[right][color=1462ba][i][h2]Mariette[/h2][/i][/color][color=57a345][h3][i]and Eli[/i][/h3][/color][/right][right][sub][sub]With slight input from [@BrokenPromise] on Sue.[/sub][/sub][/right]

Eli was a bit taken aback at Libby’s approach, as she thought she had said that out of earshot of Libby. Still, didn’t seem like she took being potentially suspected of being a trap too badly, promptly announcing her appreciation of Eli and then falling asleep in the most cartoony fashion imaginable.

[color=57a345]‘… Whew.’[/color] Eli breathed out in relief that it was resolved without her needing to actually reply. Still, how nice that Libby liked her? Maybe?

Meanwhile, Mariette lazily listened to Helga’s explanation to the ritual, which wasn’t very informative. Still, it involved the blood of the captured Magical Girls…

[color=186cc7]‘… If they’re used as blood-factories then there’s less of a chance the Magical Girls have been brainwashed and that we’ll have to fight them, which would be nice,’[/color] Mariette replied. She had enough trouble gathering them the first time to be bothered having to fight them. Still, the idea of Father being summoned… Well, if that happened, Mariette wouldn’t be able to do much.

… Then the lantern. Mariette frowned and prepared to open a portal to take the explosion if it blew up, but instead it melted into blood. And then… they appeared.

[color=57a345]‘Gorelions,’[/color] Eli stated aloud for anyone not knowing the name of their enemies as she made ready to battle. Of course, Mariette knew the enemy had Gorelions. She might herself be the reason they were fighting 10 of them instead of 42, which would have been a lot scarier. She absently played with the idea of pitting Gorelions against Gorelions. … Nah, something told her Justine would have a counter should Mariette attempt putting her own weapons against her, but the thought did elicit a slight smile.

Still clutching her large stuffed bunny held in her left arm, Mariette manifested her Mystic Mirror in her right hand as Amber started outlining a strategy. A simple hand-mirror in appearance, it was her mystic weapon through which she could project magic for portals, the glass swirling with magical energy. This was a straight-on battlefield. Not an ambush, not just one against one, a straight up battle. Fitting it would be the time that she actually [i]drew her weapon[/i].

 … Hmpf, the captain saw fit to give her commands. Still, cooperation was in their best interest. [color=186cc7]‘Well, seeing how Sonia isn’t here yet…’[/color] Spoken primarily for Alicia’s ears, if the girl could hear over the sound of starting to barrage the monsters with her bow. Anyway, Mariette started abscently opening numerous tiny portals high in the air and around the Bastion, all linking to her right eye under the eye-patch. This to give her a view of the battlefield in order to give her absolute awareness of the battlefield and prevent any sneak-attacks from taking her by surprise. She’d do her best to give the rest warnings should she notice anything.

Now, then. Four things Mariette wanted to do.

First, sure, fine. 

She used a bit of her awareness to open a portal by Eli and Sue, linking to the entrance of the Overcity and that winged Magical Girl. Not too close, didn’t want to alarm her too much. Mariette kept the portal on this side latched to a wall on the Bastion so it wasn’t left behind.

[color=57a345]‘Aw. I won’t be fighting?’[/color] Eli asked briefly, then looked over at the Gorelions… [color=57a345]‘… Then again, I probably wouldn’t be to much use. Okay. Let’s go.’[/color] Eli nodded to Sue and threw a raised eyebrow at Libby sleeping through this event before jumping through the portal. 

[@ADamnFiddle] To Olesya, suddenly a round flat hole with a frame of magic energy opened leading out onto the deck of the Bastion, far closer to the battlefield itself. Through this hole jumped a winged humanoid creature, a harpy, composed of dark fluid. Yet the amorphous harpy’s face was white and looked forward at her with a soft though serious expression. The fluid harpy had landed on the ground several meters from Olesya with a little splash by her feet. Accompanying her was a small white- and black bird flapping in, unnatural only in its presence before it suddenly transformed into an adult woman with long white hair standing beside the smaller dark being. The harpy gave a slightly hesitant smile and raising one dark wing in greeting.

[color=57a345]‘Hi! I’m Eli. Er, excuse the mess!’[/color] Eli said, gesturing back at the battle going on. [color=57a345]‘So, um. Our group of Magical Girls are seeking to defeat powerful Horror-servant Justine von Visceral who’s planning on using the blood of Magical Girls in a Blood Moon ritual to make the world a “pure” one, whatever that means, but it might involve the summoning of her patron, Father, which would be really, REALLY bad news. In simple terms, we’re pretty sure she’s evil. So, er. Any chance we could negotiate for some back-up?’[/color]

"We're a diverse group of magical girls that see Justine as a threat." Sue said. "I'm Sue, a familiar to a regular magical girl. You can plainly see Eli is a monster, but we have Beacon girls working with us."

[color=57a345]‘Oh, and we’re also saving this girl who was kidnapped right in front of her not-actually-boyfriend who intended to charge in on his own, so it’s a bit of a “save the damsel in distress” scenario, too.’[/color] Eli mused, looking up and touching one wing to her lips briefly. [color=57a345]‘So, uh. We’d really appreciate some help~’[/color] Eli gave a hopeful smile.

Meanwhile, back on the Bastion. Second thing Mariette wanted to do.

She didn’t trust the blood from the lantern. Focusing power, she made a large, spiteful portal that took the blood and sent it a distance away, in a direction away from the Bastion, the way they’re going and the Overcity. As long as Justine was involved, blood was bad. Away with it. She noted how multiple Alexanders were running around giving people forcefields, including herself. Mariette gave him a small nod before refocusing again.

Third thing.

Actually, before the third thing, she flinched as suddenly an unknown Magical Girl struck a Gorelion to the sound of a sonic boom. Seems like someone had decided to help them. Hm. Mariette wasn’t the one to give the thanks for the assist, but a small appreciative nod would do. Certainly better than the curse Suwako gave her. Okay, now the third thing.

Mariette manifested numerous portals close to her, connected to one another, before sending half towards the closest Gorelions. Not straight on but towards their sides, she intended to have the portals circling around at least two Gorelions or perhaps even place them against their skin if the portals weren’t attacked. The portals weren’t exactly agile and wouldn’t be able to dodge if the Gorelions attacked them, but the portals were too small for the Gorelions to attack through and the destroyed portals would be a minor cost for distracting the beasts as Mariette could but open new ones.

[color=186cc7]‘Feel free to attack them through my portals that I’m placing on the edges of the ship, and we’ll see if we can find some weak points. Or you can jump through yourself, if you’re confident, I’ll get you back. Be careful, just in case they have some means of attacking back, since portals are two-ways,’[/color] Mariette instructed those around her. She placed this side’s portals at the edge of the ship, so they could watch Gorelions on the distance while also seeing them through the portals. It would take a great deal of her attention to have these portals circle the beasts for other to attack through, and she’d guide them to the next beast if the one they were currently circling was defeated, while also trying to be attentive enough to close the portals if she detected danger about to strike through the portals. Great deal of things.

But, she also wanted to attempt a fourth thing.

Charging power through her mirror, she opened an additional portal. She targeted a Gorelion in front, the closest that wasn’t currently being focus-fired upon, if there was any such. Mariette attempted to open a portal so that the next time it put its feet down to prance at them, a foot would suddenly vanish down a portal. The Gorelions were too big for Mariette to take the whole thing, but just tripping them? Could be amazingly effective, especially if they blocked other Gorelions behind them. The other end appear in mid-air above the Gorelion, paw ineffectively not meeting any ground if it fell through. With that, Mariette hoped, she could greatly hamper at least one of the beasts immediately, depending on. If it was effective enough and she had the power to spare, she’d start making similar potholes for other Gorelions, but perhaps inspect the current effectiveness first.

Doing all of this, Mariette couldn’t move. If the Bastion shook, tentacles of darkness would extend from her to support her to prevent falling. She stood, left eye closed, focused entirely on her right eye and watching the whole battlefield, spreading her magic connections and preparing to open portals, hand with her Mystic Mirror extended in front of her and working on overdrive, mana swirling it as she worked. Of course, she still saw herself through her eyes in the sky, but focusing on things so distant from herself left her real body vulnerable. She was in full battlefield mode.

[hider=tl;dr]1. Create tiny eyes-in-the-sky to her right eye so she can keep track of the battlefield and not be ambushed.
2. Sent Eli and Sue to recruit winged magical girl.
3. Attempted to portal the blood of the lantern as far away from anything relevant as she could muster.
4. Created portals for the others to attack through that she sent to circle Gorelions, moving them with her power as well as she could from a distance.
5. Occasionally attempt to create potholes for the legs of Gorelions to get stuck in, hopefully greatly hampering their progress.

Mariette is currently immobile, in complete mage-mode, greatly flexing her Mag 20.[/hider]