Anza

Mahou Shoujo no Hex Night: A Magical Girl Battle RP

Relaxing a little as Hikari switched back into her regular form, Tokiko swiftly followed suit. Her white coat dissolved with a quick crackle of viridian lightning, along with her other minor accessories, leaving her little more than a bespectacled and slightly tired-looking schoolgirl. The lighter and radio transmitter remained, but she quickly stashed those away in her bag with the other junk.

"Um..." She looked back at Hikari again, her expression still a little embarrassed. "Not at all! At least, not normally... Our clothes are made from magical energy, just like our attacks, so they don't tear easily." She frowned. "Most of my experience is from fighting shades, so it might be different when magical girls fight each other. But I think the simplest answer is that Kagami's attack was just that strong."

There was a faint anger in her eyes, but it didn't seem to be directed at Hikari. "Next time you meet her— if there is a next time —you need to make sure you know how to make a shield, or move fast enough to avoid those beams." She adjusted her glasses with a quiet hmph. "After all... Seeing as I've put so much effort into getting you this far, it'd be embarrassing for me if you just got taken out like a scrub!"

@VitaVitaAR

Nomadic Fist: Radiant Soul (DEMO MODE)

Anna Hathorn

---

⦋ 20 || United States || Female ⦌

APPEARANCE & PERSONALITY

APPEARANCE

Outwardly Anna looks mostly a human girl, standing at 5'7'' with a slim, toned figure that she's happy to show off. However, her arms are cybernetic from the elbows down, and her skin and hair are oddly pale. She puts a lot of care into her appearance, often dying her hair and using makeup to either downplay or accentuate her unusual traits.

PERSONALITY TRAITS

Confident, down-to-earth, relaxed, perceptive, provocative, proud.

BACKSTORY & MOTIVATION

Anna was never meant to stick around for long. Afflicted from birth with a fatal degenerative disease, the doctors gave her only a week to live at best. Fortunately for Anna, though, her mother was a genius scientist and her father the owner of a major company, and together they decided they would save their daughter no matter the cost.

After several surgeries and millions of dollars, Anna survived— but not in quite the same body she'd been born with. Due to the damage the disease had already done to her, her forearms and several internal organs had to be replaced by cybernetics, and all the blood in her body was drained out and replaced by colorless, electrically conductive fluid. She was a cyborg now, not only alive but faster, stronger, and more durable than a girl her age had any right to be.

Her mother, ever the tinkerer, continued upgrading Anna as she grew up, reinforcing her mechanical components and modifying them so that they could channel her newly emergent Ki. With a loving family and some excellent schooling, Anna became a smart, precocious young girl with a bright future ahead of her. By the time she reached high school, she was a top student, a star athlete, talented in almost every field to the point where she left most of her peers in the dust.

As a result, however, she found herself getting bored. Yes, she could easily get into a good college and end up with a high-paying job, but wouldn't that be too easy? What would be the point of living a live surrounded by ordinary people? For several years now she'd been fascinated by the idea of Nomads, individuals exceptional enough to be able to compete with her on even ground. She craved a challenge, to be able to test her strength against the best of the best and for the first time ever truly prove her worth.

Once she'd graduated high school and grown more or less to adulthood, and no longer needed periodic changes and upgrades to her cybernetic parts, she bid her family farewell, letting them know that she was going to travel for a while and see the world before returning to pursue a career. Her future is still uncertain, but her goal is clear: to seek out and compete with other Nomads, to join hands or match fists with the only people who can truly push her to her limits.

FIGHTING STYLE & ABILITIES

FIGHTING STYLE

Anna is a fast and powerful rushdown fighter, packing incredibly durable cybernetic forearms along with some versatile abilities that let her fight at any distance and threaten any kind of opponent. At close range she uses a martial art called Shoxing, AKA electric kickboxing, which uses rapid strikes combined with painful electric shocks delivered through her fists. Her punches by default deliver electric shocks, and she can 'charge' her fists further to deliver explosions on impact, burning and knocking back opponents. At longer ranges she can either unleash the raw power of her electricity as crackling lightning, or channel it through steel wires, controlling their snaking lengths to snag or strike down her enemies. She's especially dangerous against those who rely on metal weapons or armor, which end up being more of a disadvantage than an advantage against her.

SPECIAL MOVES & TECHNIQUES

■ [Flicker Jab]

[]A lightning-fast punch, not particularly powerful but difficult to anticipate or perceive. To make matters worse, the electricity around her fist flares up as she punches, producing a bright flash that can blind the unwary at a critical moment. This can be used either as a direct attack by itself, or to fake out/distract her target to set up a bigger move.

■ [Electrocute]

[]Pretty much what it sounds like: Anna grabs hold of a target and electrocutes them. Can induce muscle spasms or partial paralysis.

■ [Onslaught]

[]An offensive dash that covers up to five feet in the blink of an eye.

■ [Brain Burst]

[]Anna activates cybernetic components built into her nervous system, allowing her body to process and respond to information far more rapidly. Essentially puts her in 'bullet time,' not affecting her movements but allowing her to perceive and react to things as if they were moving in slow motion. Can last for up to five seconds (with a one minute cooldown), any longer at once and she'll suffer a vicious migraine.

■ [Fulmination]

[]Blasts a chosen target with a bolt of lightning. Can be dodged normally, but will home in on a target carrying metal.

■ [Magnetic Shield]

[]Generates a powerful magnetic field in front of her. This has no effect on ordinary attacks, but will rebuff any strike made with metallic weapons or projectiles.

■ [Magnetic Throw]

[]Anna magnetizes a metal object within 30 feet and sends it hurtling towards her opponent. The smaller the object, the faster it'll go. If the opponent is carrying metal, flying objects will home in on them.

■ [Razor Lash]

[]An electrified steel wire flicks out from one of Anna's wrists at incredible speeds. This can be used to either strike a target like a whip or wrap itself around them. If it's the latter, Anna can then use the wire pull herself towards the target, pull the target towards her, or [Electrocute] the target via the wire.

■ [Overcharge]

[]If Anna touches an existing source of electricity (such as an exposed cable) or is hit by an electrical attack, she can drain power from it and use it to amplify the effect of her next Special Move.

SUPER MOVES

■ [Heartbreaker]

Anna makes a palm strike to an opponent's chest, channeling the full power of her electricity through their body and temporarily stopping their heart.

■ [Tied Down]

[]Snags an opponent with four electrified wires all at once, grabbing each of their limbs and immobilizing them as Anna closes in and either lands a massive blow or boops them on the nose and electrocutes their brain.

■ [Touch of a Goddess]

[]An extremely powerful move that can only be used while outside. Anna blows a kiss at an opponent, and then brings down lightning from the sky to strike them five times in the space of a second.

WEAKNESSES & LIMITS

Anna is tremendously strong while on the offensive, but against non-metal attacks she has few defensive options, relying instead on overwhelming aggression to keep enemies at bay. Her confidence and inexperience only compound this lopsided approach: she's not used to getting hit by anyone with the strength or speed to match her, which often leads her to underestimate how badly she can be hurt. If an opponent can find an opening to punish her, or simply withstand whatever she throws at them, then landing even a light counterattack may leave her reeling.

OTHER

- In addition to eating and sleeping, she needs to charge herself up now and again to maintain her strength. While this is usually done with a charging cable, any source of electricity will do in a pinch.
- Anyone who touches her bare skin will feel a gentle tingling, a minor sign of the currents coursing beneath.

Suddenly, My Favorite MMORPG has Become Real?! — A Log Horizon-inspired RP

Even if the compliment was a small one, it still made Viri smile a little. "Ah, go ahead," she said, waving a hand as Deneb walked off to test her fighting skills, "It's not as if we're in much of a hurry, after all..."

In the meantime, she could try out one of the pairs of boots she'd retrieved. She bent down out of instinct, reaching down to undo the clasps on her shoes, then hesitated. If things like the inventory work, then... Opening up her screen, she focused her gaze on the boots, and hit 'equip.'

A moment later, they were on her feet. The transition was seamless, so much so that she'd barely have noticed it if she wasn't looking. If it works like in the game, then my shoes should have gone back to my inventory. And once I'm done hiking, I can probably directly re-equip them from there. The minor revelation made her smile again. Confusing and disorientating as this world could be, some parts of it really were convenient!

She took a couple of steps forward, testing out her new footwear, then found a soft patch of grass and sat down, her long legs gently folding under her. From there, she quietly watched as Deneb experimented with some altogether more dangerous mechanics.

Perhaps it was only because of her own inexperience with the game, but Viri found herself looking at the ninja girl with more and more admiration as time went on. She was sharp, she was rational, and she seemed to have an almost intuitive grasp of the game's systems, translating them into this new reality with an ease that bordered on being effortless. The cleric hummed thoughtfully as her bright green eyes followed Deneb's deadly and beautiful dance. Even if we are only a party of two...

A final slash sent blood spraying out of the beast's jugular, and Viri applauded.

... I think I may have found a good leader.

"And the winner is... Deneb!" She rose to her feet, her willowy figure stretching to its full height once more. "Slayer of Boars, the swiftest lady in the land!" Then she leaned forward a little, laughing at her own words. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I let my enthusiasm get carried away for a moment there. But you know, that really was impressive to watch." She met Deneb's eyes with a look of earnest appreciation. "You must have been good at this game before, am I right?"

She looked out over the horizon, at the roads and fields and trees stretching out into the distance, a mountain range barely visible at the edge of her field of view. So much... There was no way they'd cover even a fraction of all that in just an hour. Exploring the area around the town might be possible, but to really know what was out there, they were going to need more people. Although, she thought, glancing once more at Deneb, there is something nice about it being just us two. Even if it is only for the moment.

"Well then, if you're ready..." She strode forwards, the first bold steps of many she would take as they delved into the great unknown.

"... let's see what we can find!"

@PKMNB0Y

Fate/esoterica

Kazamyr Silvestrov

"Annoyed her, you say?" Kazamyr laughed at that. "Well, isn't that unfortunate! Though I confess, that might have been partly my fault." It had been hard not to take on a slightly mocking tone whilst talking through a crow. That, and his status and methods as a lowly mercenary didn't tend to sit well with high-and-mighty types. "Alas, I doubt there's much we can do in that regard, and it may be for the best. One alliance is fine, but we should still think of the other Servants as our mortal enemies."

He pinched his chin, considering. It sounded like Rider could maybe win against Assassin, or at least hold her off for a while. And that one's Master seemed vulnerable, which could give Kazamyr an opening to take out the pairing if his Servant was unable. On the other hand... there's no use in taking them out right now, since we're supposed to be working together. It was good to have contingencies— there was only one Grail to go around, after all —but for now he needed to focus on the immediate targets. Lancer is definitely a problem, even assuming she gives us two days. But Assassin mentioned a duel... If he could let the other two Servants fight one-on-one under the pretense of honor, then perhaps the speedy swordswoman would be able to injure the Valkyrie enough to leave her vulnerable to a follow-up assault. Dear Lancer wouldn't approve of such tactics, of course, but it's not as if she likes us anyway. Besides, it's easy for a great warrior like her to put pride and honor on a pedestal, but rats such as I have no choice but to play dirty. No choice!

He stood up and stretched, slow and languid. All this scheming was starting to give him a headache. "I thank you for your honesty, Rider. What little we've learned, we'll make good use of tonight." He smiled. "But for now, I'd say a little fresh air is in order. Breakfast, I think, followed by a trip to the library." Searching online had given him plenty of leads to chase with regards to the identities of his opponents, but books were often more thorough, especially when it came to history. It'd also be useful to read up on Redrock itself, to see if he could find anything interesting buried in the town's past. I've heard there are catacombs... and if my enemies are hiding down there, a map of some kind will be essential.

"I'll take care to stay in public," he continued, stepping towards the door, "and as far as I know nobody's seen my face, so chances are I'll be safe. Still, it wouldn't hurt to have you around, if you're amenable." He looked back at Rider. "And if there's anywhere you'd like to visit yourself, I could probably manage a detour or two."

@King Cosmos

Mahou Shoujo no Hex Night: A Magical Girl Battle RP

"Hmm?" Tokiko met Hikari's eyes with a curious expression. "Is that your reason?" Was she not tempted by a wish at all? Given all the possibilities that winning the Hex Night could offer, she'd have thought any magical girl would want to claim the prize, but it sounded like Hikari was driven by something different. Righteous wrath, rather than desperate greed. To fight in the Hex Night just to stop people like Kagami from winning... that's kind of mean, but... kind of noble, as well.

"Fine." She gave a serious nod. "Whatever you're fighting for, you've made your decision now, and that means you have to own it. So far you've been lucky enough to have me around to back you up, but that won't be the case forever, you know?" She tilted her head to one side, punctuating the statement with a quiet hmph. "So if you're as determined as you say, then there's only one choice. You need to get stronger."

She adjusted her glasses, eyes wandering away as she pondered aloud. "There isn't much time, since Hex Night has already started, and with so many magical girls around it won't be easy to find shades to practice on. You could try to learn by fighting other magical girls, but that's risky, since they'll be trying to destroy your Hex Symbol..."

She frowned, glancing off towards the horizon. Aaaaah, why does this have to be so difficult? There was one option, but it demanded even more effort from her, just to help one annoying girl who'd been caught up in all this by chance. I'm not doing this just for her sake, though. If she can fend for herself, that'll get her out of my hair, right? And, well... It was kind of nice walking home together. Squeezing her eyes shut, she finally relented.

"Even though you're already supposed to be way in my debt... If you wanted, I guess I wouldn't mind training you a little."

There! I said it! She looked back at Hikari, and her eyes shot wide open. She'd been so caught up in all the grand declarations and strategizing that she hadn't really noticed the lingering damage to the shorter girl's outfit.

"Ah... Y-your clothes..." She averted her eyes again, turning her face away to conceal the bright red blush that had spread across her cheeks. It's not a big deal, right? We're both girls, aren't we? All the same, it felt like her thoughts had gone somewhere weird for a moment...

"W-we should change back into our regular forms, for now!"

@VitaVitaAR

Fate/esoterica

Kazamyr Silvestrov

The sun broke through a thin layer of clouds, staining them a deep purple as its orange radiance swept past their wispy vapors and blazed high over the horizon. As the last shreds of darkness faded away with a gentle sigh, bright dawn met with earth the color of rust, each accentuating the other's natural hues and making clear from whence this town had earned its name: from stone and dirt alike turned bloody red by the touch of the morbid heavens. Viewed from afar, the landscape looked almost as if some great massacre had taken place the night before.

An omen which, as of yet, remained frustratingly unfulfilled.

Fiery light trickling through the open window of a dingy apartment, rented out a week prior, and illuminated the shape of a lanky man sat deep in thought. Kazamyr hadn't slept much. He'd rested, letting his body recover a little from the strain of using so many familiars alongside a Servant, but all the while his mind had been turning, and before the day even broke he'd risen and showered, dressing once more in pure black as he considered what needed to be done.

Clearly his enemies were playing things safe, for the most part. He supposed that he'd have noticed any Servant battles occurring, but none had, other than the one he'd instigated himself and then cut short before it stretched beyond a swift exchange of blows. His brow furrowed. Is this to be a war of attrition, then? It made sense, given the seven sides, that the obvious tactic would be to wait things out and let the other factions deal with each other. Hence the notable absence of Saber, Berserker, and Archer... A slow grind, however, wasn't Kazamyr's style. He'd spent his time waiting and setting up already, and he wasn't the kind of man to count on victory falling into his lap while he languished in inaction.

The 'alliance' was his biggest advantage. Hard to say how much that girl trusted him at this stage, but if he could secure her cooperation for at least another night or two, they could overwhelm their opponents one at a time with the combined strength of their Servants. As such, he'd been researching his targets, readying himself to confront them in the very near future.

Handwritten notes lay scattered about the room, alongside the wards and glyphs that protected the apartment from assault and observation. Notes on the Valkyries, a list of possible identities for Lancer. Brynhildr, Eir, Geirdriful... On another sheet, sparse bullet points detailing famous witches within the last millennium. On yet another, some interesting tidbits he'd found on Japanese warrior women, legends that might explain Assassin's blinding speed. Uesugi Kenshin, Nakano Takeko, Tomoe Gozen... All possible, but none of them quite seemed to fit. He'd need to dig deeper, there.

He'd also considered the known abilities of the other Servants, and how one might deal with them. Assassin wasn't much stronger than Rider, but was slippery and quick. If it came to a fight he'd need to find a way to pin her down, and if they fought together he'd want to take care to keep opponents from doing the same. Lancer was a bigger problem: likely stronger than Rider due to her class, armed with powerful magecraft from the Age of Gods, and on top of that she could almost certainly fly. Which is bad news, when our trump card is an elephant charge.

Most of all, though, he was worried about Saber. Supposedly the strongest class of all, but a complete unknown thus far. What am I up against? Where are they hiding? The thought made him shudder with dread and anticipation both. I wonder...

"Rider," he pondered aloud, "you've been able to meet some of our opponents now, and even crossed blades with one of them. So tell me— if it had turned into a serious fight last night, could you have defeated Assassin? Or defeated Lancer? What would be your chances, if you had to guess?"

@King Cosmos

Mahou Shoujo no Hex Night: A Magical Girl Battle RP

"No, you idiot, don't just charge in—"

Too late. No sooner had Tokiko opened her mouth than Hikari blasted herself forwards in a suicidal attack, and promptly got herself shot out of the air. If Tokiko hadn't been holding things in both hands, she'd have facepalmed then and there. You utter blockhead! Did you seriously just rush in without a plan?! Even with Hikari's limited powers, she should have at least been able to avoid one attack, but apparently her inexperience with using her powers was compounded by a total ignorance of basic tactics and teamwork.

Though really... this is my fault. Tokiko glanced over at Hikari's body, relieved to see that she'd been knocked out but not seriously injured. She had to give credit to Kagami there: the Empress had been careful to use just enough power to take her out without inflicting lasting harm. I knew something like this would happen from the start. Even so, I let my anger control me, and now Hikari's gotten hurt, just like I thought she would.

Her attention shifted back to Kagami, who was preparing to attack again. "What, 'junk' again? Go read a thesaurus before you trash-talk, you half-baked ignoramus!" Even if it was one-on-one now, Tokiko wouldn't go down so easily. You're not the only one leagues above a newbie like Hikari. Let me show you what I can do! The devices in her hands started to come apart, slowly disassembling...

And then Kagami decided to go off and chase a shade. Tokiko lowered her arms with a sigh. Seriously? Just as I was about to show off my awesomeness in front of Hikari...

"Yeah, sure, run away," she muttered under her breath. She didn't move to follow, though. Her main reason for even starting this fight was lying on the ground with smoke rising off her, and Tokiko's initial fury had cooled a little bit, enough for her to remember the reasons she'd wanted to avoid this fight in the first place. With a tired sigh, she let the energy around her hands wink out, her tools reassembling into their original forms.

"Dork," she said, ambling over to Hikari and crouching down beside her. "Did you think this would be like some anime, where willpower alone would be enough to make you win?" She shook her head. "Laughable. If you'd held back and listened to me, this wouldn't have happened."

She didn't seem angry, though, just disappointed. There was even a little remorse showing through in her expression. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked you to take part just now. You clearly weren't ready for it." Shoving the cigarette lighter in one pocket, she extended a hand to help Hikari off the ground. "You understand, now? This is Hex Night. This is what you're up against. And now that you've experienced it for yourself, I'll ask you one last time..."

Her eyes narrowed. "...do you still want to fight?"

@VitaVitaAR

Mahou Shoujo no Hex Night: A Magical Girl Battle RP

Mild or not, Tokiko's line had pricked sharply enough for Kagami to respond with a fucking laser beam.

She'd count that as a success, except for the fact that, well, there was a fucking laser beam now coming right at her. She barely had time to cry out and throw herself to one side before it tore past the spot where she'd just been standing, close enough for her to feel the heat of it even after moving away. It hadn't been intended to hit her directly, but that could still have hit her if she'd moved the wrong way, if it had been off-target by just a slight amount. And what about...

"Hikari-san!" She scrambled to her feet, eyes desperately searching for the other girl. "Hikari-san, are you all right?" There she was, picking herself up off the ground. A little rumpled, maybe bruised from the fall, but it could have been much worse. Tokiko let out a breath, fear being replaced by relief, even as a far colder feeling began to spread inside her.

She attacked me. She attacked Hikari.

Her fists clenched. Never mind the consequences, this was a sin that could not be forgiven.

The exchange between Hikari and the Empress was interrupted by a laugh. Not a happy laugh, not a mocking laugh, not even an oh-my-god-what-the-fuck kind of laugh, but something altogether stranger. Not a snicker, not a giggle, but a hoarse and broken cackling, so low one might have mistaken it for a sob were it not for the rictus smile that slashed across the speaker's face.

"Oh, but Kagami-chaaaan... you are."

Green lightning exploded out onto the street, buzzing and sparking, ionizing the air and causing the all the lights for several blocks around to momentarily flicker and flash. Silhouetted within, a looming coffin of twisted metal, and a figure contorting in maddened exuberance.

"A fool! A stooge! A pea-brained cretin! So blinded by your own hubris that you made the very worst mistake!" She cackled again. "Don't you realize what you've done?!"

The lightning began to fade— but unlike before, it didn't disappear entirely. Rather, it coalesced, forming two sparking auras around the gloved hands of Honami Tokiko. Now dressed once more in her long white coat, she held a cigarette lighter in her right and a radio transmitter in her left, brandishing them like weapons as she pointed the latter at her assailant.

"You've made me want to get serious." Her pupils shrunk down to tiny dots, glowing with greenish light. "Hikari-san, forget what I said earlier. Let's crush this piece of shit."

@VitaVitaAR

Mahou Shoujo no Hex Night: A Magical Girl Battle RP

Sure enough, the 'Empress' just kept yammering on about how great she was and how they had no hope against her, without actually doing anything to back it up. In spite of all the annoying self-aggrandizement, however, Tokiko smiled quietly to herself. All bark and no bite. Even when she'd insulted Kagami to her face, the other magical girl hadn't dared directly challenge her. Is it that she's too prideful to acknowledge that anything could rile her up? Or maybe she's not really as strong as she's cracked up to be... Either way, if she wasn't going to do anything about it, then Tokiko had no reason to hold back with her mockery.

"Oh? Is that what you believe?" she said, matching Kagami's grin even as she threw her own words back at her. "Very well. Believe what you will about my chances of victory, it means nothing in the end. You'll still be too much of a coward to ever back up those beliefs."

She left it at that. To Kagami, Tokiko might be just another piece of junk, but to Tokiko the self-proclaimed empress was just another irritation. Though taunting her was quite fun... She'd need to come up with some good one-liners for the next time they met.

"Sheesh," she said to Hikari as they left the other girl behind to stew in her own arrogance. "What was her problem? Fairies are supposed to choose pure-hearted girls, but... sometimes I feel like their judgement is off..."

@VitaVitaAR

Suddenly, My Favorite MMORPG has Become Real?! — A Log Horizon-inspired RP

"Inventory... oh, right!" It took Deneb's mention to remind Viri about the item storage in the game, which logically should have carried over with the rest. With a frown, she pulled up the menu screen she'd used to accept the friend requests and started poking around, eventually spotting the button marked 'Inventory.' After a slight hesitation, she poked that too, opening up another window.

Her eyes widened as she saw what was on display there. "Uh oh—"

She looked up at the ninja, only to see a big man in heavy armor come roaring down out of the sky to slaughter an innocent pig. Running it through with his blade, he stood victorious, insulted its skill, and then proceeded to get blood all over the place while trying to retrieve his weapon.

Viri stared, open-mouthed, not quite sure how to react. One hand went to her chest, and she took a deep breath, trying to string her thoughts together again.

"...oh my!"

Deneb was already taking care of most of the talking, which was probably for the best, since she still wasn't sure what to think of this boisterous stranger. She waved shyly at him over the ninja's shoulder. "Hi!" With Deneb rapidly going through basic info and negotiations, she didn't want to interrupt, but it was only polite to offer a greeting, no?

In the meantime... She'd better take care of the inventory thing before Deneb turned around. Specifically because she had, well, a lot of stuff in there. Jewels, rings, necklaces, potions, armor, weapons, cosmetics... she swiped with her hand, scrolling through the list, trying and failing to find an end to it. Oh dear. I should probably have cleaned all this up at some point, shouldn't I?

Blushing slightly, she tapped on two pairs of sturdy-looking boots, which materialized at her feet with a quiet pop! Then jabbed at the button to close her inventory, quickly hiding the window.

"I... I found us some shoes!" she said, trying her hardest not to look embarrassed.

@PKMNB0Y@Ozerath