinosaur seems to take her up on the offer. "See? The view is great, isn't i--!" There's a dustcloud up on the back of the dinosaur, and the tentacles go from grabbing tightly around its head to flailing. "Wa--!" After the sound of several more impacts, Ika Musume is sent flying out of the dustcloud, crashing into the ground face-first. "...mmphrl." Slowly, the squid girl pushes herself to her feet, tentacles rising up all around her. Instead of going for the smaller monster that attacked her, though, she darts out a few tentacles toward the Emperor's legs, trying to wrap around them and yank to trip the great beast! 

:'''{{#var:623|Seto Kaiba (623)}} has posed:'''      The Emperor of Land and Sea is tripped. It roars out in pain, crashing into the ground. Mokuba glances down, looking at the lifepoints on his counter? He is almost done for. He bite his lip, frowning. There is one thing he /could/ possibly do, but... It won't likely be enough.      But damnit, he's trying it anyways.      "Alright... Fine! Last shot... I tribute the Gigobyte, to summon... FAIRY KING TRUESDALE!"      The tiny dinosaur vanishes from the battlefield. In its place, a tall elven looking man appears. He is clad in green armor, weilds a staff, and has a huge pair of fairy wings growing from his back. He holds his staff forward, towards Ika Musume. He stays within the air, a great power gathering. A massive beam of light flies from his staff, aimed straight at Ika.      "OBLITERATE HEEEER!"      It is a desperate plea from Mokuba. 

:'''{{#var:840|Ika Musume (840)}} has posed:''' Tentacles withdraw once the great dinosaur trips, and Ika Musume lifts both arms in triumph. "Fwa ha ha! I think I'm starting to get the hang of this game!" No, she's not. She's totally not. But as the smaller monster disappears, she turns to look at Mokuba. "There's a big one coming out now, right? --ha! I knew it!" Hands rest on her hips, and she puffs up, proud of herself. Then she hears the command. "Obliter--w...wait, you should ink about this a bit more! Yaaaa!" Feet dig into sand and the squid girl stumbles, hands flailing against the ground as she tries to get away from the beam! It strikes the ground just where she was, and though it missed its mark, the explosion of impact, still sends her flying through the air! "W...waaaaa!" Arms, leg, and tentacles all flail as Ika Musume arcs upward... then begins to descend. Down, down, down... right toward Mokuba. 

:'''{{#var:623|Seto Kaiba (623)}} has posed:'''      There are several life choices that have lead to this moment. Mokuba thinks back, to an arguement he had with his brother. Kaiba had said, the whole time, that there was no way that Mokuba could win. Mokuba kept denying him. Still, at least, one thing is certain: Kaiba thought Mokuba couldn't get through the preliminaries.      But, the victory doesn't seem to mean much to him. The squid lands on him. A small crater is pushed into the ground, Mokuba sinking into the sand. He lays there, completely unconcious. Eyes in a daze.      Seto Kaiba, meanwhile, is flying off to the distance on his Blue-Eyes White Dragon Jet. Mokuba can make his own way home, once the medics patch him up. It's Mokuba's own fault for being a failure.      And there Mokuba lays, unconcious. Compeltely defeated. 

:'''{{#var:840|Ika Musume (840)}} has posed:''' "Nnnnfff.. What happened?" Ika Musume is a bit dizzy as well, enough that it takes her a few moments to realize she's landed on top of her opponent. "...oh!" The squid quickly hops up to her feet, and tentacles whip out, snatching any cards that may have been knocked from Mokuba's hand or duel disc. It helps to have so many appendages, as she quickly brushes the sand off from them before offering her actual hand down to her opponent...if he's consious enough to take it. "I still don't get this game, but I think this means I won?" 

}}

2818/WMAT BQ2 Kirito vs Saber of Silver

2015-08-16T06:08:11Z

Parasaurolophus: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2015/08/16 |Location=WMAT Arena - Spinach Wastes |Synopsis=Kirito battles Saber of Silver in the WMAT Bracket B qualifying rounds! |Thanks= |Cast o..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2015/08/16
|Location=WMAT Arena - Spinach Wastes
|Synopsis=Kirito battles Saber of Silver in the WMAT Bracket B qualifying rounds!
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=1, 227, 415
|Tinyplot=
|Tinyplot2=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1|Kirito (1)}} has posed:'''     Kirito likes to arrive in STYLE for these matches. Particularly after his streak of defeats in the prior matches. Both against girls. The first was a martial artist, the second... a shipgirl, however that worked.     He doesn't really question those things.     But today his opponent is a swordswoman of purportedly great beauty and skill. That has him pumped!     A tiny blip of light flashes down from the skies. Moments after it's in view, the dark meteor plunges towards the ground at the starting position for one of the combatants. Kirito strikes the ground hard enough to kick up a plume of dust. Within a few seconds the winds have carried it away, revealing him standing in plain black clothes and seemingly unarmed.     Not for long, though.     A few gestures with one hand... and the air around him flashes blue. A heavy black coat materialies from pixels around his body, and following it... his blade appears, sheathed across his back. the scabbard boasts a tiny white wyvern emblem, the symbol of Lizbeth's Smithy. In one smooth motion Kirito draws the black blade, Vox Unitas, from its resting place. He expertly twirls the weapon several times before laying it across his shoulders, behind his head... smiling fiercely.     He's not just confident. He's EAGER to see what'll come of this, win or lose. It's not everyday the Black Swordsman fights an opponent like this! 

:'''{{#var:227|Saber of Silver (227)}} has posed:''' Although she's not able to do anything fancy like teleporting in, the silver-haired Saber just materializes out in her place in the field. There are some advantages to being able to take spirit form, after all. She takes several steps toward her opponent, moving with serene grace, and inclines her head in greeting. "Kirito. I've heard a lot about you. Let's make this a good match, hm?" Her hand hovers on first one sword, then the other, and settles on the shorter of the two blades. If Kirito has done any studying into Japanese cultural artifacts, he will probably recognize the sword the instant it's drawn: Kusanagi no Tsurugi, the Grass-Cutting Sword. Saber grips it firmly in both hands, once more inclining her head toward the swordsman to indicate her preparedness. 

:'''{{#var:1|Kirito (1)}} has posed:'''     The Hero of Aincrad. The Black Swordsman. Every time Kirito's reminded of his slight bit of fame he inwardly flinches. Is he really worthy of people having heard of him?     His expression twitches slightly, but the smile mostly remains.     Until that legendary weapon's exposed for all to see. THEN his eyes widen slightly. For a brief instant he goes from confident swordsman to boggling, graceless young man, eyes almost popping out of their sockets.     His expression soon narrows, and Saber of Silver finds herself being subjected to a rather intense extra bit of scrutiny. She's probably seen such looks before. She's being sized up extra-carefully now.     "What a weapon to just suddenly bring out... this will definitely be a good one!" He's ON EDGE as it gets now. Being up against a legendary sword is bad enough, but it's very unlikely the wielder isn't worthy of it.     "Let's go!" Battle fury flickering across his face, the boy ducks down and CHARGES... and dang is he fast on those feet. He eats up the distance in no time at all, coming in with a fairly straightforward upwards diagonal slash across Saber's body! 

:'''{{#var:227|Saber of Silver (227)}} has posed:''' Saber tilts her head just slightly at Kirito's reaction to her blade. "Ah, you know it, then. It's hard to keep some things secret..." Though others have seen her fighting with that weapon, so keeping it in hiding isn't an advantage anymore. At least she has a few secrets left. As Kirito charges straight toward her, the silver-haired Saber blinks in surprise. She didn't expect quite so direct of an approach! The first slash catches her by surprise, and the blade strikes her kimono... which doesn't tear, though there is a visible line and a brief shimmer as the magic in the fabric absorbs some of the damage. It seems that kimono is her own sort of armor. Shifting her grip on her blade, Saber takes a step forward and swings, bringing Kusanagi horizontally across Kirit's chest, hopefully before he can lower his arms to guard! 

:'''{{#var:415|Kazusa Ujikane (415)}} has posed:'''     Up in the crowd, one very vocal audience member can be heard shouting and cheering for Saber's from-thin-air appearance. "Sabeeeeer~! Go get him, I'll buy you three-course yakiniku if you win!" She's even waving a silver penant with a moon emblem on it. 

:'''{{#var:1|Kirito (1)}} has posed:'''     Speed is paramount to Kirito's style! Speed, followed by strength. Acting before his opponent can react is all part of the strategy... and this time it paid off. His triumph is short-lived though. He was expecting some reaction of pain, maybe blood or a flinch and having to pull his blows. Instead... the blade cuts through a magical barrier of some kind. "What--"     This leaves him open, of course. Kusanagi cuts right through his GreatWyrm Coat... sort of. The black garment he wears offers similarly tough resistance to Saber's efforts, and instead of shimmering... where it passes through it leaves a glowing crimson mark. A damage decal of sorts, that quickly fades. "Uweh... so that's how it is."     But this leaves an opening of his own! Kirito plunges his empty hand forward for as straightforward a punch as one could hope for. Whether this lands or is simply a distraction, he uses it to put his sword into position for a follow-up. Vox Unitas glows crimson... and erupts with flame. The very next instant he steps forwards, twirling the blade around and upwards in an UNLIKELY-looking manuever that's nevertheless best not underestimated. A double-upwards slash from the spinning blade unleashes a wave of flames! 

:'''{{#var:227|Saber of Silver (227)}} has posed:''' "Mmm.. I see." Well, she doesn't completely see, but it's useful to know that's how Kirito takes damage. It means she won't have to hold back at all. She shifts a bit, preparing for a follow-up strike, when her opponent just punches her. There's another surprise, and Saber staggers back a few steps. He can't be planning to strike with his sword from there, so what is he up to? Fire. It's what cost Saber her previous match because she wasn't ready for it. Here, though, she has enough warning. Though the wall of flames rushes toward her and scorches her kimono, Saber remains calm. "Kusanagi no Tsurugi, return those flames from whence they came!" She twirls elegantly, hair wafting in a breeze that picks up suddenly as she directs her sword forward gently, rather than swinging it. The remaining flames swirl around in front of her before the wind picks up, suddenly blowing the fire right back at Kirito! 

:'''{{#var:1|Kirito (1)}} has posed:'''     No sooner has Kirito unleashed rage spike and he sees Saber deciding to tank it that he realizes his mistake. Crap, why did he use a FIRE MOVE there?! His eyes go wide in a flash of panic, but there's nothig he can do for that one second after the skill was unleashed.     He lands right amidst the flame wave, getting splashed with environmental damage. His HP further ticks down!     But he side flips away from it before it gets too bad and raises his blade in defense, grinning in a bit of chagrin. "So that really is what I thought... awesome. You must be someone special." There's nothing but respect and admiration in his tone once he regains his bearings.     Vox Unitas is confidently twirled, then extended out in an en garde. "Sorry. I'm not making that mistake again." He promtly draws the weapon BACK, and this time it glows GREEN. A wind effect, white swirls and crescents, gathers around the blade. Just as fast he thrusts it FOWARD.     He is, of course, several body lenghts AWAY from Saber of Silver, but this apparently doesn't matter. The thrust's sheer FORCE unleashes a pulsing kinetic impact at the speed of sound! 

:'''{{#var:227|Saber of Silver (227)}} has posed:''' "Mm... I may be." Green eyes twinkle mischievously as she glances from Kusanagi to Kirito. "I'm sorry to say that you won't be getting any useful hints from me, though. My true identity is something that has to remain secret." She fixes her gaze meaningfully on Kirito for a moment before finally relaxing her expression. "You're free to make the mistake again, if you'd like." There's a faint smirk playing on her lips as she watches the green energy collect around the weapon. She's not really sure what that means... at least not until it happens. And while she might normally be able to do something about it, the movement speed of that force wave is too fast for her to properly react. The blast strikes her fully, and though she leans into it, she's still forced back several inches, hair whipping violently around her. "Nnn.. Green is wind. I see." Saber nods once, gripping her sword, then lifts it slightly back. "Come, winds of hurt and winds of healing. Strike down the one before me." The Servant's movements are powerful, yet elegant, bringing Kusanagi across her body several times before finally thrusting it forward and murmuring, "Kamaitachi." A series of invisible blades of wind suddenly fire forward at Kirito, each one coming in sequence after the movement of her sword. True to the name, the first few have a forceful impact, while others feel like razor-edged blades, yet through wouldn't actually draw blood if Kirito's avatar had any. 

:'''{{#var:1|Kirito (1)}} has posed:'''     Blow for blow, turn for turn, this is quickly getting out of hand! Kirito's thoughts accelerate within ther ush of battle, giving him plenty of time to consider his options. There really aren't many. There's nowhere to DODGE. Attempting to PARRY WIND probably won't go so well... but he has no choice here.     His sword's held out just in the nick of time. It again hums sharply, gathers the wind... and promptly spins fast enough to BLUR. His wrist becomes a whirl of flesh-tone and black, leaving him slightly shielded by the propeller-like spin of Vox Unitas out in front of him. It's another Sword Skill, but one hell of an odd one!     And it seems to be almost entirely worthless against the Kamaitachi! Wind blades strike against the Spinning Shield technique and are redirected slightly away from Kirito.     But this is far from perfect. All it ends up doing is twisting their paths slightly so that his arms, legs, and gut take a hell of a beating. SOMEHOW or another he manages to move his head back and forth just enough to avoid anything worse than a few grazes to his cheeks.     In the end, only his very center of mass and vitals were protected. he's COVERED in glowing gashes after it's over... and that fact has him looking pretty panicked.     He'd better stop fooling around.     The boy does a few odd gestures, reaching out to poke the air four times in different places in under a second. Clearly a very practiced motion. It's very practiced indeed, because it coincides with him rushing in with another maddeningly-quick charge!     There's a flash of blue from his back, but very little time to see what exactly it is. But since his empty hand expertly reaches up to grasp SOMETHING, Saber of Silver will probably have no trouble figuring out jsut what...     Because the moment Kirito's upon her his SECOND SWORD's drawn cleanly. A crystal-blue one-handed longsword seemingly, yes, made of some crystal-like material. And he brings BOTh weapons around. There's no glow this time! Instead he unleashes a series of fantastically swift strikes from every direction. it LOOKS wild, but it's actually quite well balanced. 

:'''{{#var:227|Saber of Silver (227)}} has posed:''' The first strike is cleanly parried, sword striking sword and giving off a shower of sparks. Saber pushes back against it, but catching that first blade leaves her open to the other, and Divination manages to slice through the sleeve of her kimono, drawing blood from the arm underneath. Saber brings her weapon around defensively to parry more of the strikes, but one more manages to tag her side, again slicing through the fabric of the kimono and drawing blood. While Saber has two swords herself, she rarely uses both of them at once. Whether that's for a reason or personal preference, she still keeps that katana sheathed at her hip. One foot slides back, and Kusanagi is swung around again, this time without any special incantation. And yet, as it moves, a soft flow of mana forms around it, gathering the air into a sharper blade to sheathe the weapon and increase cutting power. 

:'''{{#var:1|Kirito (1)}} has posed:'''     The Servant might detect a hint of guilt - or, perhaps, reluctance - the moment Kirito sees blood. This costs him pretty badly, though it's not exactly a mistake he'll feel real regret over.     But the tiny mistake does leave a nasty opening and slows down his defense. Both blades swing around a hair too slow to establish a proper counter to Kusanagi's path, and the strike ends up drawing a nasty path right across his body! Kirito's blown backwards, tumbling through the air...     But things just get WEIRDER as his HP meter drains down to match the damage.     Weird indeed. Light flows from his back, forms almost instantly into four translucent black dragonfly-like wings... wings that vibrate with a sound like wind instruments, and send him zipping back down at bullet-like speeds with BOTh blades coming around for another series of high-speed strikes!     This time, there's enough force behind all of it to CRATER the ground. A huge plume of dust and debris flies EVERYWHERe when the new skirmish starts! 

:'''{{#var:227|Saber of Silver (227)}} has posed:''' That guilt doesn't go unnoticed, but Saber is going to have to take advantage of every edge she can get. She knows she'll be fine, after all, and if Kirito wants to feel bad about hurting his opponent in a fight, well... maybe that will leave an opening. Flight, however, was not something she was expecting to see on the swordsman. "Wings..." She defends as well as she can, but at best she's able to deflect a few of the strikes, but several of them strike home, crossing Saber's arms and shoulders with a number of slashes. This wasn't good, though... if she lost control of one or both of her arms, the fight would be over in an instant, and she couldn't dare use her Noble Phantasm in a place like this. Despite the force of the strikes, Saber manages to stay on her feet, albeit feet now at the bottom of a crater formed from the sheer force of the impacts. "Kusanagi no Tsurugi, give swiftness to my strike!" Green eyes track Kirito as he flies, and she waits for just the right moment before darting forward. The result is like something out of an old period film, as Saber dashes by Kirito's side and several feet past him, trailing leaves, dust, grass, and, for some reason, sakura petals in her wake. She slowly lowers her sword, but how effective was the strike? 

:'''{{#var:1|Kirito (1)}} has posed:'''     Once Kirito's got solid footing himself and sees what stance Saber's taking, he answers it with one of his own. His own stance staggers out with one leg forward and another back, weight on his back leg... and sword raised up horizontally as if ready for a thrust. "HUAP--"     in the same exact moment that Saber of Silver blitzes forth for a slash, Kirito answers the charge with a lightning-swift motion of his own. Vox Unitas, gleaming bluish-white, cuts a brilliant line through the air as Kirito is seemingly one place one moment... and past Saber of Silver the next. The 'line' in the air frosts over, blossoming with icy fractals.     A line's been also drawn across Kirito's gut and side, albeit a shallow one. The question is, what about his opponent?     "She's strong... I'm barely keeping up!" The boy mutters to himself, alarmed. 

:'''{{#var:227|Saber of Silver (227)}} has posed:''' A few moments after lowering her sword and glancing back over her shoulder... Saber suddenly jerks froward, falling to one knee. A slit opens in the side of her kimono, and a bref spurt of blood stains the fabric, though crystals of ice soon form over the cut cloth and cover over the wound. This may not actually be better. This will probably take more mana than she'd hoped to have to expend today, but Saber isn't going to give up just yet. She flicks a gaze toward the stands, inclining her head toward where she can see Kazusa is sitting, and slowly closes her eyes. "Let the heavens themselves heed my cry," she mumbles softly, lifting her head. The Servant shifts her grip on Kusanagi, lifting it high, then brings it down as she turns to face Kirito. Above, in the sky, the clouds begin to move... but maybe it's just the wind coming in. Rather than charge in, Saber affixes her gaze on Kirito, green eyes suddenly sharp and intense. "Heavensfall." She makes a single stroke with her sword at the air, and nothing happens. For about a second and a half. Then an enormous force of pressure builds in the skies, and a harrowing shockwave of swirling winds slams down toward Kirito, coming from so high in the heavens that the clouds directly above split and separate. 

:'''{{#var:415|Kazusa Ujikane (415)}} has posed:'''     Up in the stands, Kazusa has gone quiet, watching intently... but her gaze meets Saber's just long enough to know that her Servant is going to need extra energy. She has more than enough to spare; all it takes is a bit of focus to push some along their link. "...do your best, Saber..." 

:'''{{#var:1|Kirito (1)}} has posed:'''     According to most logic, Kirito would've assumed the fight would end there. Either he would go down, or Saber would.     In this case it's neither. And that leaves him vulnerable for a second or so. His body refuses to budge in those few heartbeats after using a Sword Skill!     Which gives Saber of Silver ample time to ready the kind of ultimate attack Kirito had feared that she might be capable of. Were the timing off just SLIGHTLY, everything would work out differently. Because the instant he can move again, Kirito's once again going for a straightforward charge!     Just SLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHTLY too slow.     "Huuuuaghk---" The wind POUNDS down on him right as he's nearly upon Saber of Silver. Pummeled by the tip of what feels like a tornado drilling into his back and driving him down into the ground. It has him down on his knees, struggling to rise. Debris flies everywhere as his HP plummets down, down, DOWN to a few slivers.     Down, down to 20%... 15%... it's in the red!     And it HAD been in the yellow...     Up he stands though, with a berserker's battle fury in his eyes. "It's not over yet! OOOOAH!!"     BOTh weapons are raised horizontally and out to each side... and this time, BOTH surge with yellow electric might! It all comes down to one last Sword Skill.     Unlike the previous single blows, this one comes in like a raging wolf. The blades criss-cross, slashing back and forth horizontally again and again, several times a second. Each slash leaves glowing trails and every impact flares with lightning. It's top-notch video game special effects rendered in reality, and it's quite a lightshow. The technique transitions quickly into Kirito bringing each weapon to either side and spinning them swiftly like propellers with Saber their target! And FINALLY... the momentum's transferred into a double thrust for the belly! 

:'''{{#var:227|Saber of Silver (227)}} has posed:''' While it may have control over fire and wind, Kusanagi can't do a thing with lightning. At least, lightning elemental magic charged on a sword. As Kirito survives that final strike and moves in to attack, Saber brings her sword up, preparing to defend herself. The first few strikes, she manages to parry somewhat, though with her wounds it's a painful process, and her strength is not quite what it should be. One misplaced block, however, and Kirito manages a clean strike to her side, dropping her left arm. Once her guard has been broken, the strikes hit one after the other, each one making another cut in that ornamented kimono, each oen prompting more blood... And the final strike to her gut sinks both blades in deep. Saber's eyes go wide, and she slumps down to her knees, bringing a hand to her mouth as she coughs up blood. "W..well.. done..." Moving slowly, she returns Kusanagi to its sheath, taking a few more struggled breaths. She'll stand up again... once she's had some time to rest. 

:'''{{#var:1|Kirito (1)}} has posed:'''     Perhaps taht was overkill. Kirito ends up wincing, eyes scrunched tight once Saber of Silver's guard finally goes down and she's beaten back by the onslaught! There's blood. Too much blood. Every spurt he sees is another guilty pang on his heart.     Curse this darned tournament. He loses badly in the first round last year against a cute martial artist, then gets blown to bits by a cute shipgirl in this one's first qualifier... and now that he finally WINS a match it doesn't really feel like a victory at all.     Siiiiiiiiiigh.     Kirito doesn't execute his typical flourishy sword-sheathing and instead cleans both weapons carefully before sliding both into place into their scabbards across his back.     "... That almost got me. Sorry, I went too far..." He feels bad indeed.     But he extends a hand regardless to help Saber up when she's ready. His face is glum despite the praise... but only for a bit. It's clear from the way his expression wavers that he's not really HAPPY with this turnout for one reason or another. 

:'''{{#var:227|Saber of Silver (227)}} has posed:''' Ah, that expression. "Don't apologize. It weakens your victory." She manages a faint smile, covering her mouth with a hand. "Don't worry, though." She slowly reaches up her less bloody hand, taking Kirito's help to rise to her feet. "I'm very tough." Another cough, though she turns away to do it. The blood is wiped off on a sleeve, and she inclines her head toward the swordsman. "I wouldn't die even if you killed me." Her smile somewhat enigmatic, she glances toward the stands. "It seems I won't get that yakiniku after all." Not that she was fighting for food bribery. 

:'''{{#var:1|Kirito (1)}} has posed:'''     That's relieving to hear, definitely. Kirito's expresion brightens suddenly. "Every match has a winner and loser. I'd've rather fought you in the finals, not the prelims." He finally says, after getting his bearings back. "I'm ready for a rematch at any time!"     He can't stay down with her being so supportive! 

}}

2101/A Visit to the Moon Cell

2015-04-26T07:02:41Z

Parasaurolophus: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2015/04/26 |Location=Midway Fleet Base <MFB> |Synopsis=Rider reveals some of her past to her current Master |Thanks= |Cast of Characters=112, 281 |..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2015/04/26
|Location=Midway Fleet Base <MFB>
|Synopsis=Rider reveals some of her past to her current Master
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=112, 281
|Tinyplot=
|Tinyplot2=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:281|Rider (281)}} has posed:''' It's the weekend, which means the possibility of free time. And Rider's Master -did- owe her a few 'adventures' from that guessing game they played some time ago. Oddly enough, though, the Servant requested that Mikase wear her school uniform. 'To blend in,' was the reason given, without much more explanation. And yet, Rider is in her normal clothes, not even casual civilian wear. As they approach the transfer gates, Rider glances back up at her Master. "By the way... it's mostly safe in there, Mikase, but you should make sure to just call me Rider. At least unless we're sure there's nobody around to hear." She pauses for a moment in thought. "I'll make sure to explain all this once we're there." 

:'''{{#var:112|Mikase Yamato (112)}} has posed:'''     It's true that Mikase did promise 'adventures' all that time ago. Perhaps part of her had been hoping Rider would forget about such a silly thing, though she knew ultimately that a pirate never forgets what's owed to them. Besides, it's the weekend, and learning a little more about the war she'd involved herself in could be invaluable, right?     Thus we find Mikase Yamato in her school uniform, as requested, hands folded behind her back. "I still don't see how you could call this camouflage," the tall Japanese remarks. She lets out a little sigh, lifting her eyes to the gate, "I remember, Rider. Because your real identity might be used against you somehow."     "This isn't going to be one of those 'not meant for mortal minds' things, is it?" 

:'''{{#var:281|Rider (281)}} has posed:''' It's possible that Rider has not actually kept track of how many adventures are owed her and she just keeps using it as an excuse to drag Mikase out to have fun, and may continue to do so until called on it. "You'll see when we get there. Wish I had -that- uniform, but..." She doesn't explain herself, though she does pause as she reaches for the gate. "Well, yes. Especially there." She gives her Master an enigmatic grin, one hand falling to her hip. "Probably is, but I'm told that the brain automatically compensates. I was a bit worried about bringing you there, but if people can go inside places like those online videogames, then this should be no different. C'mon." Unless she's immediately followed, Rider will reach back to grab Mikase's hand to tug her through... ...and into what looks like a perfectly normal Japanese high school. There are a few people here and there without uniforms, and they really stand out, but most are wearing the same thing. "I'm gonna disappear so we don't get stared at. I'm supposed to be dead, after all." As her corporeal form fades away, Rider's voice is still audible, "Head inside and to the second floor. It should still be there." 

:'''{{#var:112|Mikase Yamato (112)}} has posed:'''     "Uniforms are generic enough--" Mikase starts, though the line of conversation shifts to possibly brain breaking territory. The girl recoils slightly, "Wait, 'probably' doesn't inspire much confidence..! Are you sure this is alright?" It takes grabbing her hand and yanking her to get her to pass the gate, with a shriek of objection and too much surprise to resist the Servant.     When she finds herself in a school courtyard, mid-objection, Mikase freezes in a braced pose meant to keep herself from falling over. Slowly, she scans from side to side with just her eyes. It takes a moment for the girl to straighten herself and cough into her hand, as if nothing happened.     "Don't freak me out like that," she hisses under her breath to the disembodied voice of her Servant. With a noise of surrender, the tall Japanese crosses the yard with her hands folded behind her back, standing out in her own way by wearing a different uniform. And also being kind of crazy tall by most world standards.     Pushing the doors open, she instinctively moves to a locker, then pauses. Realizing she doesn't have indoor shoes here, the girl simply proceeds on, "Upstairs, right?" 

:'''{{#var:281|Rider (281)}} has posed:''' "I was -mostly- certain it was safe. Almost completely." The sound of amused laughter comes from Mikase's side, "Sorry, sorry. But you have to admit, you did make a really cute noise when I dragged you through!" One thing to note as they walk is that several of the 'students' here seem to be talking to the air, and others have their focus on something that's not there. "They're all Masters. Just like you can hear me, they're the only ones who can hear their Servants like this." A soft hum sounds from the Servant. "Don't worry, though. Fighting in the halls is forbidden, so we're perfectly safe." She pauses. "Unless someone breaks the rules, but then they'll be punished." Despite not being physically there, there's an almost tangible presence nearby, as if Rider is sticking near to her Master. "Upstairs to the second floor. Go left, then the second room. It looks like a classroom but it's not." The feeling of Rider's presence sticks close to Mikase, seeming to close the distance even more when other students walk by. It isn't until the indicated door is opened that Rider materializes again, stepping into the room. "Ahh... just like I left it." The room seems decorated like a captain's cabin, though everything seems to be made by pushing together desks and chairs. It's definitely a classroom that's been repurposed, but somehow it... works. "Have a seat. Bed should be soft, and there are a few cushioned chairs around." The so-called bed seems to be a bunch of desks pushed together with a thin mattress on top. 

:'''{{#var:112|Mikase Yamato (112)}} has posed:'''     "So basically," Mikase's eyes wander as she travels through the school, "I'm surrounded by enemies on all sides, held at bay only by a supposed peace agreement." Her eyes narrow, "I'll have to be very careful, here..."     Inwardly she reaches out. When the spirit of the Yamato responds, the girl relaxes just a little. If she can still transform, than anyone who breaks the rules is in for a forty-six centimeter surprise, and that puts Mikase's mind at ease.     Upstairs. Left. Second room.     In the door, Mikase pauses, glancing about the odd decoration choices. Once Rider reappears, she steps in further and shuts the door, "When you said you had a room in the Moon Cell, I was expecting a futuristic apartment or something. Not a ... classroom crash pad." Turning back towards the Servant, she asks, "Is this where you go when I can't feel you? Or do you just go out and carouse?" 

:'''{{#var:281|Rider (281)}} has posed:''' "That about sums it up. The penalty for breaking the rules is pretty harsh, though. Not many are willing to risk losing their lives that way." The way Rider says it is so nonchalant, too. "Heh. It's all we had, really. Gotta make the most of it." She drops down on a seat made of two chairs pushed together and kicks up her feet to rest on another one. "Mmm... usually I'm out carousing, honestly. I haven't been back here since... a while." Rider gestures vaguely at the bed and the chairs nearby for her Master to have a seat herself. "I thought I should finally be honest with you about... well, everything. I've been feeling kinda bad for hiding things from you, and I figured you knowing my past would help explain it better." 

:'''{{#var:112|Mikase Yamato (112)}} has posed:'''     "I'm not surprised," Mikase mutters flatly in response to Rider's recreational habits. "Come to think of it, you seemed nostalgic, so I should've picked up that you hadn't been here in a while." She also files that other bit of information away. So breaking the rules is basically a death sentence. That's both reassuring...and not.     When one is tall, the chance to dangle legs does not happen often. And so Mikase's final choice of seating is the desk-bed, where she can let her legs hang for entirely selfish and childish reasons she won't get into. Hands resting on either side of her hips, she shrugs lightly, "I'd assumed you'd tell me when you were ready. I didn't think you were /hiding/ things from me."     Giving her legs a kick, Mikase adds, "Least of all your past. I've gotten the impression that this is a pretty depressing business and you don't seem the sort to dwell on that sort of thing." 

:'''{{#var:281|Rider (281)}} has posed:''' There's something about the way such a tall girl sits so her legs dangle that Rider finds endearing. She doesn't bring it up, but she does give Mikase a smile as she sees the choice of perch. "Well... not hiding to hide things. Just never thought they were important." Rider gestures vaguely, then lowers her gaze a bit. "But, well... I like you, Mikase. I don't want something to happen to you because you didn't know something important." She gives a soft laugh. "I -hate- dwelling on the past, but... things happen, you know?" She takes a breath. "Since you're actually you, and not someone connected through the Moon Cell, I don't know if the same rules apply to you. It's why I held off telling you. But you should know how this works." Rider's lips press together, and she's silent for a moment, looking out into nowhere in thought. Finally, she opens her mouth, "If a Servant of the Moon Cell dies, their Master also dies." 

:'''{{#var:112|Mikase Yamato (112)}} has posed:'''     Mikase listens intently to what is very clearly important. She knows Rider well enough to know the pirate wouldn't be this serious over something trivial. Even many serious things get played around with and teased rather than just outright stated, when this redhead is involved.     When the bomb drops, there's a very visible reaction in Mikase's posture even though she doesn't make any sort of sound. She goes still, looking down towards her knees in thought. So that's how it is... But then, is it really such a surprise?     "I don't care about that," Mikase states after a moment, "In any situation where you would be killed, I'd already be dead anyway. Remember that I swore a promise of protection, Rider." Glancing over towards the pirate ghost, she adds, "That includes you." 

:'''{{#var:281|Rider (281)}} has posed:''' Rider opens her mouth and looks at Mikase. Her mouth closes, and she considers for a moment. Again, her mouth opens, and she lifts her index finger as if to make a point... then closes her mouth again. And then Rider breaks out laughing, slapping a hand against her thigh. "I knew I liked you, Mikase. That's... you really got me. Thanks." A genuine smile comes to her lips, and she hops to her feet, closing the distance to her Master. "C'mere." Leaning forward, she thros her arms around Mikase and squeezes the girl close in a crushing hug. "An answer like that makes me glad I picked you, y'know?" After a few moments, Rider finally releases the girl, then hops up onto the bed next to Mikase. "Thanks, I..." She glances down toward their feet. "My first Master here didn't believe that, you know. Thought it was just a game, since it's just in a computer. Heh, we were so sure we'd win, too." 

:'''{{#var:112|Mikase Yamato (112)}} has posed:'''     The stunned silence just intensifies Mikase's resolve, which shows in her determined expression. The laughing catches her off guard, though, "E-ehh? Was is really that funny..?" Though it's explained soon enough and the girl's cheeks pinken, then redden through the hug. She feels like she just said something really embarassing, somehow.     "..Yeah," the tall Japanese murmurs, "We are the company we keep. Maybe I'm picking up some of your sillier traits, or that impulsiveness of yours." With Rider sitting beside her now, Mikase elbows the shorter woman, "Maybe you'll pick up on my responsibility and good habits, but somehow I doubt it."     Things shift to a master before Mikase, and she presumes before the person she 'stole' Rider from. "Was this the one before the Confederate?" There's a sigh, "Thinking you're invincible... Even I know that's a big mistake. Knowing what my powers are and what they come from is both empowering and sobering all at once."     After all, the Yamato was the mightiest battleship of all time--and she sank. Spectacularly. 

:'''{{#var:281|Rider (281)}} has posed:''' "I'm laughing because I should've known you'd say something like that. And the way you said it, all serious..." She grins up at the girl, then shifts somewhat as her side is nudged. "I'm plenty responsible. I just often choose to ignore the advice my mind gives me sometimes." A brief nod. "Not the Confederate, right. He... he was probably one of the best Spirit Hackers here in the competition. Most of the others were afraid of him, you know. It wasn't even me. They all said the two of us would come out on top. He made a good villain, to be honest, but despite being smart, he managed to be pretty stupid." She reaches up to rub the back of her head. "...he was just eight. Nobody really knew that except me and the one who beat us, and maybe the overseers." 

:'''{{#var:112|Mikase Yamato (112)}} has posed:'''     Mikase folds her arms with a little 'hnf' noise, "You don't have to tease me about it. I know I can be predictable." A sidelong glance is given to Rider, "You should probably listen to yourself a little more often, then."     Some more sobering truth. Mikase blinks, then shifts her gaze down towards her knees, "Just eight, huh... So he thought it was a game and got in over his head. And paid for it with his life." Lifting her eyes, she hums to herself, "It's a little sad for such a smart kid, that kind of ending. But I suppose if it wasn't him it'd have been someone else and we wouldn't be having this conversation." 

:'''{{#var:281|Rider (281)}} has posed:''' "Predictable but still cute," counters Rider, poking her Master's side with a finger. "I'd prefer to think you're my conscience now, Mikase. It's easier that way." A slow nod. "Yeah. I don't think he really should have ever been involved. Never even grasped the entire situation of the competition. But that's why I wanted to make sure you knew." She offers her Master a soft smile, then covers that with her hands and rubs her face for a moment. "Can't say I completely regret it, not when it leads to the two of us being like this. Still..." The regret in her voice is almost tangible. 

:'''{{#var:112|Mikase Yamato (112)}} has posed:'''     "Don't carry it with you," Mikase says quietly, "You shouldn't feel guilty for someone else's mistakes, no matter how dire the consequences were for them." Lifting an arm, she places it around Rider's shoulders in a more consoling way, her own eyes closed, "You're only responsible for your own actions, it's the same for anyone else."     Glancing aside to the Servant, she adds, "Just like I'll ask you not to regret whatever may happen to me. Okay?" There's a little smile on her face when she leans down a bit to get a better look at Rider's face, "You know me, I'll probably kick the bucket trying to protect one person too many, anyway." 

:'''{{#var:281|Rider (281)}} has posed:''' "Mmm. You're right." Rider glances up as the arm goes over her shoulders. "Guess I'm just feeling a bit melancholy. Not much like me, is it?" She reaches up to touch the girl's arm, letting out a soft laugh. "Sounds like something I'd say." As her Master leans down, Rider glances up again and grins. "Don't be silly, Mikase. Like I'd let you get killed while I can help it. I'd be a failure as a Servant." 

}}

1928/Shining and Blasting

2015-04-02T04:25:26Z

Parasaurolophus: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2015/03/31 |Location=Great Ocean - Western Loop |Synopsis=A new Abyssal threat has emerged! Or maybe it's just more of the same? Whatever the cas..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2015/03/31
|Location=Great Ocean - Western Loop
|Synopsis=A new Abyssal threat has emerged! Or maybe it's just more of the same?
Whatever the case, a new class of Abyssal ship has been seen attacking shipping lanes in the Great Ocean. Someone should do something about that!
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=385, 410, 637, 670, 685, 739, 740
|Tinyplot=
|Tinyplot2=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:739|Suzuya (739)}} has posed:''' All is quiet on the open seas, save for a few oil tankers cruising along one of the larger shipping lanes in the Great Ocean. Oh, and the cannonfire. There's that, too. Several plumes of water explode up on the port side of one of the tankers as some near-misses land in the water just shy of the ship. The source of the shells isn't hard to see, either: a pair of Abyssals skims over the surface of the ocean, launching attacks from cannons mounted on their thighs. The two look almost completely identical, save for one having light blue eyes and the other silvery-gray, , though in both cases they glow menacingly. 

:'''{{#var:685|Kuma (685)}} has posed:'''     Kuma, along with the rest of the Fifth Force Recon fleet, were out on patrol when they got a call from an Oil Tanker fleet. They changed course and came up alongside them, skating in a formation. Chitose's seaplanes were on patrol, and the approach of the Abyssals was spotted just before they came into cannon range.     Shigure and Nowaki peel off, crossing their paths in a zigzag as they attempt to close in on the approaching hostiles, firing potshots into their path as they go.     Kuma herself follows along behind the Destroyers, her 14cm cannon firing a volley from range, while she attemps to get into torpedo range.     Chitose signals in about the attack, while launching her Seaplanes to provide cover. "Fifth Force Recon Fleet, Chitose. We're on defense sortie! Requesting backup. Two Heavy Cruisers, unknown Class. Abyssal, Repeat, Abyssal!" 

:'''{{#var:740|Elphelt Valentine (740)}} has posed:''' Elphelt Valentine hadn't /actually/ been out doing any sort of military business. No, she'd simply heard rumors of a strangely dressed, dark-skinned woman on one of the islands not too far away. Not a very likely catch on her Sister, but El is pretty desperate by now. Having hitched a ride with a generic Union pilot in a long-range helicopter, the bridalbot has been sitting in the passenger seat sleeping away the long ride with cloth-ears flopping and generally being cute and sleepy. Then the SOS comes in, and she springs awake! "Eliminate all redundancies without exception!" Arms comically in the air, the pilot looks back, then shakes his head. Freaking weird Elites. Then, her sleep protocols wearing off, she grabs her bouquet and unstraps herself. "Pilot, bring us in please!" The chopper slowly wheels around, trying to stay /just/ outside of the range of the guns of those two Abyssal ships! The big vehicle is meant more for long-range operations than combat, and has no weapons. But the armor's thick enough, and it has Elphelt on board. Grabbing the long, pink, bow-tied rifle Miss Confire, El sticks out her tongue as she takes a knee and takes aim after loading it with a concussion shell. BLAM! She's an absurdly accurate shot, even at a distance that shouldn't be possible for a human, and the round, though non-lethal in nature, would be enough to tip a tank over when hit. Like getting punched in the face by a train, really. "HEYYYYY! STOP BEING SO MEAN TO THE SAILORS!" Yells out Elphelt towards the two Abyssals. The pilot just facepalms. 

:'''{{#var:385|Yuna Kagurazaka (385)}} has posed:''' As luck would have it, Yuna was actually on one of the islands not very far from here when the distress call goes out; a quick mental 'whistle' for Elner and Marina results in her being able to transform and sortie in rapid time. A few moments after that, the mermaid-shaped armor of Yuna's Marine Form is cutting through the water, just beneath the surface; Elner is flitting about on high cover, providing Yuna with an indirect birds-eye view of the aquatic battlefield - and while the little robo-faerie is at it, Elner opens a channel between Yuna and the Fleet Daughters. "Hey, Kuma, everyone," Yuna transmits. "On my way in to assist ... want me to stick with submarine tactics?" She's already throwing in some evasive maneuvers, just in case any firepower is being directed her way. 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' Lyria Mason people are tied to the water, it's not a lie, it's not them just claiming they live on the water. They can actually feel it to a degree here. While she's not a spirit of a ship she's got a small one person craft from her home world, while she could sail on the water without a need for a craft? She'd tired out and then be stuck bobbing about, so for now she simply rides. "By the Serpent's coils." She hears the call from the oil tanker and falls in with the rest of the patrol as they make for the tanker. Lyria also pulls her goggles down, because hey keeping water out of one's eyes is a good thing, right? She wonders just how crazy this fight's going to get, but something has to be done. Several small spider like things now pop up from the hull of Lyria's small craft, the spider bots seem to be ready to go. Still seeing an Abyssal? There's a mix of fear and pitty in her mind, fear of what it is, pitty for it having been the spirit of a ship. She picks up speed attempting to close. 

:'''{{#var:410|Jeannette Thompson (410)}} has posed:''' "Action Message from Squadron Commander, sir." The CIC of the RTS /Kingsford/ was subdued in blue light, bright enough to see around you, but dim enough so that the flat screens in front of the various controllers and sysops were easy to read, and the holoblock at the front glowed with a bright, 3D arrangement of the battlefield, icons pulsing from various sensor sources. A bright blue for certain Union assests, and a hazier, unsure red for the Abyssals that moved to threaten the green of those oil tankers heading forward. The Captain of the Triancian heavy cruiser turns his head toward the communications tech with a disposable data card, nodding and releving it from her with a flick, before placing it in the reader. <<KINGSFORD IN OPERATIONAL POSITION TO SUPPORT UNION ASSESTS PROTECTING FREEDOM OF TRADE. CAPTAIN SHALL SUPPORT WITH ANY AND ALL FORCE REQUIRED, AT HIS DISCRETION. BY DIRECTION, SC THOMPSON.>> "There are sometimes I wonder exactly how much of that girl's knowledge comes from what she looks up online at a given moment." He mutters to himself, before looking to another officer. "Targets are too small for engagement with cruise missiles. Close distance; we'll engage with EM and DE once in light of sight. Until then, provide sensor support to allied forces." Whatever ships and Elites have the ability to will receive a downlink request rather suddenly, coming from the two drones orbitting the area. It has what (little) sensor information the /Kingsford/ has, along with a message. <<RTS KINGSFORD, ARRIVING TO SUPPORT. ETA TO OPERATIONAL AREA, 340 SECONDS.>> 

:'''{{#var:739|Suzuya (739)}} has posed:''' "Ha ha ha! Look at them run, look at them run!" calls the gray-eyed Abyssal. Despite the laughter, there doesn't seem to be any joy in the voice, and in fact, it's quite haunting and hollow. It probably doesn't help that her mouth is hidden, covered by a monstrous lower jaw that extends upward from her collar. Another round of shells is fired, again missing by a short distance. "You shouldn't tease them so, dear sister," chides the one with blue eyes. She points toward the nearest tanker, head tilting just so. "We should give them a swift end, it's only proper. Allow me t--" She pauses short and looks up, quickly pushing the other Abyssal away from her. The shove has enough force to send her skidding the opposite direction, just before a shell from the Fifth Recon fleet lands in the water where the two were just standing. "What is..." Gray eyes look up and narrow, focusing quickly on Kuma. "They've come. Our dear friends..." Panels on the sides of her leg cannons flip open, ejecting torpedoes into the water to speed toward the light cruiser. The blue-eyed Ne-class sweeps forward, a tentacle sprouting from the small of her back and striking forward. The end splits open like a monstrous mouth, and it snaps at the concussion shell. A muffled explosion sounds, but it seems to be just fine, and in fact sprouts three cannons from its snout to return fire toward the helicopter. "Good girl," calls the gray-eyed Abyssal, reaching forward to pat her sister's cannon. "My turn now." A pair of similar tentacles sprouts from he rown back, and all six barrels open fire, sending a volley toward the incoming ships. On the plus side, they're not attacking the tankers, anymore. 

:'''{{#var:685|Kuma (685)}} has posed:'''     Kuma turns sharply, then fires into the water to detonate those torpedoes before they pass by and strike the tankers. "Chitose! Cover the Tankers, kuma!" she transmits, then turns back to the Heavy Cruisers. "Don't you dare underestimate us, kuma!" she snarls defiantly, before her ankle racks traverse, and she drops a quartet of torpedoes of her own into the water at the Abyssals.     Shigure unhooks her backpack, grabbing onto the trigger handles that extend and sweeps the large barrels around, firing bursts of shells at the silver-eyed cruiser, using her speed to circle around and attempt to flank.     Nowaki breaks the opposite way, firing on the Blue-eyed enemy, while turning slightly to unload the four torpedoes in her hip rack to add to the barrage.     Chitose meanwhile, splits her airforce in two. Half move in to drop dive bombs on the two cruisers, while the other half bank around, and fire machineguns into the water to detonate the remaining torpedoes. These then begin patroling around the tankers, ready to intercept more incoming fire. 

:'''{{#var:740|Elphelt Valentine (740)}} has posed:''' The cannon fire at first only grazes the chopper, the pilot desperately trying to pull up. Then a round hits right in the body of the craft, sending it in a brief spin that has poor Elphelt twirling around and around! Finally, the woman just tips over dizzily from the chopper, falling! "PULL OUT, I'LL BE FINE!" Yells Elphelt to the pilot, who quickly pulls up to disengage, his craft already smoking. Flipping around, legs flailing and one hand trying to keep her dress from flopping over her head, she drops her bouquet and straddles it. By the time she hits the water, the thing expands in a burst of pink magical light into a two-seater rocket. Pink contrails spew out the back of the Bridal Express, sending Elphelt blasting towards the two Abyssals head-on at a low skim. "Oh, I really should've taken some boating lessons!" Her pattern is jagged, and a little random, the vehicle clearly not meant to be used on the water. Still, the thing is fast, zooming towards the pair. Then she's reaching to the side of the thing, and pulls out a massive rocket-launcher, festooned with ribbons and roses as she takes aim. "GENOISE!" Fwoooooosh! Pulling the trigger, a large, bullet-shaped rocket goes flying towards the grey-eyed Abyssal, aimed right for the chest of the undead shipgirl. Hit or miss, the explosion is similarly more concussive and blunt than explosive, meant to daze and incapacitate rather than kill. It likely won't feel good, however. 

:'''{{#var:410|Jeannette Thompson (410)}} has posed:''' The /Kingsford/ is now within visual range, the speed currently in excess of 40 knots, clearly showing the technology needed to move a ship of that size at that speed without the entire thing shaking apart. It also provided an excellent defense... to ships that didn't have their weapons linked to thereselves. "Radar warning!" A sensor tech yells, hands moving quickly across the keys. At this range, there wasn't any time to get an order from command; it was just a matter of slamming a button and giving the computer control. When it does, the ship's side mounted DEAD mounts swivel into position, tracking the incoming shells and radiating large amounts of energy in a very short frame. Directed aganist a person, it would probably start to boil skin off the skeleton; here, it caused shells in the volley to detonate one by one. It wasn't perfect, though. The design was made as a complement to guided missile defense systems, a leg of a traid that included jamming/spoofing and longer ranger interceptors. Aganist explosive shells, it could have taken all of them out, but the rate of fire ensures that some get through, slamming aganist the hardened matertial of the deck, and hull. "Taking fire. Minor damage to hull, plunging fire near the aft VLS cells. Three injured in one of the corridors. Beacons out, SBAs enroute." Another tech reports. The Captain nods. "Keep casualities to a minimum. Join with what forces are protecting the tankers. We'll leave the targets to those used to dealing with them, and make our focus the protection of trade. Not that we won't get a shot in." He says, smiling mirthlessly. With the shells still coming in, the four rail guns of the heavy cruiser start to hum with energy, both of the double mounts fore and after quickly and smoothly swiveling toward the blue-eyed Abyssal, and firing with a /crack/ of projectiles moving at hypersonic speeds. What they lack in the explosive potential of older cannon, they hopefully make up for in sheer kinetic velocity. They'd certainly like to /hope/ that this was a quick battle, with each target taking out by a single volley of advanced guns. But they'd read the reports. When targets like this were about, caution was incredibly mandated. 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' The good news is they got the enemy off of the tankers, the bad news is now all those guns are aimed at them. Lyria now focuses her self as she's got to keep her own craftr moving, also she does not want to think about how those guns formed on that one Abyssal's back too much. It's quite disutrbing when you get down to it. She watches Kuma and listen to her orders. Okay so with that coverd she's going to go in, she doesn't pull her pistols, no she attemps to turn the waters on the silver haired Abyssal. The spiders also leap off of her small craft and start skating now across the surface like a small group of water striders. Lyria's got a plan but if it will work? She's not certain, there's only one way to find out. 

:'''{{#var:385|Yuna Kagurazaka (385)}} has posed:''' The sound of the Abyssal artillery going off in concussive concert provokes a quiet "Eep!" from Yuna, and the Savior of Light quickly dives for deeper water while otherwise continuing her approach towards the Abyssals. Fortunately, she's much smaller than most actual ships, and has a somewhat more trim profile than even the Fleet Daughters, in addition to her underwater maneuverability; hopefully, that combination will be enough to help keep her safe. She's not ENTIRELY concerned with self-preservation, though; the 'pigtails' attached to her sealed helmet pivot forward, pointing towards the lead Abyssal, and a set of ten microtorpedoes shoots out from their ends, five per side. The microtorpedoes immediately get their target locks and begin accelerating through the water ... although even if Yuna weren't submerged, they could fly through air about as well. On the other hand, their explosions - while they do pack something of a punch - will also be comparably small. They ought to smack the Abyssal girls around pretty well, but the 'real' damage at this point is likely to have to come from her allies. At least, apart from the strong traces of light/holy power which can typically be found in Yuna's attacks. 

:'''{{#var:739|Suzuya (739)}} has posed:''' Torpedoes in the water. The blue-eyed Abyssal's leg cannons pepper the sea with small fire, detonating three of the incoming torpedoes. The third manages to get through, and though there's no cry of pain, the explosion shoots up a large spray of water around her. "Nnn... not nearly enough." Her second tentacle sprouts, forming its own trio of cannons. The first tentacle quickly swings around, blocking the shots fired from Nowaki. A quick twirl on the waves brings her in front of her sister, and she crosses her arms in front of her body just as Shigure's shell strikes with another explosion. When the smoke from the explosion clears, her tattered neckscarf sizzles with the fire burning along its lower edge, though the Ne-class quickly swats it to put it out. "Do not worry, sister dear. I have your back!" The gray-eyed Abyssal glances toward the other, nodding once. "So many new friends they've brought. I hope we get to know all of them. We--" She's interrupted as Elphelt's rocket strikes home, sending her skidding backwards. She would have fallen over, except her tentacles dip back to provide leverage against the surface of the sea. "Humans..." Her expression suddenly darkens, and one of the tentacles sweeps up again to fire all three barrels toward Elphelt. The seas start getting rougher, but neither of the Abyssals seems to recognize the source, or Lyria's spiders. As they begin to look around, Yuna's torpedoes strike from underwater, sending water erupting all around them. Some of them hit, but the Abyssals are quite resilient, and both of them manage to stay on their feet. Then, as one, the two Abyssal cruisers look up. Twelve guns open fire into the air, trying to intercept those dive bombers before their bombs can land. And after that first volley, both Abyssals fix their eyes on Chitose and open fire, sending a concentrated rain of shells at the seaplane tender. 

:'''{{#var:740|Elphelt Valentine (740)}} has posed:''' "You know you're outnumbered right? Why don't you just...give up or something and we can all go home!" Calls out Elphelt, as hopelessly naive (and in this case ignorant), as ever. Those two bunny-rabbit-cloth ears on her head perk up, just in time for the grey-eyed one to aim those tentacles at her! Explosive shells rain down towards her, and the Valentine lets out a shriek. Leaping a good ten feet in the air, she manages to dodge the initial volley, but soon has to contend with so many more guns being fired along those already in the air. Lesser shells plink and marr her battle-dress, before an explosive round sends her careening back towards the water only to land back atop the Bridal Express. "Owwwww, that hurt!" Complains the woman, desperately trying to control her now swerving jet-rocket. As she flails and tugs on the controls, she accidentally hits a button. The engine flares up, and with a renewed burst of pure pink and hearts burning out the back, the rocketship of love enters ramming speed right towards the grey-eyed Abyssal. Atop it, her extra bouquet being held upon and flailing wildy, vehicle and Elphelt alike are perfect projectiles to slam into the poor Abyssal with. "IT DIDN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAAAAAAAY!!!" 

:'''{{#var:685|Kuma (685)}} has posed:'''     Chitose's eyes go wide as she sees those cannons leveling at her. She's not as maneuverable as her fleet mates and despite a good attempt, takes a shell directly to her backpack as she turns to get out of range. "Aah! Enough already, the fuel is leaking!"     Kuma looks back at her friend, tchs and comes about, moving to cover Chitose now. "Back off Chitose, kuma. I won't have anyone sinking today, kuma."     Shigure and Nowaki continue their high speed harrassment, small caliber shells peppering the area around the enemy cruisers. Shigure fires torpedoes while Nowaki's rack reloads, trying to keep the Abyssals off balance. 

:'''{{#var:385|Yuna Kagurazaka (385)}} has posed:''' Below the water's surface, Yuna's expression hardens as Elner reports the concentration of fire on Chitose. Enough of this playing around. The Matrix Divider appears in her hands, and Yuna starts swimming straight upwards, focusing power into the Divider's blade/barrel as she ascends. The light shining from her main weapon is probably visible above the surface well before Yuna herself is - and when she breaks through the waves, she's got enough speed to leap into the air like a cavorting dolphin. And she has a full charge focused into the Matrix Divider. She's airborne long enough to take aim at the lead Abyssal, or (if they're perfectly side-by-side) the one on Yuna's right as she looks at them ... and a powerful bolt of concussive radiance is unleashed, splitting the air with a crack like muted thunder. Then she dives again, leaving her allies (and Elner) to get a better view of how effective that blast *is*. 

:'''{{#var:637|Kongou (637)}} has posed:'''     A tiny object swoops down out of the sky, banking sharply into a roll and then, righting itself, banks away in a graceful arc. The yellow marking on the wings identify it as a Saiun recon plane. MILES AWAY     "Found them~!" Zuihou declares, raising her free hand over her head. Bringing it down, she points, "Ten kilometers, that direction!"     "Shall we, Flagship?" Akizuki turns slightly, casting a glance past Zuihou to the woman leading the formation.     "Hmm~hmm~..." Kongou's eyes are closed, cradling her chin in one hand, "That way, then! <Okay!>" Thrusting out her hand, suddenly, Kongou's eyes snap open and the radars on her headband adjust. Simultaneously, the guns on her turrets elevate, "'Suzu! 'Zuki! Advance to torpedo range. Zui, fighter cover, <If You Please~!>"     "Right!" All three girls spring into action, Isuzu and Akizuki breaking off and accellerating while Zuihou moves up closer to Kongou, drawing an arrow from her quiver. As she nocks it, she closes her eyes with a smile, "Go on, Zero, fly in the sky to your heart's content~!" With a snapping sound, she looses the arrow, which splits off into four green-painted aircraft that ascend.     But a light cruiser, a destroyer, and airplanes won't reach the battle quickly enough to make an impact. But something else will. Kongou's hand remains extended. In a bright voice, she declares, "Long range locked~! Ready! Aim! <FIYAH~!>"     The resulting blast of smoke is visible on the horizon. A full 78 seconds later, a barrage of armor piercing shells descend on the twin Ne-class heavy cruisers. At long range, a battleship is at her strongest! ... But not her most accurate. That's why Kongou opted for a spread pattern much like a shotgun. The goal is that at least one might hit! 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' There's a lot of naval fire power going about here, but hopefully Lyria can keep from getting deep sixed. She directs the drones to head for the Abyssals they start to spread out trying to encircle the pair. Once they pull this off the water about spiders is going to start o flash freeze. It will rapidly move towards the Abyssals even if they are not directly in the water this might cause them some problems. Lyria leaps off her craft and it vanishes in a burst of light. She now end up skating across the water heading for the pair and now has a pistol out. She opens fire on the pair spraying elemental rounds at both hoping to keep them off balance, maybe even knock them over, if her ice plan succeeds. However this plan reveals she can mess with the water quite well, which pains a big darn bulls eye on her self. She also didn't think threw she might have just messed up allied torpedo attacks either. She is trying to hope and hopefully she'll make a good diversion for Kongu, Kuma and everyone else. 

:'''{{#var:739|Suzuya (739)}} has posed:''' Scratch one carrier... or at least one carrier's involvement in the battle. Both of the Ne-class cruisers seem satisfied as the fleet's air cover is taken out of the picture, the gray-eyed one reaching back to give her tentacle cannon an affectionate pat on the head. The two Abyssals seem fairly well in synch as Yuna approaches, and neither of them really takes the lead over the other. The one on the right - the one with blue eyes - looks up just in time to get blasted right in the chest with that beam from Yuna. For a moment, she sinks a few inches, until the waves come up to her calves... but the gray-eyed Abyssal reaches out for her hand to yank her back up again. "So many of them... just for the two of us. How nice!" It seems that they don't seem to mind so much being outnumbered. "Now, shall we--" The gray-eyed Ne-class turns to draw her guns on Shigure, then her eyes widen as she instead finds herself rammed into by a flailing Elphelt and rocket bouquet. It might end up a fairly painful impact, considering just how solid the Abyssals are, but there's still enough force there to send her tumbling back end over end. She's not sunk yet, though, and slowly rises back up to her feet, gray eyes glowing brightly as she looks at Elphelt. "That was a mistake~" she singsongs as both tentacles pivot to point right at the woman. Just as she's about to open fire, she staggers forward, struck by Lyria's bullets. "What--?" Then the two Abyssals find their feet frozen in place. Both of them look down, perplexed, though the guns on their legs swivel downward to shoot out the ice around their feet. So busy are they dealing with the ice that they don't notice the incoming barrage of shells until too late. Explosions rain around the two Abyssals, and their forms are completely obscured in smoke and mist. Did they sink that easily? The answer comes when an absolutely enormous arm reaches out of the thinning mist, slamming down into the ice to shatter it. "No more games. Ne." The voice is dull, yet echoes eerily over the surface of the ocean. The other Abyssal soon rises as well, and the two Ne-class cruisers stand up to their full, monstrous heights in Leviathan form. 

:'''{{#var:637|Kongou (637)}} has posed:'''     Owing to the speed of their ship classes, Isuzu is reasonably visible by the time the Ne class cruisers reveal their Leviathan forms, prompting the black haired girl to turn alongside rather than approach head on. Beside her, Akizuki turns the opposite direction, already surrounded by silvery light. This expands into an orb around her, which in turn grows until the full gunmetal gray hull of the lead Akizuki destroyer erupts into the water, cruising at a healthy 38 knots. The turrets on her deck are already swinging aside, long barrels raising. After a pause, they open fire, a steady staccato of gunfire as expected from anti-aircraft artillery.     Isuzu plants a foot, pushing off, skating. By the time she's pushed her second leg back, the same silver light surrounds her. Moments later, the larger cruiser bursts forth, crashing into the waves and accellerating while her triple-gun turrets transverse towards the colossal Ne twins.     Further out, Kongou's full figure bursts into existence, great cannons raising while she makes a turn to port to bare her broadside. Moments later, a flat-top appears. Zuihou turns sharply as well to keep Kongou between herself and the enemy, raising a new wing of aircraft onto her flight deck via the central elevator. Most tellingly, Zuihou's transformation also increases the sizes of the Zeroes she's already deployed, now circling above the Abyssal cruisers, accompanied by Kongou's observation floatplane. 

:'''{{#var:385|Yuna Kagurazaka (385)}} has posed:''' Elner actually retreats further up into the air as the pair of Abyssals rise up from being staggered - and rise, and *rise*. Yuna, on the other hand, is already underwater again - and has to fight against the desire to dive as deep as she can to get away from the now-titanic Abyssals. To dive deep, and follow the ocean floor away from them until it's safe ... She grits her teeth. She's in this to help her friends, and she already knows far too well that the Abyssals would love nothing better than to 'kill' the Fleet Daughters - to bombard them, sink them to rise as additional Abyssals. She was there for the battle in which Kongou was 'rescued' from her Abyssal form; she doesn't want to see that happen to any of the other Daughters in the first place. So Yuna wrestles her fear away and ascends towards the Abyssals once more - holding her fire and plotting out how best to attack. Against enemies this size, her first thought is El-Line; however, she only has Marina and Elner with her, and no time for Erina or Jiina to come and help. The best she can do at this point is to try and hit the Abyssals in some weak points, maybe create a better opportnity for her allies with heavier firepower to strike the telling blows. With Elner's help from above the battle, Yuna finds a possibility ... and as soon as she gets into position, she launches another spread of microtorpedoes. Out of the ten, one is aimed for what would amount to the soles of each Abyssal's feet; the remaining six transition from water to air, flying up and hooking back to try and detonate against the backs of the Abyssals' knees - one squarely for each knee, and one between the knees to hopefully shake their stability further. And once that's done, Yuna goes deep again and swims back towards the Union's side of the battle. She's not sure how much more she can help at this scale; as she swims, she entrusts some of the navigational mind-work to Marina, and turns that share of her own attention to praying. 

:'''{{#var:740|Elphelt Valentine (740)}} has posed:''' WHAM! Elphelt lands upon the Ne-class cruiser in a tangle of limbs and general discontent with the situation, giving out a cry of pain as the mage-android impacts all that dead flesh and hard metal. Thankfully she's pretty tough herself with that dress of hers, and so comes away with it bruised and battered, but not concussed. She's in the perfect position to get shot right in the face, and brings up her un-transformed bouquet as she floats atop the water. Defenseless for the moment! "...Why can't we all just be friends? I mean you look a little odd and you're a bit cold and clammy, but nothing a good tailor and a tan can't cure! C'mon, it'll be fun! Just think, the two of us going to the mall, visiting ALLL of the clothing stores, and getting nice and dressed in the newest fashion so that when we're walking back we'll pass by these cute guys and they'll say "Hey aren't they so cute and fashionable, let's go ask them out!" And then we'll both go on dates and to the park and go fishing with our hubbies and then they'll pop the question right on the boat and say "Will you Marry me?" and we'll say yes, tears in our eyes hugging each other as we becomes the bestest of bri..." Her longwinded Love Rant doesn't get to finish, however, as soon there's a barrage of fire that Elphelt uses the opportunity to swam away from the rapidly growing bulk of the two shipgirls. "Uhhh....whoa. You two are pretty big. There's nothing wrong with that though! You're both still beautiful!" Then, Elphelt frowns. "Though I guess you're not just going to give up? Well that's okay!" Then the woman lets off a blast of bouquet-powered magic, launching her into the air in a plume of pink! "Because I'll show you that you're worthy of being loved, that there's someone out there who will care about you even /if/ you big all big and tentacle-y!" With that, she whips out a rose, and with a flick of a finger, a bullet with a heart-shape etched into it lands upon the flower. With a flourish in the air, the rose becomes a long rifle, nearly as tall as herself. Flipping it around and opening the breach, she loads the weapon, only to finally aim it at the apex of her leap right at the grey-eyed, massive Abyssal. "Have a taste of love, right through the heart!" Roses bloom all along the battlefield, floating in the water as magic crackles around herself as she finally pulls the trigger. She's as good as her word, firing the bullet right at the Abyssal's heart as the other shipgirls bombard the creature. The tiny bullet might as well be a gnat by size. The magic in the bullet, however, is significant. Rather than explode, or even pierce, the bullet would disintigrate if it hits as it tries to turn the very heart of the one it strikes from all of that hatred and fury to love and happiness. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, it all draws back to El herself. What could possibly go wrong? 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' Lyria Mason plan has worked more than she's hoped she's moving on the water rapidly and the spiders hold in place as she makes ready to make another attack upon them. Maybe they can stop this without much more trouble. Then the barrage comes she skates away from it and then something happens the two Abyssal become /huge/ the ice shatters into countless shards and the spiders are sent flying across the water, and will not be much help for some time. She's not alone thankfully and the actions of Kongou, buy her time to get her sea legs again so to speak. Elphelt makes some very good points and Lyria does think she means it, she does think Elphelt means every word she said to them. For now however the Abyssals do need to be stopped, right? SO she opens fire again as she skates about but well she's not sure how much of an impact her shots are going to be, given their size. So she's trying to find weak points, or thinks like weapon mounts to target. 

:'''{{#var:739|Suzuya (739)}} has posed:''' Bigger forms might mean bigger targets, but they also mean bigger guns. It also means more stability on the seas, despite any old proverbs claiming things about size and power of unintentional descent. The torpedoes strike the pair's legs, though they don't stumble. Chunks of armor are blown off their boots, however, revealing more pasty white skin below. The one with blue eyes seems to take a bit more damage from this, and one of the cannons mounted on her thigh loses one of its barrels in the explosion. Likewise, the shots from Lyria's pistol may not seem to be doing a lot of damage at first, but the gray-eyed Ne-class stumbles forward momentarily. She manages to catch herself, but having so many things opening fire on her is making it harder to operate. The barrage from the destroyer manages to land a few shells on the Abyssals, one of them even exploding into the face of the gray-eyed cruiser and cracking one of those teeth covering the lower part of her face. Oddly enough, it's the heads on the tentacles that growl in reaction to that, not the girl herself. Planes. There are planes, and one tentacle from each of the Ne-class seems to operate on its own, pointing upward to unleash a barrage of anti-air gunfire. The carrier that launched those planes has more cover thn poor Chitose did, so she isn't the target of direct focused fire... though the blue-eyed Abyssal does begin to pick up speed. Guns firing as she skims over the surface of the water, she charges directly at the obstacle between herself and that carrier: Kongou. Unless the fast battleship is really fast, that Ne-class is going to ram right into her and try to grapple bodily with the large ship! The love rant confuses the gray-eyed Ne-class more than anything. She slowly blinks as she tries to figure out just what this human is talking about. After a moment, though, she decides it might not matter, and raises a hand to swipe at Elphelt. And then the tiny bullet of love strikes her chest. It gives her pause, and she slowly lowers her hand. "Lo...ve?" It's not a widely-known fact, but most Abyssals don't actually hate the Fleet Daughters they fight against. In fact, all they want is to bring their sisters back into the fold, to show them the error of their ways, and to ensure they'll be able to spend more time together. The Abyssals don't hate the Fleet Daughters; they love them. Which is why one of the tentacles from the gray-eyed Abyssal's back swings around suddenly, its mouth opening in a hissing roar as the three cannons on its snout open fire toward Elphelt. 

:'''{{#var:740|Elphelt Valentine (740)}} has posed:''' Still depressingly mid-air as her bullet takes effect, and that deadpan squeak of love comes, there's hope in Elphelt's eyes. Flowers from her bouquet go everywhere as she giggles. "See? Embrace it! One day we'll all be frien..." "AHHH YOU DON'T SHOW LOVE WITH CANNONS THAT'S TOTALLY MY JOB!" All the poor mage-bot can do is whip out a pair of garishly pink pistols, firing with superhuman deftness at the incoming rounds. Those are /big/ rounds, and so it takes a good dozen bullets each even from her own ridiculously high-powered guns to have them explode. Unfortunately, she doesn't have a third arm, and that final shell hits her dead-on. With a massive KABOOM, the Valentine goes crashing into a heap, in a lovely floating angle towards Kongou! Can the ship-girl catch the much-smaller Elphelt? But El isn't done, despite losing half of her dress, modesty only kept by underthings and far too many convenient pink sparkles, roses, and other sundries. A good ten large, round strawberries go flying for the grey-eyed Abyssal, aimed right for the mouths of one of those cannons. KABOOM! The anti-structure Pineberries blow up, force and pure explosive power trying to rip away at the Abyssal's armaments! Then El is in for a long fall, too-green eyes in a swirl. 

:'''{{#var:385|Yuna Kagurazaka (385)}} has posed:''' The lack of any apparent effect from the microtorpedoes to the Abyssals' feet and legs is somewhat disheartening to Yuna. Granted, she's also not in a position to see the damage the explosions incur on the armored 'boots'. But the Ne-class cruisers don't even wobble. Still, there are a few places where precision can matter more than overall force, and Elphelt's suggestion is taken to heart. Yuna's armored 'pigtails' swing forward again, and a fresh set of torpedoes - not the full ten, but a good four - take flight ... and if they can actually fly into the mouths of those cannons, that's exactly where they go. Otherwise, Yuna's content to let them detonate against the outsides - hopefully at the right spots to throw the Abyssals' aim off before *they* fire. 

:'''{{#var:410|Jeannette Thompson (410)}} has posed:''' The /Kingsford likely wasn't in range any longer. Her position had been to protect the oil tankers as they moved out of range as fast as their engines would allow, and most of it's systems would have been dedicated to defending the ships from attack. By the time the Ne-Class cruisers had risen from the water in their full, frightening forms, it was out of range of effective fire from everything but the anti-ship missiles she had on board. And that left too much chance that return fire directed at them would hit the civilian ships. Or maybe the heavy cruiser commander didn't consider it his fight, and didn't consider the fleet daughters and Elite's fighting worth the expenditure and risk to his ship. That probably wouldn't make it into his after action report. It might just be cruel speculation. But it was an option. Thankfully, buy the time those targets are larger enough for ASMs, he didn't have to fire them. The tearing burst of sound could have been heard in the gaps between fire and combat for the last few minutes. It might be mistake for an odd weather pattern out somewhere in the west. Burst of magical energies from one attack or another. The high-tech among them, though, might recognize the sound of pulse detonation engines just a few seconds before the surface hugging air-launched ASMs pop up from the water, eight of them flying in at glass-cracking speed in formation, with just enough time to aqquire targets before they made their way in to hopefully slam aganist the two abyssals. The aircraft that fired them roar over head a few seconds later, in a rather brazen, foolish, yet bold show of force, four aircraft in formation showing off Triancian roundels. From beyond the horizon, Jeannette Thompson takes the smallest swallow of good wine, before placing the glass lightly aganist the table next to her chair in the RTS /Resolve/'s operations center. "Remind me to have a word with /Kingsford/ when her evolution is up." She notes, before clearing her throat. <<Dreadfully sorry I'm late, ladies. Warp gates are quite the annoyance to naviagate through. I have another flight on the way to back up those aircraft already sent. Cheers.>> 

:'''{{#var:637|Kongou (637)}} has posed:'''     Zuihou's aircraft bank sharply, scattering from their formation as flak fire fills the air around them. One immediately catches fire, diving sharply. Just shy of the sea, the flames go out and it pulls out, turning back towards its mother carrier and leaving a trail of thick black smoke. The wing that launches off the carrier next are not Zeros, but rather a wing of red-marked Suisei dive bombers. The Ne Class that charges Kongou is their immediate target, jettisoning their bombs overhead and then banking sharply away.     Zuihou herself turns sharply away, accellerating to build distance--Carriers aren't good at close range. However, Kongou is much closer and has no intention of running anywhere.     "<Come on! Come on!>" the battleship's voice taunts from within her hull, firing her full broadside on the approaching heavy cruiser. Just when that cruiser gets closer, though, Kongou's hull suddenly sparkles with silver light. When Ne reaches down to lift the warship, it dissolves, and a human-sized Kongou skates out from the aftermath, right between Ne's legs, "<Follow Me! Come On Now~!>"     Akizuki and Isuzu meanwhile continue pouring fire on the second Ne-class, though their arsenals are relatively light compared to the Fourth Mobile's heavy hitter. Twin four-tube torpedo launchers swivel out from Isuzu's centerline, and she barks an order.     "Akizuki! Torpedos! Seven degree spread!"     "Understood!"     A total of twelve torpedoes are fired, eight from Isuzu, four from Akizuki, fired in spreads that overlap at the colossal Ne Class' feet while the cruiser is contending with aircraft and other fighters. The cruiser and destroyer don't sail straight, either, making themselves difficult targets. 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' There's a lot going on the love rant, the heavy fire from everyone else and the Abyssals are still not down. Their endurance is no joke, and hte tentacles don't seem to make Lyria very happy either. She keeps saking about not wanting to see Elphelt get blown away? She acts her pistol is holstered and a cutlass is drawn, the blade vibrates rapidly and she makes the water below her fire up in a column, she then leaps trying to slice into one of the cannons blasting at Elpheltm before gravity takes hold of her once more. 

:'''{{#var:739|Suzuya (739)}} has posed:''' Showing love with cannons should be everyone's job. On the plus side, once she's been shot away, the gray-eyed Abyssal doesn't seem to want to chase after Elphelt. She does lift a hand to the side of her head, though, shaking it slowly as if in pain. One of the tentacles swings around to nudge the other side of her head, and the Ne-class looks up blearily. No, she won't be confused. These were the enemy! She'll just sink them. "Don't think I'll let you get away with this... not after what you've all done!" The Abyssal spins around, only to let out a shriek of pain as torpedoes detonate inside the mouths of her tentacles. Smoke rises from the openings, and the Ne-class twists around to pat their snouts encouragingly. "I -said-..." But then more aircraft, from more than one direction. Even though the Suisei divebombers aren't going after her, she picks them up on radar, and her tentacles point in opposite directions to fire at both aircraft swarms. "Not... again." So busy is she at shooting the planes that she doesn't even notice the torpedoes until it's too late. Explosions surround her, driving her to her knees in the waves. Her tentacles' cannons still keep up their barrage, but Lyria's sword strikes one of them, damaging the gun... and causing an explosion as the next shell detonates in the barrel. The blue-eyed Ne-class closes in on Kongou, hands gripping tightly to... nothing? She turns her head as the human-sized battleship skates away, leg cannons immediately lifting up to fire several shots after her. That moment of split attention is enough for some of the Suiseis to get close enough to drop their bombs, and one of her tentacles is blown clean off by the explosion. She staggers, but doesn't fall... not yet. Then comes the scream. The gray-eyed Abyssal, driven to her knees, stares wide-eyed into the sky in a panic. With one heavily damaged tentacle, the other fires almost wildly into the skies, trying to fend off the incoming aircraft. The yell she gives off isn't one of anger, but one of pure terror, and both hands clutch at the sides of her head. "Sister!" The Ne-class with blue eyes sees the plight of her fellow Abyssal and abandons any thoughts of going after either Kongou or Zuihou. Damaged as she is, she turns to skate back toward the other cruiser. 

:'''{{#var:740|Elphelt Valentine (740)}} has posed:''' "You've really got the wrong person! I haven't even /been/ on a ship, you know? And I'm not even a human!" Protests Elphelt, before the combined fire has the Grey-eyed one flailing wildly with her guns. The random fire hits Elphelt straight in the chest, and sends her into a floating heap in the water. With her dress ruined, it's a horrid blow, and consciousness drifts in and out of her. "S...Sis..." She mutters, firing off one wild pistol shot towards the Ne-class as she falls unconscious. 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' Lyria Mason is able to land and avoids hitting the water the wrong way she uses her power to catch her self and she's got away from the blast, she g9ot lucky. However what comes next? That is not something she was expecting. She looked at one of the two hostiles. Wait is she starting to recall whom she is? She stares for a moment. She's at a loss for words other than the dawning understanding, did they just save that Abyssal?! 

:'''{{#var:410|Jeannette Thompson (410)}} has posed:''' The aircraft overhead get intercepted with antiaircraft fire around them. THey're devilishly, /devilishly/ hard to track, radar just catching vague and maddening phantom glimpses aganist thier absorbant skin. Fast and hard to track meant less defenses aganist shells, unfortunatly, exploding around them and, sometimes plinking off their skin. None of them goes down, but one of them starts venting smoke from a thurst vectored engine, moving to break away from formation, and head back... straight back. If they weren't in a lucky mood, that might give them a reletive vector on the carrier they came from. It might not be enough, though, as another four fighters streak in the remaining three. But this one doesn't come in with a fullisade of ASM missiles. ANd the remaining fighters aren't attacking either. Just... orbiting. In the operations center, the image on the holoblock was a silent scream of terror from the Abyssal. "Now... this is new." Jeannette says, leaning forward, and causing the footage to replay back. "Keep the fighters orbiting. Countermeasures and protective attacks only. We need to see where this goes." 

:'''{{#var:637|Kongou (637)}} has posed:'''     "<Chase Me!>" Kongou taunts, "<Come On~!>" She weaves through the splashing plumes of eight inch cannon fire, a tiny target for such large, slow-tracking weapons. When she turns to annoy the abyssal with her smaller (currently) battery, she finds the monstrous ship is dashing away, "Hmm~?" Eyes travel from the upright Abyssal to the crouching one, her radars adjusting. Is it truly fear? The battleship's head tilts and she brings up her hand, "Zui! Another run~!"     "Understood!" Zuihou's voice echoes from within the light carrier, which is already lifting up a second wing of Suisei bombers. One by one, the sturdy aircraft launch off that distinctive flight deck and soar upward, joining their partners above the heads of the two cruisers. Another Zero spins down, out of control, and a fairy jumps out to float down on a parachute. Curiously, while the plane is large enough to hold a human pilot, the fairy pilot that ejects is small enough to fit in one's hand.     While another Suisei bursts into flames and breaks out of formation, the remaining wing all bank together, diving on the panicking Abyssal amidst anti-air fire. One by one, the bombers break away, dropping their remaining payloads and circling back towards Zuihou.     Akizuki breaks off the attack, circling around and showing the two heavy cruisers her fantail as she increases her range and readies to circle back around, perhaps to recover Elphelt. Isuzu, however, continues circling, transversing behind the Triancian warship.     Kongou has skated to a stop, standing on the water, "Hmm~... Is it <Sister> like they always say, or something more~?" With a flash of silvery light, she quickly replaces herself with the body of her real self, the massive battleship Kongou slicing into the waves, her guns swivelling on the two Ne-class cruisers. "If they are sisters, they should go together! An expression of family bond!" The roar of her cannons is all but drowned out by Kongou's own booming war cry.     <"PLATONIC LOOOOVE~!>" 

:'''{{#var:739|Suzuya (739)}} has posed:''' By this point, the anti-air fire is so erratic that it only rarely gets near any actual planes. Any shots that connect are more likely due to luck than aiming. But as more bombers fly overhead, the gray-eyed Ne-class just whimpers, tears starting to form in her eyes. "Not... not again. Not... alone. Don't... leave me..." The blue-eyed Ne-class picks up speed, ignoring the pain as bombs rain down on her. Her body is rocked by explosions, slowing her down... but she keeps going, extending a hand toward the other cruiser. "Here... Not alone... ne?" Her arm is shaky, one tentacle blown off and the other hanging limp and useless. The cannons on her legs damaged beyond use, and yet she seems to push on through sheer stubbornness. "Here... I am." The blue light in her eyes begins to fade as she collapses forward, finally grasping hold of the other Abyssal's hand. Instinctively, fingers twine and grip tightly, though neither of them has the strength to look up. The explosions from the final barrage sound out over the ocean, salt spray and smoke obscuring the enormous Abyssals. When the smoke clears, there are no more Leviathan bodies. There are only two very human-sized ones floating in the water unconscious, girls in tattered brown uniforms, tightly grasping hands together. 

:'''{{#var:410|Jeannette Thompson (410)}} has posed:''' The /Resolve/ itself should have stayed far away from the fighting, over a hundred miles away, working off of what drones were in the area and the aircraft sent to direct fire from affair. But this world had a currency that ran beyond effectiveness in combat. Showing the flag was more important these days... esspecially now. The Strike Carrier steams forward, with Isuzu joining the formation, her fighters flying over the area that had just been supremely detonated by Kongou's guns and the buzzing of dive bombers. From the flight deck, a pair of small rotocraft, loaded with Royal Trancian Marines, take off, moving to the area of destruction, scanning the ocean along with the orbitting aircraft. <<No debries spotted, command.>> The voice sounds in the room; not audibly, but in the ears of all the personeel, all of them looking at sensor feeds. <<Lots of smoke... wait one, command. We have... two figures, floating in the ocean. Female, younger looking.... I want to say prisoners, command.>> He wants to say. But you don't sail the seas without a sense of spirits and supersititon, so he doesn't. Instead, the fighters start to return to the carrier, one by one, while the Rotocraft thump close to the unconscious figures, Marine divers moving into the sea to recover both of them. For return to the /Resolve/, or to the seaport Kongou hails from. 

:'''{{#var:637|Kongou (637)}} has posed:'''     Zuihou turns again, though her speed lowers. After a moment, the carrier's course straightens and her aircraft, several damaged and trailing smoke, start circling over her. One by one, they descend to land on the flight deck, catching on the arresting cables and then being ferried down the elevators. One plane, a battered Suisei, rips in half spectacularly when the tail hook catches the cables, but is still pulled down the elevator.     Isuzu's ship shape adopts a glow and then disperses, depositing the girl on the water directly. She skates ahead of the Resolve, arms folding behind her back as she joins the recovery operation. Akizuki, however, keeps her shiply shape as she cruises into the sector where the two enormous cruisers had collapsed.     Kongou, too, reduces back to her human shape to skate in among the ships searching for bodies.     "Prisoners? No~!" The battleship's eyes close, her face filled with a bright smile, "<Refugee> would be a better word, no?" As Isuzu circles the unconscious girls in the water, Kongou looks up towards the hovercraft, "These are Kanmusu~! <Fleet Daughter!> Please take them to Hikari! The flagship will want to meet them!" 

}}

610/Never Too Late For a Summer Festival

2014-09-18T06:11:32Z

Parasaurolophus: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2014/09/17 |Location=Sakurashin Town <ST> |Synopsis=Who cares if it's September? Summer can last a little bit longer! Sakurashin Town is hosting a..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2014/09/17
|Location=Sakurashin Town <ST>
|Synopsis=Who cares if it's September? Summer can last a little bit longer!
Sakurashin Town is hosting a late summer festival, complete with food stalls, classic carnival games, and fireworks at the end of the night! In a town populated by both humans and youkai, any visitors are welcome, though the mayor requests that everyone refrain from causing any trouble for the city.
It's going to be a fun night! Nothing could possibly go wrong, could it?
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=63, 109, 342, 477, 558
|Tinyplot=
|Tinyplot2=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:63|Kotoha Isone (63)}} has posed:''' It may be September, but it's never too late for a summer festival! The entirety of Sakurashin Town has gathered together to set up a festival on its main street. Some booths have games, with prizes usually coming from some of the local businesses. There's also all sorts of food, ranging from caramel apples and corn to yakisoba and even some more exotic dishes for those with non-human tastes. The fesital itself has been opened to the multiverse for attendance, and the air around town has been light and joyful most of the day. Evening is approaching, and the sun has just started to set. It won't be long now before the fireworks start! CRUNCH! "Ahhhh, this is great! The summer harvest is still fresh!" Kotoha Isone wanders down one of the lanes in her school uniform, chomping down on a large raw daikon. "In another month or so, I'll only be able to get these pickled. Want a bite?" The hanyou turns to the side, offering the white root to Nozomi. 

:'''{{#var:477|Tenshi Hinanai (477)}} has posed:'''     The ground suddenly rumbles. Is it an earthquake?!     A line traces itself around the perimeter of the Takoyaki stand. Quite suddenly, the concrete slab it's set up on lifts up on stone poles, much to the stand's owner's objection. What is underneath is ... another stand, made entirely out of stone. Stone walls, stone support poles, stone counter, the concrete slab roof. It's another booth. Once it's fully emerged, the shaking stops.     There's a girl inside, blue hair, blue dress with a white apron and a rainbow sash, and a black hat decorated with peaches. She vaults the counter and turns, putting up a cloth banner identifying the mysterious stone stall as 'ROCK TOSS' in large, carefully painted katakana. Stepping back, HINANAI TENSHI examines her handiwork, both arms held out, fingers and thumbs forming a rectangle as she evaluates how level the sign is.     Tenshi also does not care at all what kind of disruption her arrival may have been. 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     Somehow, a quiet little girl from a completely different world feels more comfortable here in Sakurashin than she does in public back home. This, granted, isn't saying much; there are few places where she feels /less/ comfortable than out in public back home. But a small improvement is still an improvement, and the festival atmosphere - and particularly Kotoha's energetic presence - is at least doing something to keep her from getting too nervous. "Ah, I-" She looks as if she's about to accept, but then she realizes what Kotoha's actually biting into. "...n-no thanks." Oh god, she's eating a radish.     Meanwhile, a stand has raised up out of the ground. With no rhyme or reason, some strange girl has lifted a festival stand of rock right up out of the earth. There is a loud CLUNKCLUNK, and she suddenly finds herself facing a good-sized robot tiger, with jet-black plating ornamented by yellow 'gems' at several of his joints and on his chest. "Hello," he says simply, in a deep voice tinged with a hint of snark. "Can I help you?" 

:'''{{#var:558|Yagami Hayate (558)}} has posed:''' Six figures are walking around the festival, just enjoying the activities and the various foods. Well, most of them. Oddly, none of the group is eating sweets, really. The short redheaded one is carrying a bunny plush, blushing about it... some prize won earlier. With her is a large blue wolflike dog, and a tall pink-haired woman is pushing a wheelchair with a young, brown-haired girl in it. "Ah... there are so many different... people here," the girl is saying. "I never imagined going off-world would be like this. Chikade, are you doing all right? You aren't getting too tired?" Like the girl in the wheelchair, the very young girl who replies is also in a yukata. Unlike all the others, she's wearing a loose hood. Peeking under might see that her hair is very, very short, little more than a pink fuzz. She also looks very frail, but is smiling when she answers, "Oh... I'm fine. It's very fun, thank you." The final one of the group is a blonde woman, who reassures, "I'll make sure she doesn't overstress herself, Master." 

:'''{{#var:63|Kotoha Isone (63)}} has posed:''' "What the--" The takoyaki stand's attendant looks around as the world begins to shake and he suddenly finds himself fifteen feet in the air. And yet, he manages not to drop a single piece of takoyaki. Leaning over very carefull, he tries to see what's going on below him. The two in the booths on either side look confused for a moment, then look up.. and start laughing. "Oi oi oi! You got replaced by someone younger and cuter!" The takoyaki attendant fumes for a moment, but then lets out a laugh himself. "Hey, little lady! At least give me a ladder!" It seems that the residents are not only used to strange things happening, they're in good humor over anything that may happen. Why get upset, when today is a festival! From his new vantage point, the takoyaki attendant can see all the way down the road! So when he spots a large group coming over, he reaches out and waves a hand. "You group down there! I'll give you a feww order if you can reach up to get it!" It's good publicity to cater to bigger groups like that, and the man seems to be in good enough spirits. Meanwhile, the booth next to Tenshi's on one side seems to be for goldfish catching. He twirls the plastic-rimmed paper scoop between his fingers. "Any of you want to try it out? I've got plenty of goldfish!" He gives a guarded look to both Taiga and Zafira, though. "...but they're not for eating." That gets the candy apple vendor on the other side laughing. "I don't think Taiga eats fish!" Kotoha looks at Nozomi for a moment before shrugging. "More for me, then! How about a candy apple?" She's already giving the man a coin and passing said apple over to the girl. "So what's this rock toss thing?" Kotoha squints at Tenshi for a moment before extending her hand. "You're not from Sakurashin. Kotoha Isone, pleased to meet you. I'm with the Hiizumi Life Counciling Office. How much for a game?" Yep, just about everyone in town seems pretty mellow! 

:'''{{#var:477|Tenshi Hinanai (477)}} has posed:'''     "Hello," Tenshi states to Taiga. Her response is almost bored, though she vaults her counter again and then plants her hands on it. Behind her, the flat floor of the stall interior rises up on three pedestals and then, atop them, wink in trios of Nawi Keystones in triangle formations, "It's not about how you can help me, but how I can help you!" Leaning back, she gestures. In response, more Nawi Keystones wink into existence on the counter in front of her, point-up, "If you can knock down my keystones, I'll give you life-changing advice."     The joking complaint from above gets her leaning forward so she can look up past the edge of the slab, "I'll think about if if you hook me up with some of that!"     And then to Kotone on her approach, the angel straightens and rubs a finger underneath her nose proudly, eyes closed, "Hinanawi Tenshi, Great Tennyo of Bhava-Agra. And I'm a little insulted that you'd think my wisdom costs /money/. Tennyo shed themselves of material desires. And besides--" Eyes opening, she props a hand on the counter, leaning on it, "Paying money for my advice would be kind of a ripoff, anyway. So the payment is effort, the reward is introspection." 

:'''{{#var:109|Adelaide Flowers (109)}} has posed:'''     Also meandering around the festival is a certain former soldier; she'd gotten the invite from Kotoha but Adelaide had found the town...surprisingly festive. And /bloody large./ Okay, fine, she can deal with a block party, but when it's the whole bloody quarter how is anyone supposed to find anything?     Well, granted, she's been able to find a lot of things - some pretty damn cool things, actually, but it'd be nice to figure out where the hell that Kotoha kid was at. But damn if the food's good, the smells amazing, and the merchandise kinda affordable. Addie makes her way through the festival, clad in her usual clothes - though this time, instead of the ubiquitous yellow hoodie, she's managed to find herself a happi coat emblazoned with a mon of seven sakura petals on the front and back.     That and a bag of various snacks, treats, fireworks, and other such things...     The sudden rumbling sounds something like a cross between an earthquake and a car accident, and the festively dressed woman breaks into a sprint - and skids to a halt when she finds the "rock throwing" stall. Okay, that's unexpected, but she's found Kotoha just in time to hear the proprietor's speech.     "Hey, Nozomi, Kotoha! Finally, been looking for you for a while. So...Tenshi...hm. Psyber's mentioned you before," she adds with a grin. "Uh, don't mind me, I don't mean to butt in or anything. But hell, it sounds interesting." Wisdom and introspection, huh. Hell, she'll probably get some damn fortune-cookie speech; 'You are experienced and world-wise and must put your knowledge to work.'     The immediate phrase added to all fortune cookies gets applied in her mind, and Addie does her best to crush the smirk on her face before she bursts out laughing. Instead, she manages to squeak out a simple "I'll try" before anything else. 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     "Ah, that's-" Suddenly, Nozomi has an apple, before she can even finish a 'really you don't have to'. The shorter girl blinks in surprise, but then after a second of hesitation, she bites into the candied apple. Nomf.     And then there is a large group of people. Nozomi immediately takes a step back and to the side, more or less hiding herself behind Kotoha, and sort of stares past her at the group including a blue dog and a tall pink-haired woman. She gives a quick look, however, to Adelaide, and a small smile actually appears on her face; someone she knows, someone she's familiar with, is a welcome sight right now.     Taiga, meanwhile, is staring at the big group as well. It is a very directed, piercing stare, surprising coming from a mechanical being; the intense look he gives, in particular, to the Wolkenritter, makes it rather plain that he seems aware that they are particularly abnormal. However, his subsequent reaction makes it just as obvious that he doesn't seem to consider them a threat; he simply turns his attention to the Tennyo's stand again, tilting his head slightly.     "I will assume that using my cannons would be cheating. So why don't I do this instead."     The robotiger ambles forward, lifting his head up high enough to take one of Tenshi's keystones between his teeth. He takes several four-legged steps backward, ears quirking and shifting, calculating trajectories... and then leaps up into the air, doing a horizontal turn to build momentum and allow him to FLING the keystone with pinpoint accuracy towards the stands the Tennyo has set up. 

:'''{{#var:558|Yagami Hayate (558)}} has posed:''' The offer gets Hayate's attention, as she points quickly. "Signum! Do you think you can get that? Without cheating?" Cheating, huh? Signum hmms, assessing it thoughtfully. Vita looks up and grins, but Hayate shoots her a look that discourages HER solution. Finally, Signum sets the brake on the chair and nods, "I will do my best," she says carefully. Even without using magic to fly, she is pretty athletic and limber, so it's quite possible she could! And that's what she tries... leaping up to kick off one support nearby, trying to lend enough of a boost that she can stag the tray and land. Without spilling anything. The girl identified as Chikade claps, but then ohs as she is distracted by the goldfish. "Ah... Shamal, maybe you could try?" Zafira, at least, looks curious but in no hurry to gulp down fish at least. Vita, her fun ruined, is left to glare back at Taiga as if to say 'you wanna make something of it?' 

:'''{{#var:63|Kotoha Isone (63)}} has posed:''' When Signum bounds up high enough to reach the tray, the attendant makes sure to hold it loosely enough that it can be grabbed. "Oh, nice one, young lady!" Young seems to be the right term, as the man looks to be in his late 40s. In fact... in the entire town, there hasn't seemed to be more than a small handful of people between the ages of 20 and 40. There are plenty of kids and teenagers, and lots of folks over middle-age, but not a lot in that earlier range of adulthood. The man laughs again and reaches down with a tray. "Deal! Let me know how it is! I've got the best takoyaki here in Sakurashin, you know!" At the interest in his own game, the man holds a goldfish catching wand toward Shamal. "I'm sure both of those young ladies would love to have one to take home!" "Sorry, sorry~" says Kotoha, waving a hand. "So, wisdom, huh... What sort of wisdom, I wonder..." She may not have to wonder long, however, as Taiga takes the initiative. "Ohhhhh!" Kotoha even gives a little clap as the robot tiger tosses his stone. "Nozomi, Nozomi, you should get him to pitch for the Tigers sometime. They'd love him, I bet!" She throws an arm around the shorter girl and grins broadly. "Imagine it! Taiga of the Tigers!" Then she hears her name called and glances up. "..oh, hey! It's the gunlady! How are ya enjoying the festival, Addie?" Lifting an arm, Kotoha waves Adelaide over. "So... Tenshi, huh." She glances back again. "A Tennyo? You're a youkai, then? But not from around here... Well, welcome to Sakurashin! Enjoy your stay, and make sure you get to walk around the festival too!" Without warning, the entire world seems to turn monochrome. The ambient sounds of the town are gone, and a bright flash of light can be seen overhead. From the cloudless sky, a bolt of black lightning crashes down, right toward a little girl walking past with her mother. The impact is loud and the shockwave knocks back those too close, including Kotoha, who tries her best to catch Nozomi. The girl lets out a shriek of surprise as she falls back and drops the bagged goldfish from her hand. A moment later, sound and color return to the world, and those who were knocked over begin to stand up and dust themselves off. "What was that?" Kotoha pushes herself to her feet and stands, ready to help anyone else who may need aid. And the bagged goldfish just sits there, little sparks running over it. 

:'''{{#var:477|Tenshi Hinanai (477)}} has posed:'''     "Who the heck is that?" Tenshi states in response to Psyber being mentioned. It's an honest question--she's never met the guy before. "I only have two stacks so we'll have to take turns a bit, but yeah you're free to try your hand at it." A glance at the tiger and she raises a finger, wagging it, "Break stones with stones, and build yourself a home of humility."     Once the mechanical tiger takes his rock and makes a ridiculously flashy show of throwing it, the angel skids aside to get out of the way. The impact is solid. The keystone that had been thrown outright shatters into a thousand pieces. The three stones that were struck topple over--and then promptly reset.     "Well done, robot cat thing," the angel claps, then plants her hands on her countertop, "For you, the advice I have is difficult to discern--because you're a robot--but I'll give it my all."     Straightening, she clears her throat, then spreads her hands with her eyes still closed: "The superior man is distressed by the limitations of his ability; He is not distressed by the fact that men do not recognize the ability he has."     Eyes opening, she leans forward upon sighting Signum coming down with takoyaki, "Oi! Old man! Hook me up, down here, I'm diein'--Oh!" When he holds the plate down, she reaches up to take it, then retreats back inside. True to her word, a stairwell of stone rises up in the gap between her stand and the goldfish-catching stall, narrow but servicable.     AND THEN SHIT GOES CRAZY.     Stalwart as the earth, Tenshi weathers the rumbling, holding her hat in place with her feet spread out for balance. Once it settles down, she slams her hands on her counter, "Is that normal? Man, this town isn't as boring as I thought it was." 

:'''{{#var:109|Adelaide Flowers (109)}} has posed:'''     Nozomi gets a wave, and Taiga gets an appreciative whistle as he shows off his robotic gymnastics. "Hey, kiddo. Good to see you again. Been a while, y'know?" But the girl is still chewing on her apple, and Addie knows how much of a treet those are. She can wait for Shyzomi to answer.     And then the tigerbot has competition! Signum's leap up gets a double look of surprise from the gunsmith - especially with the kind of, shall we say, mass and balance problems that the Wolkenritter might have. (Adelaide feels your pain, Vita.) Whoever the kid is, she's got an interesting family. And then Adelaide is momentarily amused, seeing Signum's prize, wondering if...oh why the hell not.     "Hey, shoppy!" This is directed to the stall-keeper upstairs. "Swap you a couple of those fried-cake things for a few sticks?" If he agrees, she'll avoid any kind of fancy showy sorts of acrobatics, and any fancy showy sorts of magical abilities, and instead rely on a fancy showy three-point shot practiced from years of playing basketball.     Kotoha sees her, and Adelaide grins, making her way to the highschooler's side. "Pretty good! Bloody spread out though, took forever to find you. You didn't warn me it was this big," Addie adds with a teasingly gruff voice. She's hardly serious.     To Tenshi, the ponytailed woman nods. "Psyber, of Heaven or Hell. Don't worry, what he said was good." Not all that much to be honest, but she knows of Tenshi from the Union as well. "So...bust a stone, huh." Before Addie can say anything further, the lightning bolt strikes almost immediately behind her - the crash of thunder terrifying her to the point of diving to the ground and grabbing the nearest thing for cover. Sort of like what you'd do when a shell goes off next to you...     ...except the nearest thing usually isn't Kotoha's leg.     After blinking a few times, she realizes just where she is and lets go quickly, scrabbling away amidst apologies. "S-sorry! But what the hell was that?!" Obviously, it was electric, because Addie's ponytail is starting to stand on end... 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     "G-get him to what-?!" Nozomi looks as if she's completely blindsided by this suggestion. "Aah, Kotoha, I-I don't- I don't think that's... there's probably some kind of rule..." Taiga simply looks smug as he listens to his advice. Somehow.     "...I'm kind of glad we didn't pay," Nozomi mumbles, nearly a whisper.     And then the world goes a little crazy in a very, very loud way. Nozomi is offbalanced enough by the sheer /surprise/ of it that the shockwave has no trouble taking her off her feet, and she's already letting out a surprised shriek by the time Nozomi grabs her.     And by the time Kotoha looks up, Taiga is already there, both his cannons active and aimed, hunched low in a predatory posture that screams 'ready for a fight'. The entirety of his attention is on that goldfish, both cannons aimed right at it, as if at any moment he expects to have to unload. Those who KNOW Taiga know that this is probably a very bad sign. 

:'''{{#var:558|Yagami Hayate (558)}} has posed:''' "Thank you," Signum replies in clipped tones. It's sincere, just... curt. And she's barely had a chance to enjoy her labors when stuff goes crazy. At that time, Shamal is trying and failing to catch a goldfish. Sure, she has the delicate touch needed for this, but... well. She has no idea what this game is! Chikade is giggling at the attempts, that's for sure, but she gasps when the lightning hits, forcing Zafira to dash in behind and catch her as she falls. Hayata cries out, ducking her head and yelling, "IT'S NOT ZOMBIES IS IT?!?" Alwyas with the zombies. But fortunately Vita is right there in front of her, while Signum is coming up on the side, both looking wary but not yet changing into their Knight Clothes. 

:'''{{#var:63|Kotoha Isone (63)}} has posed:''' Well hello there Addie. Kotoha blinks and looks down at her leg, but doesn't seem too bothered by it. "That was..." She turns her head toward where the lightning crashed down, a sort of haunted look in her eyes. "...something familiar." Her voice is hollow, but she shakes her head and blinks. "You okay, Nozomi?" Even back on her feet, Kotoha is reluctant to let the girl go until she's sure Nozomi can stand on her own. "Uh... no, it's not zombies. It's just a... a goldfish." A goldfish now flopping on the ground, since the drop split the bag open. "No, that wasn't normal. You may want to stand back, though. I think..." BWORMP! That's about what it sounds like as the goldish bulges out and grows, suddenly a good ten feet long. It blows a few bubbles and lurches forward, bouncing up and above Taiga, then down toward the robot! "--#%&*@!" says Kotoha in clear English. She's learned a few words. 

:'''{{#var:109|Adelaide Flowers (109)}} has posed:'''     Well hello there Kotoha. It doesn't take Adelaide long to unlatch and apologize deeply. "Look, uh, it's not like I'm always doing that, just..." Her explanation of being terrified with metaphors that were colorful enough to set Nozomi's hair on fire dies on her tongue, as she gets very concerned.     And then Tiger goes into deeply protective mode, the guns on his shoulders locking onto something behind her. Adelaide knows /exactly/ what this means and drops her bags of things, spinning around as fast as her divinely improved reflexes can handle and quickdrawing the revolver tucked under the coat. It's aimed at...     ...at a fish in a bag?!     Signum and Vita get a hand in their direction. "Back up. Something's not right here, ladies." Getting to her feet, she's moving to keep TIGER covered. "Get some space, stay safe, and get the girl out of here." The one in the wheelchair, she means...or maybe the braided redhead brat. And well, were Signum and Vita NOT Wolkenritter and mere bystanders, Addie would be right...but it seems that Kotoha's 'gun lady' has a surprise coming.     And boy howdy does she ever; the flopping fish suddenly becomes a gigantic sort of...some damn thing or other, and then flying through the air and blowing bubbles at people - especially TAIGA. Addie, gun still in hand, trades off with Kotoha. "I'll protect Nozomi! Tiger, Kotoha, you're up!" Now where the hell is that wheelchair-girl's friends, they need tog et back too... 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     "I-I'm fine," Nozomi murmurs. She is perhaps a bit wobbly on her feet, but she can stand well enough. "But what-"     That is very suddenly a ten-foot goldfish. Oh god.     The TIGER, meanwhile, is all action in an instant. The fish bounces forward, and so does Taiga, digging his claws in and hurling himself under the flopping monster. It's a much safer dodge than backing up or even moving to the sides would be, and it allows him to roll through, turn, and bring his cannons to bear. It doesn't actually seem to be /attacking/ just yet, so he doesn't open fire, but...     "You." Directed at Signum primarily, but all of the Wolkenritter in general. "Whatever abilities you possess, I recommend you ready them." 

:'''{{#var:477|Tenshi Hinanai (477)}} has posed:'''     "Good," Tenshi states, "Abnormal things are way less boring." She sets her tray of takoyaki on top of a keystone, then vaults her counter and floats up past it as if she weighed nothing at all. Behind her floats the snack, because she wants to eat them while they're still fresh. From her belt she collects the hilt of a sword that has no blade, twirling it on the strap-like tassle dangling from the hilt.     "But seriously, what trouble could a giant goldfish cause?" Leaning forward in midair, she stabs a takoyaki with a toothpick and picks it up, "What's he gonna do, flop at me?" Nom. 

:'''{{#var:558|Yagami Hayate (558)}} has posed:''' Signum shakes her head, "No, Master's safety is my first priority. VITA!" She turns around swiftly and scoops up Hayate, who clings to her with a look of confusion, but accepts it. She doesn't order them to do anything differently, that's for sure! Unfortunately, it looks like the other girl is on her knees and wheezing from the excitement, eyes wide. Her hood has slipped back, and it's pretty blatant now that she's /very/ ill. Which might be why Shamal, the blonde, is gathering her up and resting her atop that huge wolf, hurrying her to safety while Signum is actually /flying/ away. Which leaves Vita, her bunny in the empty wheelchair, and her clothing replaced by a red dress. A hammer materializes in her hand. "I don't know, but he's ruined Hayate's day out! I'm gonna smash it!" Looks like Taiga gets someone to help, but not the one expected. 

:'''{{#var:63|Kotoha Isone (63)}} has posed:''' "Mm hmm." Kotoha just smirks at Addie but doesn't say anything beyond that. She's just teasing a bit, she knows it was an accident. "I think..." Kotoha holds onto Nozomi's shoulders for a moment longer, just to be sure the girl really is steady. "It feels like..." Tenshi speaks the truth, for the giant goldfish does indeed flop high in the air and come down, right toward the tennyo! "..it's a hanyou," whispers Kotoha. "Like me." She slowly frowns... then lifts a hand for attention. "Everyone! Don't panic! We'll take care of this!" From the various stalls come some laughs, a few cheers, and more than a few 'we're counting on you girls!' as the booth vendors step back... but don't make any move to run. Either they're not scared of this thing at all or they have a lot of trust that the issue will be taken care of. "Um, let's see... it's really tough now, so don't worry about hurting it! But if we don't drive the spirit out fast, it'll stay possessed forever!" 

:'''{{#var:109|Adelaide Flowers (109)}} has posed:'''     "Some people like boring," Addie grouses at Tenshi. Not very strongly, she's just griping about nearly being hit by a lightning bolt and now being menaced by a seriously pissed-off Magicarp. The ex-soldier keeps herself between Nozomi and the fish for the moment, just in case the thing decides to start flopping their way. And damn that thing's got some weight, as the pavement crackles beneath it.     The tall red(dish)head pulls back, but Tiger already spotted something in her as well. Great, there's superheroes everywhere or some damn thing! "Nice town you got here, Kotoha..." Hey, a bitching soldier is a happy soldier! And when Vita steps forward, clad in some kind of beauty-pageant outfit, hammer in hand, Addie just can't help but snort in amusement. Magical girls /are/ /everywhere/, and all she ever got was nearly killed and a blood transfusion!     Life ain't fuckin' fair!     But now they've got the fish surrounded, Vita to one side of it, Tiger at its back, Tenshi staring it down, and Addie on its other side. The revolver's aimed up high, kept on the fish, and she listens close to Kotoha's words. "Got it!" Addie almost laughs. This bizarrely reminds her of one of her first nights in the multiverse, when Psyber himself had been taken over by a ghost of some damn thing or another.     The only option then had been to beat it out of him, literally, with everything they had up to and including a tank gun. Well, Addie doesn't have anything like that - but she does have something in that revolver that she's been wanting to try out, and she opens fire on the fish aiming for the head. Not with lethal rounds, though - the big bullets from the wheelgun aren't lead, but a miniature taser. Hey, it's a fish, it lives in water, it should conduct electricity beautifully well!     Besides, it's something she can safely carry and not worry about killing anyone unintentionally...something that's become important to the woman lately. 

:'''{{#var:558|Yagami Hayate (558)}} has posed:''' "Leave that to me!" Vita calls out, suddenly launching into the air and streaking toward the fish! Looks like she's going to... beat it out of the fish? A spinning launch toward the giant fish is marked by a sudden blast of rockets bursting from the back of the tiny girl's hammer, aiming to knock the fish away from any bystanders and toward the other combat-capable sorts. "HEADS UP!" The other Wolkenritter are making a break for it, as apparently their first priority is protecting the sick girl and the crippled one. Pretty unsurprising, really. It's just Vita for now. "VITA! Be careful!" That's Hayate yelling that, carried in Signum's arms. 

:'''{{#var:477|Tenshi Hinanai (477)}} has posed:'''     A shadow overcomes Tenshi while she mocks the fish for being a worthless baby carp. Eyes following it up, her expression flattens.     "Of /course/."     SLAM. The Tennyo is knocked out of the sky and smashed into the pavement. This is further worsened by Vita smashing the fish down even harder on top of her. But Tenshi is nothing if not ridiculously stubborn and also ridiculously resiliant.     Around the fish, in concentric rings, jagged spires of stone suddenly lurch up in three bursts, expanding outward from where the angel had been squashed. When this smoothes down again, a large keystone erupts from the ground directly beneath the fish, like a huge uppercut.     All of these are just Tenshi's attempts to get the damn thing off her. 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     If nothing else, that mousy girl with Kotoha seems very good at getting off to one side and out of the way when things get dangerous. Nozomi is, for the moment, alarmed but unharmed, and so does not merit worrying about for the time being.     If Taiga has an issue with Vita, he does not show it. Perhaps his ability to detect supernatural strength has reassured him that she will be a more than adequate partner for the moment.     With impressive speed, he darts around the booths, lunging and leaping, coming around from the side opposite Vita. The very instant he's got a shot, those shoulder cannons of his light up, spewing yellow spheres of magical energy; without skipping a beat, he leaps between spires of stone, using them as springboards to fling himself right up into the sky above the goldfish in perfect position to 'catch' it.     With his magically-energized claws.     He turns himself over in the air, a flip that echoes his earlier rock toss, and hurls the fish right back down towards the ground, opening fire on it with its cannons again as it drops. 

:'''{{#var:63|Kotoha Isone (63)}} has posed:''' SpinspinspinFWOMP. The gigantic goldfish bellyflops right onto Tenshi, then wobbles as Vita's hammer slams into it, bouncing it off the ground a few inches. The fish burbles. The stone spires launch it upwards, then the large keystone sends it flying into the air, spinning end over end. That's when Taiga's first shot hits it, bouncing it up into the air before the robot tiger slams it down toward the ground again. (Hopefully not right back onto Tenshi, but who knwos her luck.) It bounces off the ground, then slams back down again as Taiga's next shot strikes. Then Adelaide's taser bullets slam into it, and (normal) electricity zaps over the fish's skin. For a moment, Kotoha just watches, wide-eyed. "Huh. You guys are pretty good at this!" But when the goldfish is done being juggled, she pokes her tongue out. "My turn! Shortcut: fish bowl!" Sparks run over her tongue, and a giant fishbowl, complete with water, pops into being in the middle of the street. As it lands from its final bounce, the goldfish drops into the bowl with a splash! Wisps of steam rise up from the surface of the water, and the goldfish seems to be shrinking back to normal size. "Ha, we did it! Good job!" The booth vendors let out a cheer of their own, and the takoyaki guy even holds down another tray. Then the world goes monochrome again. ZAP! CRASH! ZORT! In the distance, all around the city, more of those black lightning bolts come crashing down. Kotoha just stares out toward the sky. "Well, ^%^$&*#%." 

:'''{{#var:109|Adelaide Flowers (109)}} has posed:'''     Vita goes to work and the ground practically explodes around that super-wise tennyo chick. Ruby eyes take in the situation, and Adelaide nods - with Tiger and Vita, the fish is literally well in hand. Addie makes her way to Tenshi's side, offering a hand. "You alright?" Probably; magical angel beings tend to be tougher than that.     And then Kotoha gets in on the fun, and a gigantic fishbowl full of water appears - just in the right spot for the fish to execute a perfect two-point layup from its last bounce. As the steam clears, the fish is shrinking...and Addie can't help but ask the stupid question. "Is it dead?"     Staring in wonder, even managing to ignore the Takoyaki, Addie just watches the fish. How the hell did...that...     ...happen.     Kotoha's words may be unprintable, but they are echoed almost perfectly. "Don't tell me. Split up, we'll do more damage that way?" Hey, it worked for the Ghostbusters... 

:'''{{#var:477|Tenshi Hinanai (477)}} has posed:'''     Tenshi has left a nice angel-shaped indent where the fish had slammed her down, surrounded by cracks both from the impact as well as from the effects of her own spells. When Addie offers a hand up, those red eyes just swivel towards the Knight, "...I stink like fish now."     PRIORITIES.     However the angel does take the gunsmith's offer and hauls herself upright, making sure she hasn't lost the Hisou no Tsurugi, and then glancing across the skyline as more bolts of lightning start coming down, "...Greeeeeat! This town just got more interesting." 

:'''{{#var:558|Yagami Hayate (558)}} has posed:''' Vita peers into the distance. "All right, I guess there's more to take care of! ZAFIRA! Get over here so we can get some Barriers up!" The dog... takes off and flies toward the town with her? Ah well, things are already pretty weird here, who's going to care? Hayate looks fine, though of course not moving her legs. Shamal, however, is there tending to a wheezing Chikade, which is why the others are busy. 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     The fish is dealt with. Nozomi comes out and stares a little at the giant goldfish bowl, glancing between it and Kotoha. She doesn't get to see the hanyou use her powers 'in the field' very often. "Ah... Kotoha, what wa-"     More lightning.     Nozomi immediately lets a little yelp out and ducks behind Kotoha again. Taiga, on the other hand, turns to look towards the town, ears sweeping and quirking. After a second, he declares, "There are several, but the threat level isn't particularly high. With assistance, I will be fine in Independent Mode." Whatever that means, it seems a relief to Nozomi.     When Vita and Zafira go flying off, they are shortly joined by the robotic tiger. He isn't flying as they are, but leaping swiftly along the rooftops, high enough to occasionally draw level with the two of them.     "Hello," he greets Zafira. 

:'''{{#var:63|Kotoha Isone (63)}} has posed:''' "No... it's not dead. We drove the spirit out of it." Kotoha scratches the side of her head. "Long story. But it's just a goldfish now." She glances aside to the Tennyo. "Glad you're okay. I was a little worried there..." The idea that there are now more of these things around worries her, though. "I'm not sure what's causing this. Normally there's not more than one, and even that's rare... Hang on, let me make a call." She puls out her cell phone and taps away, then puts it to her ear. "Aaaaaoooo! Tell Akina to pass word on to Hime and Kyousuke! We've got hanyou alert! ...yes. No. I dunno, more than one! Can you find them all?" She looks up from the phone and holds a hand out. "Ah, hang on! Ao is trying to look for where they are! It'll be easier than just running around!" Leaning over, she asides to the others who haven't flown off. "Ao's a satori in our office. She'll find 'em." Elsewhere in town, a young girl with cat ears munches on a rice cracker. "Mmph. Right then." Chewchewswallow. Ao closes her eyes and pricks her ears up. "Ready, and... SATELLITE!" A beam of golden light flies up to the sky, visible across the town. The satori's ears twitch as she clenches her eyes shut, reaching out with her power to skim the minds of the whole town for anyone who's seen a giant goldfish. "Ah! Got it!" She stuffs the rest of the rice cracker in her mouth and picks up the phone again. "--what? There's eight of them? Where? Uh huh. Got it. Yeah. Thanks, Ao~!" As Kotoha hangs up the phone, she turns toward the others. "Hime and Kyousuke can probably handle two or three. That leaves five for us! Closest one is two blocks this way. Um..." She glances at Signum and Hayate. "If you can call your friends, there are two off in that direction. Three blocks and seven blocks away in a straight line. And I've got--" Ringringring goes Kotoha's phone. "What, really? Shortcut: fish bowl!" Sparks fly from her tongue and... nothing happens, but there's a splash sound from the other side of the phonecall. "That's one down, so... they can get two, we'll go get the nearest one. Sound good?" Kotoha is already running in place, ready to dash off! 

:'''{{#var:109|Adelaide Flowers (109)}} has posed:'''     "Eh, I've smelled worse." Though Addie bets that Tenshi is /not/ going to play the goldfish catching game after that. Or maybe she'll just go smite it instead or something. "Yeah, no kidding." Vita, Tiger, and Zafira go haring off after another one, and if it's at all like the one they just put down, they'l be fine.     Kotoha makes her phone call, and Addie nods - she remembers vaguely the satori, but Addie's more interested in reloading those stun bullets. Well hot damn, they worked, how about that. Once the gun's ready she locks it closed, and then the kotodama user's already giving instructions. Alright.     "Nozomi. You want to come with us, or help the others? Doesn't seem to be too much, but..." Addie's eyes fall on the wheezing girl in the hood, and she frowns - that's two cripples in the area, right offhand. A glance at the energetic High School Girl #2, a smirk, and then Adelaide can't help but grin. "Race you?"     Well, that is, unless Nozomi joins them... 

:'''{{#var:477|Tenshi Hinanai (477)}} has posed:'''     "Whoever's causing this is gonna pay for my dry-cleaning!" Tenshi declares, thrusting a fist into the sky. That fist is wrapped around the hilt of the Hisou no Tsurugi, and when she shoves it skyward, the blade forms, ever-flowing orange like fire. Lowering the sword, she kicks off and returns to flight, twisting in a swirl of rainbow sash and soiled apron, "Well? You two gonna be heroes or do I gotta kick you around until you prove it like I did Mister Satan?" 

:'''{{#var:558|Yagami Hayate (558)}} has posed:''' "Go," Hayate says. "I'll be fine here with Shamal and the others," she insists. She indicates the various townspeople and the like, and the fact that Chikade is breathing better after Shamal's attention. Signum stares at Hayate long and hard, then nods. "All right. I'll tell Vita and Zafira where they need to go." She turns and takes off, launching into the air to buzz across the ground and shift into her knight clothes. Looks like the Wolkenritter are willing to help. 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     "Ah, I..." Nozomi gives Addie a hesitant look. She glances back to Hayate and Chikade, then Addie again, and says, "I-I'll... I'll stay with them. Taiga doesn't need me, so..." So she'll be safer out of the way.     True to her word, she goes jogging over to Hayate, though once she reaches the wheelchair-bound girl, she stops and fidgets a bit nervously. "Ah... h-hey." Pause. "...'m Nozomi. Houken Nozomi." She doesn't seem to do 'new people' very well, but at least Hayate is nonthreatening!     Taiga, once he has a target relayed to him by Kotoha, will immediately veer off towards that target at high robocat speed. 

:'''{{#var:63|Kotoha Isone (63)}} has posed:''' When Vita, Zafira, and Taiga arrive at the indicated spots, they'll find... more of those goldfish. They're barreling down the roadways, crashing into things and knocking stalls over, but otherwise seem to not actually be directed by any sense of aggression. They're just big and bumbling. "...Pfff. You're on, slowpoke!" Kotoha points at Addie, then at Tenshi. "You wanna come with or keep an eye out here?" She doesn't take long to offer her choice before leaping upward, easily high enough to hit the rooftop behind the festival stalls. "Just try to keep up!" Hanyou physiology -may- be cheating in a race. 

:'''{{#var:109|Adelaide Flowers (109)}} has posed:'''     Addie gives her a wink. The suggestion was for Nozomi's sake, after all; Adelaide knows the girl's a bit on the skittish side. And doesn't have much in the way of a combat capability herself...hm, she'll have to fix that. But later. For now, Nozomi's 'guarding' the others and making sure they're okay - and well, at the very least, the townsfolk might need a hand.     "Slowpoke my ass!" Addie's up for a run - and then Kotoha /effing cheats/ with her magical-girl-ninja-leaping, and as she's very clearly shown up - she's also /dared/ to. The challenge from Kotoha is like a flag fluttering before the bull, and this bullheaded bulldog is damn well not going to just give in!     At least she knows which way to go, Addie thinks, as she takes off in a dash. A short sprint of a few blocks isn't so bad, for someone who's ran three miles every day since basic training! Hanyou physiology may be cheating, but it doesn't stand up to years of Landser PT, and Addie's going to prove old age and treachery wins every time over youth and energy. 

:'''{{#var:558|Yagami Hayate (558)}} has posed:''' Zafira just grunts, because the budget doesn't call for his Voice Actor to get any lines tonight. He lands near one of the goldfish and growls loudly, causing spires of ice to erupt in an attempt to hold it in place. At the same time, Vita grasps her hammer. "Well Tiger guy, I guess the rest are up to us! This was supposed to be a relaxing day for my Master, so do you mind if I get a little rough? Thanks!" Yeah, she didn't ask for permission actually. She just rockets in to slam the hammer down and try to stop one of the fish from moving. "Gonna need a bowl I guess." 

:'''{{#var:477|Tenshi Hinanai (477)}} has posed:'''     "Are you kidding?" Tenshi snips at Kotoha, "You heard me a second ago, right?" And without further explenation, she ascends in a smooth arc and towards one of the indicated youkai. Not the exact same one that the other two girls are headed for, though. Because she doesn't think giant goldfish are worth a 3-person team effort.     Rather, she confronts one rolling down a hill street by herself.     And to keep it from rolling over her (again), Tenshi flips her hands up, bringing the earth up into a wall for the fish to smack into. Then it's just a matter of rolling it up in the more pliable asphalt using some well-placed stone spires. 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     "By all means," the deep-voiced robot replies. "In fact, I will leave you to enjoy yourself." He moves right along, picking a different fish to tackle.     When a target is moving in such a nonhostile way, it makes Taiga's job that much easier. His primary course of action is a high, flying leap over the giant goldfish from above, raining down shot after shot of magical energy from above. When he lands in front of it, his cannons open up once more, before he darts in right under it, hurls himself straight upward, and slams into it claws-first from below, so as to fling it straight up in the air. 

:'''{{#var:63|Kotoha Isone (63)}} has posed:''' "Haaaa!" Leaping off the rooftop, Kotoha somersaults and extends her leg, slamming down onto the goldfish with a two-story heel drop! She bounces off its blubbery body and flips to land on her feet, leaving Addie to finish the fish off with her taserbullets! Vita's hammer makes quick work of another, slamming it against the ground before it finally calms down, blowing small bubbles. Taiga's is juggled by a rain of energy blasts, then sent flying up into the air! By the time it comes back down again, it seems to have been finished. And Tenshi's is trapped in a roll of street, burbling as it's squeezed. The goldfish don't really put up too much of a fight. Once they're found, a short, savage beating seems to be enough to drive the possessing spirit right out of them. What they plan to do with the normal goldfish left flopping around on the ground, however, is up to them. Ringringring. Kotoha picks up her phone. "Ao! Yeah, we got them! What, there's one left? Where is it?" Blorp. The last giant goldfish rolls down the street where it all started, barreling toward Hayate and Nozomi. As it bounces against a wall-- The world goes monochrome. Lightning falls, landing on the already-overgrown goldfish. Steam rises from its body as it expands to twice its already massive size, and this time it's more than just a giant fish. An enormous mouth opens wide, and fins have extended into arms long enough to propel it swiftly along the ground. At least that lightning bolt was visible from just about anywhere! 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     Taiga had planned to make a very brief return to the festival grounds before returning to the fray, so to speak. He is there when the last fish comes flopping their way, in fact, dropping it into the bowl with the first goldfish in what is probably an impressive show of delicateness from the robotiger.     Then lightning strikes again. And this time, the threat is just that - a threat. Real, dangerous, and angry.     In a heartbeat, there is a black mecha-feline between Hayate and Nozomi, and the inbound hanyou fish. His cannons are levelled, and though he doesn't look back, Taiga does speak over his shoulder. "Nozomi. Be ready. Just in case." She nods a little nervously, then glances back to Hayate, Chikade, and Shamal. "Ah... y-you should probably get out of here, while you have the chance..."     This nervous, flighty little girl is trying to /protect/ them? 

:'''{{#var:109|Adelaide Flowers (109)}} has posed:'''     Okay fine Kotoha gets their first, the damn roof-leaping cheater. ...Whom Addie is ten years older than but that's not relevant at all, dammit! The heel drop and bounce leaves the fish fazed, and the gunsmith's shoes squeak against the pavement as she skids to a stop again. The gun comes up and unloads all six shots, the energy of the electric bullets sparking across the fish finish driving out whatever...sort of spirit or power or whatnot is turning them into a sushi house's nightmare.     As this one shrinks, Adelaide catches it and then turns to face Kotoha. "Just a little one?" Fishbowls, she means; it's probably SOMEONE'S pet. But her question's interrupted, leaving Kotoha to figure it out and handle it - Addie simply tosses the girl the goldfish and takes off running.     THAT bolt of lightning was only going to be bad - and it was back at the festival! 

:'''{{#var:477|Tenshi Hinanai (477)}} has posed:'''     Tenshi squeezes her giant fish until a normal goldfish pops out the end of her STREET BURRITO, then simply strolls over and picks it up by the tail, squinting at the picean with legitimate fury, "Not so tough NOW, are you?" Lightning strikes back near the festival, prompting her to turn and look in that direction. Her red eyes look up towards the sky, and then she lets out a "Tch..!" and takes to the sky again.     No she does not fix the street.     A few moments later, the tennyo comes to a halt above the original giant fishbowl and drops her fish into it, then plants her feet on the rim while regarding the new threat. After a moment, she tilts her head, resting a finger from her free hand alongside her jawline in a thoughtful pose.     "In the sea of life, know your position and your surroundings. For however great your achievements, one can always be discovered by a bigger fish." 

:'''{{#var:558|Yagami Hayate (558)}} has posed:''' Nozomi is going to protect Shamal? She's... grateful. But... "Master, Chikade... I'm sorry. We don't have time." To Nozomi the blonde smiles. "I'll help, don't worry." As Vita and Signum and Zafira are plopping goldfish into nearby makeshift bowls, it looks like things are heating up at the point of origin! Shamal raises her hand to the sky. "IA, IA! HASTUR! I summon thee... Deus Machina of the Skies, LORD BYAKHEE!" A great tear in reality opens up in the sky, and a giant mecha of vaguely dragonlike shape erupts from the rent, screaming down toward the bloated goldfish with claws that slice downward in a powerful vacuum cut, sending furrows erupting along the ground on the way to the overgrown koi. 

:'''{{#var:63|Kotoha Isone (63)}} has posed:''' "Shortcut: fishbowl!" The one that materializes is a lot smaller, and Kotoha catches the tossed fish with a swing of her arm. "Good job, gunlady. Now let's--" She glances back as another bolt of lightning comes down. "...let's get back, quick!" She stays at street level this time, running alongside Adelaide back toward the festival street. And then she stops short as she sees a giant robot appearing in the sky. "What the..." The fish is big, but there's no way it can stand up to a giant robot powered by an elder god. It lets out a burble as giant claws send air blades toward it, stopping its charge in an instant. "Shortcut: aquarium!" comes Kotoha's voice as she rounds the corner, and a large glass tank of water pops into being right behind the fish. It's already shrinking in size as it flies back from the force of impact from the robot's cut, and the fish is swept into the aquarium with a loud POP. A few moments later, it's already begun to shrink back to normal size. "W..well. That's all of them! Is everyone okay? Nobody hurt?" Kotoha looks relieved. She'll be less relieved when she sees the mess of the street a few blocks over, given that she's one of the ones who will get to fix it. 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     Nozomi is left standing there, more than a little flabbergasted, by the sight of this strange nice lady she's just met calling upon a cosmic horror-powered giant robot.     Even Taiga is surprised enough to be given pause. Don't tell anyone.     But then it is ended fairly quickly, and with a suspicious look around, the magitech robot makes a last quick sweep of the surrounding area with his sensors for more lightning. Only when that doesn't seem to be the case does he amble over to Nozomi and sit down. "No damage to report," he replies, while Nozomi simply shakes her head.     She keeps looking anxiously at Shamal. 

:'''{{#var:558|Yagami Hayate (558)}} has posed:''' Hayate is staring at Shamal with some suspicion, but Shamal just shakes her head, "Not now, Master..." At least the giant robot vanishes in another flare of a portal opening, sending it back to noneuclidean realms and out of the way. The healer hurries over to check on Chikade, who just shakes it away. "We're fine," the sick girl says in a whispered voice. She doesn't seem surprised that Shamal can do magic, either. To Nozomi, Shamal says quietly, "Ah... if there had been more time... I would have asked if you had a way to defend us. I couldn't risk it with the two of them here." 

:'''{{#var:109|Adelaide Flowers (109)}} has posed:'''     Note to self. When you bring a giant robot, you win. Addie pauses a moment, her run faltering as the Final Fish gets flattened back into its original form. She's just as flabbergasted at the appearance of Lord Byakhee as pretty much ANYONE is. Well, anyone but Shamal, but still.     As it disappears, Addie can't help it. "Right, yeah, you gotta be careful when you whip out your giant robot demon thing. Wouldn't want to just leave it standing around somewhere where it could step on someone..." Ahem...sorry Shamal. A glance at Nozomi, to change the subject in her mind at least - but the kid's okay.     "Hey. Kotoha?" Addie doesn't turn to address the other girl, instead staring at the fish in the tank with the occasional glance at the blonde Wolkenritter. "I'm guessing this wasn't some kind of, uh, variation on that one stall's game was it. Or did we just miss out on the chance for an absolute shitload of sushi?" 

:'''{{#var:477|Tenshi Hinanai (477)}} has posed:'''     "It had that robot and stuff to deal with, and then it saw me and was like 'holy crap I don't want to make Tenshi mad' and lost right away!" the angel crows from her perch on the bowl, "That's what I meant about bigger fish, these are all small fry!" The blade of her sword disappears, though, and she hangs it back no her belt.     With a 'hup!' she hops down to road level, looking upward as LORD BYAKHEE disappears from whence it came, then glancing aside at the gathered girls, sickly and magical and grouchy all the same, "So what was that about, anyway? Somebody wandering around turning things into youkai sounds like a headache." 

:'''{{#var:109|Adelaide Flowers (109)}} has posed:'''     Addie couldn't help it. It just popped in there. "Damn right. Something smells real fishy about all this." And then her hand claps over her mouth because God alone knows what else was going to come out of it. 

:'''{{#var:342|Nozomi Houken (342)}} has posed:'''     "Nozomi Houken is my designated user," Taiga replies to Shamal, tail twitching idly behind him. "I cannot reach my full output without her. However, for daily operation, my strength as I am is generally enough." Nozomi gives the blonde woman a faint nod. "That's... that's how it is." 

:'''{{#var:63|Kotoha Isone (63)}} has posed:''' "Nozomi~!" There's a sudden impact as Kotoha crashes into the girl to give her a hug! Embrace applied, she turns and pats Taiga on the head. "Thanks for the hand, guys. And the... giant robot claws." She gives Shamal a very cautious glance. "Ah, well... yeah, I suppose I should try to explain what happened, huh? Though I'm not sure on all of it..." Kotoha adjusts her glasses and points to the goldfish, which are now normal-sized and happily swimming around a tank that is far too huge for them. "Those flashes of light you saw... the fish were Struck." The way she says it even sounds capitalized. "Possessed by bad spirits from the youkai world. The possession is a little unstable at first, so just hitting them hard enough can sometimes dislodge it, and the spirit has nowhere to go but back where it came from. If it had stayed with them, they'd be permanently hanyou... and probably pretty dangerous. As to how..." She looks up to the clear skies and shrugs. "Not sure. It's normally pretty rare, and for there to be ten in one night is really strange." She lets out a sigh, looking around to the booths... where all the attendants seem to be getting right back to business again. "Well, at least there was no harm done. And the fireworks should be starting soon!" 

:'''{{#var:558|Yagami Hayate (558)}} has posed:''' Vita lands nearby with a hmph, Graf Eisen disappearing. "If that's a normal thing, I wouldn't want to live in this town." Okay, she probably had fun, but she has people to protect! Signum has also returned, and is easing Hayate back into her wheelchair. A shaken Hayate nods slowly, but it's Chikade who suggests softly, "You should look into what caused that, I think. When strange things happen it can be really bad. Hayate... when that quake hit..." Hayate cringes a little and rubs her head. "Let's... let's watch the fireworks and go home. Unless... Chikade?" The other girl blushes, then lowers her eyes, but it's Shamal who answers, "We should get her back to the hospital. She's had quite a shock." 

:'''{{#var:109|Adelaide Flowers (109)}} has posed:'''     Addie laughs when Nozomi gets tackle-hugged. Well, it'll do her a little good to have friends like Kotoha, someone her age who can definitely keep her spirits up. Her revolver quickly gets holstered, tucked under that entirely useful happi coat, and then the local girl starts describing just /what/ the hell happened.     "No harm? I report a casualty! My frigging /wits/ for one." At least Addie's hair is calming down and no longer doing its best static-electricity trick. "Normally 'pretty rare' huh...well, I guess if I was a bad spirit I'd get some help if I wanted to ff...ffool something over." Good catch, Flowers. Noone totally caught your slip at all.     Shamal speaks up, and Addie turns back. "You need a ride? I can't take everyone, but the kids and you, yeah." The gunsmith gives the blonde a nod, with a considering look at Vita. "Maybe Red too, if she wants to squeeze in the back with the others. I'm parked pretty close." Sorry Signum, Zafira, there's just not room in Addie's little car. 

:'''{{#var:63|Kotoha Isone (63)}} has posed:''' "Aww, you can't stay for the fireworks?" Kotoha looks disappointed, but understanding. "Well.. hang on a sec." She turns and runs off to one of the boothes a short distance away, starting a brief but energetic conversation with the stall owner. Before long, she returns with both hands behind her back. "Right! To remember Sakurashin Town by!" Kotoha reaches forward to produce... two stuffed cows wearing bibs. She hands one to Hayate and the other to Chikade. "Hidagyu!" Apparently the mascot of a local beef company, but these stuffed animals seem to be pretty prevalent around town. "And come back to visit whenever you want, okay? It... probably won't be this crazy again. I hope!" 

}}

WMAT C1 Fate T. Harlaown vs. Hei

2014-06-26T23:28:23Z

Parasaurolophus: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2014/06/26 |Location=WMAT Arena - Diablo Desert |Synopsis=WMAT Bracket C round 1: Fate T. Harlaown vs. The Black Reaper (Hei) |Thanks= |Cast of Cha..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2014/06/26
|Location=WMAT Arena - Diablo Desert
|Synopsis=WMAT Bracket C round 1: Fate T. Harlaown vs. The Black Reaper (Hei)
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=118, 275, 306
|Tinyplot=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:306|Fate T. Harlaown (306)}} has posed:''' Already in her Barrier Jacket, Fate floats down from the sky, Bardiche in hand. Rather than the twintails she's worn for well over a decade, today she's got her hair pulled into a long, thin ponytail. The Enforcer lands lightly, just a small puff of sand rising from her armored boots, and she switches her Device over to her left hand. "Black Reaper. It's a pleasure to meet you in person." The blonde gives Hei a warm smile, extending her right hand up toward him. "Let's have fun, okay?" 

:'''{{#var:118|Hei (118)}} has posed:''' The Black Reaper stands in the desert, face behind his mask concealing his identity. It's more of a symbol, though. As he sees Fate, he feels like he recognizes her. But the Multiverse is weird, right? "Likewise. And, at the same time, give it your all.". The Black Reaper shakes her hand, before moving backwards, and then turning back to her, to give himself distance. "May the best battler win." 

:'''{{#var:275|Alexandra Knox (275)}} has posed:''' Under the comfortable shade of the large mushroom cluster, Lex is exposed to several displays, each matching to a single camera. She has a microphone next to her, and a small staff of tournament employees to select shots of the fighters. Those brave enough to head into the desert to watch this fight are, with a couple exceptions, spending a lot of money for drinks. This hasn't hampered their excitement one bit. Lex is pretty excited too, and she starts talking as soon as the fighters arrive on the screens. "Welcome to another fight in the World Martial Arts Tournament, Bracket C. I'm Alexandra Knox, here to provide some insights into the battle about to unfold." She lets the camera settle on Fate, "The first of our brave competitors today is Fate Testerossa Harlaown, a Captain of the Union and Ace of the Time-Space Administration Burea, definitely nobody to underestimate." The camera moves on to Hei, "Our other competitor is the Black Reaper, shrouded in what is no doubt intentional mystery, there is little to be said about him, maybe we can say more after the fight is over." The camera moves out to show the desert, "This match will take place in the scorching heat of the diablo desert, and I must say I'm glad for the shade. I do not envy today's competitors. Commentary will continue on frequency 900.3 that is nine zero zero dot three, that is WMAT3." The camera switches to show her face, "But before we begin, a word from our sponsors..." After the commercial, the judge rings the bell. 

:'''{{#var:306|Fate T. Harlaown (306)}} has posed:''' As soon as the bell rings, Fate transfers her Device back to her right hand. "Ready, Bardiche?" ~Yes, Sir. Plasma Lancer, Get Set.~ A number of crackling yellow spheres of energy appear around Fate, hovering in a lazy circle. "Let's test the waters. Fire!" Fate's free hand extends toward Hei, palm open, and several of the spheres elongate into arrowhead shapes and fly toward the Black Reaper. 

:'''{{#var:275|Alexandra Knox (275)}} has posed:''' Lex picks up her voice when the battle starts, "Harlaown doesn't wait a moment to try out her mysterious opponent's defenses, firing several magical projectiles at the Black Reaper barely after the bell has sounded!" 

:'''{{#var:118|Hei (118)}} has posed:''' The voice sounds familiar too. But the Black Reaper has no time to try and figure out where he remembered it from. He attempts to move out of the way for a dodge, but the arrowheads smashes straight into him, injuring him. He begins to move, rather agile, in an attempt to circle Fate. Suddenly, the Black Reaper's hand reaches into his jacket..and then flungs outwwards, a blade on a wire flying straight at Fate at a good speed! Just a blade, though..no enchantments or the like, as he begins to spread out in an attempt to get further ground. 

:'''{{#var:275|Alexandra Knox (275)}} has posed:''' Lex sees the attack hit Hei, and winces. "The Black Reaper is fast but by not fast enough, Harlaown got him dead on." She oohs when she sees Hei's attack, "He throws his blade, but a closeup clearly shows a wire, that looks clever!" 

:'''{{#var:306|Fate T. Harlaown (306)}} has posed:''' Fate is already running toward Hei as the blade flies. A quick jerk to the side prevents it from hitting her squarely, but the edge does clip her shoulder, marring the magical defenses. ~Sir.~ "Mmm, I see it. A wire?" Crimson eyes shift to the side as she charges in, making note of that wire... if he has those on his knives, it probably ties to his fighting style. As an All-Range Mage, though, Fate is just as comfortable up close as she is at a distance, and she closes that distance quickly to swing her Device toward Hei, the heavy axehead plummeting downward... off to his side. The feint is followed by a twirl of the poleaxe, sending the haft of the weapon at the Reaper's midsection. 

:'''{{#var:275|Alexandra Knox (275)}} has posed:''' "She almost dodged it!" Lex exclaims as the blade clips on Fate's shoulder, focusing on her displays, "She's closing in, swinging the head of that axe from up above!" 

:'''{{#var:118|Hei (118)}} has posed:''' Hei's pulling the knife back with a jerk of a hand, and is in turn moving his body as Fate swings at him. The axehead mostly misses, but managed to nick him in the side. He begins to get space..before tossing his knife and wire again, this time trying to land it in her. "The wire's not for show.". Suddenly, a blue aura appears around Hei, as an arc of electric energy is surging from his body, through the wire, hopefully into her. Hei quickly pulls the knife back, and then attempts to slash her with it again, before another surge. He's here to show he means business with a combo! 

:'''{{#var:275|Alexandra Knox (275)}} has posed:''' Lex calls out, "That only barely nicked, both competitors manage to steer clear of drawing significant blood for now. But the Black Reaper's knife suddenly flashes with energy in a shocking action!" The audience cheers, though a few seem less than charmed by the pun. 

:'''{{#var:306|Fate T. Harlaown (306)}} has posed:''' "Glowing?" Fate only has a moment to react before the knife is in the air again, this time managing to pierce through the Barrier Jacket in Fate's upper arm. The blonde winces slightly, then... well, there's steam rising from her arm as the electricity courses through her, but she doesn't seem to react the same way as most people do when electrocuted. Crimson eyes stare straight at Hei, and she reaches up to grab the knife and pull it out of her arm. "An electricity user?" Though she doesn't show it, that definitely hurt, enough that she makes certain to block the next slash with a swift swing of her poleaxe Device. "Bardiche, let's keep it close for now." A soft chime sounds from the yellow jewel on the axehead. ~Thunder Arm.~ Golden electricity begins to run down Fate's arm, collecting over that armored gauntlet on her left hand... and then she drives forward, swinging her fist toward Hei and discharging the magical electricity on contact! 

:'''{{#var:118|Hei (118)}} has posed:''' Hei attempts to barrel out of the way as he retrieves his knife again, but Fate hits him head on, knocking him back with the magical electricity, as he grimaces under his mask, falling to the ground before he rapidly gets up. Luckily..things might work in his advantage, now that it's close combat. Hei puts the dagger back in the trenchcoat..and dashes at Fate, moving in towards her right side. His left arm attempts to grapple her arm, whilst his right fist slams for her side. Once contact is made, he surges electricity through both limbs, and after the aftermath, if possible, is rolling away to give himself space. 

:'''{{#var:275|Alexandra Knox (275)}} has posed:''' Lex's enthusiasm rises as she see this development, and she is not alone the audience cheering loudly, "The audience thunders with approval for this electrical match!" She yells out, "The Black Reaper is given a taste of his own medicine, but that doesn't dissuade him from giving back with lightning speed!" 

:'''{{#var:306|Fate T. Harlaown (306)}} has posed:''' A soft chime sounds from the axehead as Hei approaches, but he's quite fast... and Fate is held in place as he grabs her arm. She lets out a huff of breath as his fist collides with her side and grits her teeth as more electricity runs through her body. "Nnng..." Pivoting in place, Fate shifts her grip on the Device. "Bardi ~chy">Haken Form.~ The axehead swings back, and a long, curved blade of crackling golden energy extends from one side. A smaller series of blades sprouts from the other, and a poleaxe has become a large scythe. Fate darts forward, the sand beneath her boots puffing up with every footfall, and swings the scythe toward Hei. "Hyaaa!" ~Haken Slash~ 

:'''{{#var:275|Alexandra Knox (275)}} has posed:''' Lex winces at the hit, "That can't have been pleasant, Harlaown takes these electrified punches right on. She manages to turn her axe into a scythe, swinging it with extreme prejudice, can she reap victory with such a move?" 

:'''{{#var:118|Hei (118)}} has posed:''' Hei's ready for her when she comes, dodging to the side. This doesn't stop the scythe from cutting through his jacket and finally drawing blood in the battle, but it's a very light wound. And now, the battle's about to step up. Hei's moving in to smash her side with a fist..whilst his other hand draws the blade, Hei going to stab it into her other side if possible. If contact is made, he begins to alternate between generating electricity per side, and once he's done, he's moving back again. Enter and escape is his best manuever at this time! 

:'''{{#var:275|Alexandra Knox (275)}} has posed:''' The crowd seems to be split, half of it cheering for the Black Reaper, half wincing for Fate. Lex, for her part, does not favor either, "The Black Reaper's speed allows for little more than a scratch from that swing, and he's immediately moving for a counterattack, his lightning speed lending itself well to these shocking strikes!" 

:'''{{#var:306|Fate T. Harlaown (306)}} has posed:''' The first strike hits her side again, though a quick spin manages to bring Fate clear of getting outright stabbed by the knife. It still nicks her side, slicing through the fabric of her Barrier Jacket and drawing a trickle of blood. The electricity course through her, however, and steam rises from her body as she fights to control it. "Bardi ~chy">Cartridge Load.~ The cowling below the yellow gem on the Device slides back, revealing a revolver cylinder. It spins once, and a single shell is locked into place. KACHUNK! The cowling snaps shut again, releasing a hiss of steam, and Fate leaps backwards. ~Plasma Lancer.~ This time, half a dozen of the yellow spheres appear in the air around her. "Phalanx Shift." A trio of magic circles form in the air around Fate, and another three appear near Hei... one behind him, one above, and one to the side. Three more, on opposite sides from the first, come into being, and the blonde calls out, "Fire!" One by one, the balls of energy fly toward her own magic circles, then reappear randomly at one of the circles near Hei, flying out at high speeds and exploding on impact. 

:'''{{#var:275|Alexandra Knox (275)}} has posed:''' Lex watches intently, "Harlaown manages to avoid the worst, but that did still not look pretty. Her response is certainly flashy, several magical circles throwing energy balls around unpredictably!" 

:'''{{#var:118|Hei (118)}} has posed:''' After the Black Reaper gets away, Fate's counterattacking with yellow spheres. He attempts to move away, but they begin firing at him! The first one explodes on the ground near him, injuring his leg, but the second is the most drastic, exploding in his face and knocking him back. When the explosion's gone, his mask is completely shattered, and his face is cut, revealing Hei behind the mask! But, this only furthers his determination. He slides around a few more balls, before several hit him in the torso, knocking him to the ground. After he's realigned himself... He's dashing away from Fate? And through the desert? No, he's circling her! Hei attempts to get behind her, before charging forward, attempting to toss his wire around her neck with one hand, and hit her in the back with the other. If it succeeds, he surges a large amount of electricity between both the wire and his fist, before quickly pulling the wire and attempting to escape! 

:'''{{#var:275|Alexandra Knox (275)}} has posed:''' The audience collectively gasps, as does Lex. She keeps talking about the match "The Black Reaper doesn't know how to deal with that, he gets hit hard and runs, but wait, he's coming back from another angle, throwing those electric wires around!" 

:'''{{#var:306|Fate T. Harlaown (306)}} has posed:''' This time, Fate sees the knife coming. She spins quickly, lifting her armored gaintlet to intercept the knife. Instead of her neck, it's her left forearm the wire spins around, but she holds it firm. "Not this time..." The blonde pivots back as Hei charges in, taking the punch on her arm rather than her body. The electricity still runs through her, even more so since the wire is wrapped around a metal gauntlet, but she grits her teeth and stands firm. "I'm sorry about your mask..." Fate gives Hei a brief nod before yanking on the wire, hopefully before he can pull it back. "But holding back in this sort of fight would be unsportsmanlike." ~Sonic Move.~ And then, Fate is no longer there, though the clouds of sand and the furrow left on the ground definitely shows her movement. Unless Hei manages to get that wire free, Fate tries to drag him along at supersonic speeds, then swings her arm up to slam him toward the ground as she suddenly stops! 

:'''{{#var:275|Alexandra Knox (275)}} has posed:''' The crowd explodes with enthusiasm as the fight keeps getting more intense, Lex cannot properly contain her enthusiasm, "Harlaown has shattered the Black Reaper's mask, and is accepts the electricity, using the chance to drag the Reaper along with her in a high speed flight!" 

:'''{{#var:118|Hei (118)}} has posed:''' "It's fine.". Hei replies..as suddenly, he's yanked away! He can't break out of the wire, and Fate can easily smash him into the ground, where he seems to remain docile... Until the blue aura returns, and Hei's showing just how strong he can be. Another burst begins to surge through the wire, but this isn't like before, more akin to a lightning storm! The blast charges through the wire, and unless Fate herself can get rid of it? It's going to strike! 

:'''{{#var:275|Alexandra Knox (275)}} has posed:''' Lex winces at the crash, "The Black Reaper hits the ground ''hard.'' That's not a pleasant experience." The crowd oohs in surprise at the extreme amount of lightning on display, "But the Black Reaper does not allow Harlaown to reap his thunder, a lot of electricity is thrown towards the TSAB Ace!" 

:'''{{#var:306|Fate T. Harlaown (306)}} has posed:''' Even though she expects that electricity to come, Fate doesn't let go of the wire. Sparks fly from her arm as the shock surges, then steam rises from her whole body as small currents snap over her skin, even blasting out the tie holding her hair in its ponytail. The blonde leans over slightly, clenching her fist against the rush of electricity. "You don't run out, do you?" Fate takes a breath and begins to murmur, "Arcus, Krutus, Aegias..." Overhead, dark clouds begin to gather. Wait, isn't this a desert? They certainly look like stormclouds, though. "I call the lords of the storm to me..." The wind begins to whip up, and Fate lifts her scythe... which fades away and splits apart, extending a long blade to become an enormous sword. "Baruel, Zaruel, Browzel... those who command the lightning, my call you must obey!" A loud rumble of thunder sounds from the clouds above, and Fate points her Device straight toward it. "RAIJIN!" With a loud CRACK, lightning shoots down from the clouds, striking the sword and surrounding Fate with a purple-yellow glow. For only an instant, the aura of electricity remains around her before surging through the wire back toward Hei! 

:'''{{#var:118|Hei (118)}} has posed:''' Hei's expecting electricity to come back himself. But he's prepared to take it. When the blade surges through him, though, he wasn't expecting /that/ much force, as he's dislodged from the wire and knocked back onto the ground! Crawling to his feet, he's determined. Beginning a sprint, he runs straight at Fate, attempting to grab her face with one hand, and smash his fingers into her side, surging electricity through them. Contact or no, he then moves the hand on her face towards her leg, and the other hand towards her hair, another attempt at a surge! After this combo, he jumps back, but not too far. He seems to tell they're in the last stages of the battle, by the fact that he's now limping and she doesn't look good either. 

:'''{{#var:275|Alexandra Knox (275)}} has posed:''' The crowd holds their breath as they can see little more than the bright lights of the lightning, Lex has a better view on her cameras, and keeps everyone up to date, "The electrity keeps flowing, Harlaown just taking it in an attempt to use the same wires to return the favor, is this wise? Can this gambit work?" 

:'''{{#var:306|Fate T. Harlaown (306)}} has posed:''' As Hei charges toward her, Fate throws up her left arm, wire still dangling from it. ~Thunder Arm.~ Electricity courses over her forearm, but this time she doesn't use it to strike. The Black Reaper grabs her face and jams his fingers into her side, bringing a wince as he strikes the same rib he's punched twice already. But the electricity doesn't seem to affect her this time... and a look at her hand can say why. Rather than coursing through her body, that initial shock is drawn straight to the charge on her gauntlet, adding to the bright glow. Bringing her hand back around, Fate punches against the flat of her Device's blade, discharging all the electricity stored in her glove. And that's when the second shock comes, triggering a cry of surprise as it races through her body this time to collect on her sword. "You're... fast. I'll give you that." The blonde takes a deep breath and... smiles. It's not confident or snide or mean, just a warm, gentle smile. "We'll have to talk after this, I think." But the smile fades, replaced with a look of determination. With all of that energy gathered on her blade, Fate has to do something with it... and she begins that process by darting at Hei. As she approaches, she brings her sword up and swings it around. "Sprite Zanber!" And then, with all her strength, she stabs it at Hei. ...where it goes right through without doing any harm. What comes next, though, is all the charge, along with a magical pulse, being released at once, an enormous explosion of electricity and magic from the intangible blade. 

:'''{{#var:118|Hei (118)}} has posed:''' "Sounds good. Name's Hei.". Time for proper introductions! In..the middle of combat! Though, when the blade is about to slash through him, Hei expects the worst... Until it goes right through him, nothing. But, it takes Hei a second to figure out that he's not safe...and in that second, the pulse bursts through him, knocking him back and onto his knees. "You're good. Now..let's end this!". Hei takes back to his feet..and dashes forward, one hand. He tosses the hand at her throat...and surges electricity through his body, a high charge! He's hoping this is the last attack he has to take, as he doesn't think he can hold up much longer. 

:'''{{#var:275|Alexandra Knox (275)}} has posed:''' As the fight speeds up, Lex finds herself lost for words, she scrambles back near the end, "Lightning keeps flowing back and forth, the competitors are talking and there the Black Reaper finishes it with a victorious introduction, lightning charging through as he reaps the rewards of victory. Congratulations to both competitors for a well-thought fight and aspecially to the black reaper for winning the first round!" 

:'''{{#var:306|Fate T. Harlaown (306)}} has posed:''' "Fate." A tight smile pulls on the blonde's lips. "Fate Testarossa Harlaown." He should know her name from the match announcement, but it's only right to give a name when one is offered, and now she knows the identity of the Black Reaper. Kinda. Midchildan magic is, by default, non-lethal. The blade of Fate's sword is made of magical energy, not solid, so even if it were tangible, it wouldn't be able to kill Hei. It might hurt quite a lot, though. After the Black Reaper gets back up and charges in again, Fate steps forward as well, swinging her sword. She avoids Hei's hand, meeting it instead with Bardiche's blade, and shoves hard against him... but then the electricity comes, running down the blade and into Fate. The blonde seems to weather the shock just fine, though she drops down to one knee... and then a sharp *crack* sounds, as the golden gem on Bardiche's hilt overcharges, nearly splitting the Device's core in two. "Mmmm..." Shaking her head slowly to clear it, Fate glances at her Device, then slowly lowers it. "I yield." She can't go on at full strength while both injured -and- with a damaged Device, not with her head swimming like this. "Good match. Bardi ~chy">Yes, Sir. Standby Mode.~ The sword vanishes, reverting back to a small triangular gemstone with a crack in it. "Don't worry. I'll have Shari look you over." Pushing herself unsteadily to her feet, Fate extends a hand toward Hei. 

:'''{{#var:118|Hei (118)}} has posed:''' Hei didn't expect a yield. But, it works. The battle's over and neither of them will end up having to be respawned! Shaky himself, he shakes Fate's hand. "A great battle with a very great combatant. When we're fighting together for the Union, I'll know I'm with good hands.". He provides a light smile, looking up at the sky. "Now, howabout we get ourselves patched up?" 

}}