Anza

Mist City Story: An Urban Fantasy Mage RP

The woman in the black coat smiled a little when Arinne confirmed her hypothesis, but otherwise kept quiet as the others each spoke their piece. Her eyes drifted slowly towards Paul, watching him as carefully as he watched everyone else.

As the conversation wore on, however, with late arrivals gradually showing up to interrupt, her patience seemed to wear thin. She closed her book, setting it down by her side, and leaned forwards, clearing her throat. "Is this everyone? Surely we're not missing any more, are we?" Her sharp gaze swept across the room, daring anyone to disagree. "Good. Then as the Lady commanded, let me share with you what I know so far."

"Kissinger here was kind enough to share with us the basics, but allow me to add a little context, here. Organ theft is hardly an uncommon practice— both magi and mundane humans have built up extensive black markets for that kind of goods. For the most part, though, they're professionals, careful to pick their targets and dispose of them properly." She spread her arms. "If a homeless man living on the streets, or some child from a developing country disappears one day, nobody notices, nobody cares. That's how they operate."

"But this case is different. These young women weren't easy targets, they were people with friends, people with families. They didn't disappear, they were found after being killed. Whoever this killer is, they're doing a poor job of hiding their tracks. That means they're new, inexperienced, not a professional criminal but, as Mr. Kissinger put it, a rogue."

She held up one hand, two fingers and a thumb splayed out. "Thus, I predict one of three possible motives. One, they're psychotic, a madman or madwoman doing this for fun and sport. Much like the original Jack the Ripper." One finger curled inwards, leaving two digits raised. "Two, they're a would-be criminal, wanting to get into the organ-trafficking business but lacking the experience and connections to do so through the proper channels. A small-timer, pushed to despicable acts by their own foolish greed." Her thumb curled, leaving only her index finger pointing upwards. "Three... they're desperate. A person who needs organs to save themselves or a loved one, but lacks the financial means to acquire them on the black market. And so, they go after any matching targets they can find, heedless of the trail they're leaving behind them."

Her last finger curled, leaving only a fist, which she gently lowered to her lap. "The question that sticks out to me, though, is why the Lady Ar-Rynesarte should care." Her eyes fixed on those of the young family head. "This is hardly the first serial killer to haunt the streets of London. In time, they will be caught by the proper authorities. And, while awful, their activities are not a threat to the upper echelons of the Tower." Her head tilted to one side, one eyebrow arching upwards. "Is it a sudden bout of empathy that afflicts you, perchance? Or has something led you to believe that this case may be of more... personal interest?"

Mahou Shoujo no Hex Night: A Magical Girl Battle RP

Tokiko didn’t bother trying to keep her weapon trained on Hikari. With that firework move she was flying too quickly to track, and the purpose of the exercise had been fulfilled anyway. Over the course of that last exchange, the newbie had clearly demonstrated her battlefield awareness, sharp reactions, and high mobility, all on a high enough level that Tokiko was actually kind of impressed.

Not that she was going to show it, of course.

“Hmph. I suppose that’s just about adequate,” she said, folding her arms and nodding stiffly. “You’re starting to figure it out, right? Not just the basic magical girl stuff, but your Concept and Archetype as well.”

She peered through her glasses at Hikari, as if staring at her might somehow reveal her secrets. By now, Tokiko herself was a little curious to find out the true limits of those newfound powers. With some proper battle experience, she could even be a threat to me… The thought sent a quiet chill down her spine, and a flicker of doubt flashed across her features.

Should I really be doing this? She… yeah, she definitely enjoyed being around Hikari, but they were still competitors in the Hex Night. What if, at some point in some possible future, they ended up pitted against each other? It could be that Tokiko was playing with fire right now…

But I don’t care! The moment of doubt passed, replaced by a mischievous smile. Wasn’t it the role of a mad scientist to experiment with the most dangerous things?

“All right!” she exclaimed, “Let’s turn the difficulty up a level!” With a flash of green lightning, the Tesla Cannon returned to its original taser form, and she tucked it away. Then, with a grin and a flourish, she produced a cigarette lighter, channeling her power through it. Its gleaming outer casing warped, then expanded, as the inside components were adapted to use Tokiko’s magical energy as fuel. With a flick of her finger, a huge gout of flame spurted out from the tiny machine. “This time, I’ll be using an area attack.” She gestured with her other hand, and her Archetype settled into a fighting stance.

“Hoshino Hikari, test two… begin!”

***

It lasted about an hour. One of the most hectic, danger-filled hours of Hikari’s life.

First Tokiko came at her with the miniature flamethrower device, unleashing attacks too wide to easily dodge. Then, after a few minutes of that, she switched to some kind of spray cannon made from a hot glue gun, which squirted scalding bursts of sticky goo that covered patches of the floor and walls, forcing Hikari to mind her footing. Then came the modified flashlight, blinding its target whenever she was caught in its beam and leaving her vulnerable to the monstergirl’s attacks. On top of that, the mad scientist had her minion switch tactics, mixing in kicks and grapples with her punches and even tearing chunks out of the floor to throw at long range. Tokiko was clearly holding back, doing her best not to actually hurt Hikari, but even so, the assault was relentless. Trick after trick, combination upon combination, each one pushing Hikari a little further past her limits.

At last, Tokiko lowered her arms. “That’s… enough… for now.” Breathing heavily, the thin girl toppled over backwards, landing on her butt with a yelp. “Damn it! I don’t have the stamina for this…”

With a small burst of green light, her white coat and black gloves vanished, leaving a pale and messy-haired girl lying on her back on the concrete floor. A moment later, her Archetype disappeared as well.

“Guuuuuh,” she groaned, staring up at the ceiling. This mentor stuff is way too much work!

@VitaVitaAR

Mist City Story: An Urban Fantasy Mage RP

"Something about a murderer, I presume. You haven't exactly been quiet about your intentions, Lady Ar-Rynesarte."

The first to answer was a tall woman in a fashionable black coat, leaning back in an old wooden chair. A platinum blonde, languid and elegant, who looked so entirely at ease with the situation that one might have thought she'd called this meeting herself.

(She hadn't, of course. She'd arrived two minutes prior and had quickly claimed her seat, pointedly ignoring everyone present and flipping open a small paperback book, which now rested open in one long-fingered hand.)

"And the fact that you've gone into the trouble of calling us here," she continued, meeting Arinne's eyes, "means you've found a lead." One corner of her mouth quirked upward, a half-smile. "Am I correct?"

@VitaVitaAR

Fate/esoterica

Berserker

First, the rice, a mound of thin and tiny seeds as bright as pearls. She washed them in a bowl, then drained the water out, humming quietly to herself as she went. She'd leave the grains to sit for a while, then soak, cook, and steam them to a warm, soft perfection.

In the meantime, she could get started on the fish, and the miso soup. Oh, and she’d have to include vegetables; a balanced diet was important for a girl of her Master’s age. Pursing her lips thoughtfully, Berserker studied the large kitchen stretching out before her, its modern designs alien to her eyes. Even if she understood the basics of the present-day world, there would still be the matter of finding all the relevant utensils, and the ingredients, wherever the maids had squirreled those away. And then she’d need to judge portion sizes, which would undoubtedly be smaller for sweet little Estelle than for a ruffian like Kintoki. Already, her simple task was turning into quite the undertaking…

But before she could go any further, her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of small feet pattering down the stairs.

“Did you sleep well?” Berserker's smile was light, her tone easy and nonchalant, as if this were the sort of question she asked every morning.

“Berserker, I have an idea. We can take this chance to go out for breakfast and I can show you your battlefield!"

“Oh?” The Servant’s head turned, glancing back to where she’d just begun preparing the rice. “But I was…” Her expression fell, a slight gleam already visible in the corners of her eyes. “Do you mean to say… that you don’t want to eat the breakfast your Servant is making just for you?” For a moment, just a second or two, she seemed to be on the verge of crying all over again.

But then she let out a long, sad sigh, and wiped the moisture from her eyes. “…I suppose it would be good for you to spend time outdoors. And knowing the terrain is important, yes…”

She fixed Estelle with a stern look, her arms folding across her chest. “Very well, we'll go out—but you can’t bring your maids, they might give away our presence to our enemies. And while we’re outside, you’re not allowed to leave my side, understand? Not even for a second.” Her tone softened, though her gaze remained firm. “As your Servant, I can’t allow any harm to come to you, Master.”

@VitaVitaAR

Mist City Story: An Urban Fantasy Mage RP

Selas

Name: Selas
Age: Somewhere in her late thirties
Gender: Female

Appearance: I don't often wear a hat in public.

Personality: She rolls through life with a quiet confidence born from experience, a woman in black with more power and influence than you could ever fathom.
Or is that merely the impression she wants you to receive?
A deceiver, never showing her true colors, as warm or as cold as she ever needs to be. A professional, patient and pragmatic, consummate in her fulfillment of the role assigned. A spy, who knows things she really shouldn't, and who hides things you really wouldn't want to know. Who this woman is as a person is not something you'll ever find out; when she's on the job, she is the job. And once her work with you is done, chances are you'll never see her again.
In case you hadn't guessed by now, Selas is not her real name.

Abilities: Her Affinity is Secrets. The size and quality of her mana supply are unknown. The primary function of her magic is hiding information, and this includes hiding the actual extent of her abilities. Most forms of scrying, mind-reading, and supernatural perception simply don't work on her, turning up only a blank.
What is known is that her spells mostly work on recorded information. She can erase herself, or other people and objects, from photographs, video recordings, written descriptions, digital files, and even short-term memory. She can wipe key details from long-term memory, so long as she knows how the target first learned said details. From moment to moment she's as visible as anyone else, but after she's gone it's as if she wasn't ever there.
She has one familiar, the raven Oscurus. This is a creature of whispers: it has extremely sharp hearing, and will eavesdrop on anything and everything within earshot, remembering words, voices, and sounds. It can repeat anything it overhears with perfect accuracy, surpassing even modern recording devices. It's also intelligent enough to understand human speech, and parse through memorized conversations for specific details. However, once it has heard and 'recorded' a sound, it can only repeat it a single time, after which the recording is erased from its memory. It can remember and repeat incantations for spells, but lacks sufficient mana to cast anything beyond basic cantrips.

Skills: Selas is an excellent actress, a skilled liar, and has a nigh-unbeatable poker face. She's also quite stealthy when she wants to be, has a surprisingly deep knowledge of biology and chemistry, and is fluent in several languages.

Assets: At any given moment, she has concealed on her person several knives, a small handgun, up to three meters of razor wire, and two stun grenades.
She carries a locked satchel with her at all times.

Brief Backstory: Selas's family doesn't have a name. Their origins, numbers, goals, and allegiances are unknown. Most mages are aware to some degree of their existence, and that they perform work on behalf of certain families and Circles, but beyond that everything is a closely guarded secret, with only the most notable and influential figures in magical society being privy to the full story. On account of their affinities, members of the nameless family are often employed for covert or forbidden operations, which are required to be hidden for one reason or another.
It is unknown how or when the Ar-Rynesartes formed a contract with this family. Only that they did, and that the agreement had yet to expire. And that when called upon to serve, a woman nobody had ever seen or met before appeared out of nowhere...

Mist City Story: An Urban Fantasy Mage RP

@VitaVitaAR

Updated the raven familiar. Is this better?

Character Sheet

Name: Selas
Age: Somewhere in her late thirties
Gender: Female

Appearance: I don't often wear a hat in public.

Personality: She rolls through life with a quiet confidence born from experience, a woman in black with more power and influence than you could ever fathom.
Or is that merely the impression she wants you to receive?
A deceiver, never showing her true colors, as warm or as cold as she ever needs to be. A professional, patient and pragmatic, consummate in her fulfillment of the role assigned. A spy, who knows things she really shouldn't, and who hides things you really wouldn't want to know. Who this woman is as a person is not something you'll ever find out; when she's on the job, she is the job. And once her work with you is done, chances are you'll never see her again.
In case you hadn't guessed by now, Selas is not her real name.

Abilities: Her Affinity is Secrets. The size and quality of her mana supply are unknown. The primary function of her magic is hiding information, and this includes hiding the actual extent of her abilities. Most forms of scrying, mind-reading, and supernatural perception simply don't work on her, turning up only a blank.
What is known is that her spells mostly work on recorded information. She can erase herself, or other people and objects, from photographs, video recordings, written descriptions, digital files, and even short-term memory. She can wipe key details from long-term memory, so long as she knows how the target first learned said details. From moment to moment she's as visible as anyone else, but after she's gone it's as if she wasn't ever there.
She has one familiar, the raven Oscurus. This is a creature of whispers: it has extremely sharp hearing, and will eavesdrop on anything and everything within earshot, remembering words, voices, and sounds. It can repeat anything it overhears with perfect accuracy, surpassing even modern recording devices. It's also intelligent enough to understand human speech, and parse through memorized conversations for specific details. However, once it has heard and 'recorded' a sound, it can only repeat it a single time, after which the recording is erased from its memory. It can remember and repeat incantations for spells, but lacks sufficient mana to cast anything beyond basic cantrips.

Skills: Selas is an excellent actress, a skilled liar, and has a nigh-unbeatable poker face. She's also quite stealthy when she wants to be, has a surprisingly deep knowledge of biology and chemistry, and is fluent in several languages.

Assets: At any given moment, she has concealed on her person several knives, a small handgun, up to three meters of razor wire, and two stun grenades.
She carries a locked satchel with her at all times.

Brief Backstory: Selas's family doesn't have a name. Their origins, numbers, goals, and allegiances are unknown. Most mages are aware to some degree of their existence, and that they perform work on behalf of certain families and Circles, but beyond that everything is a closely guarded secret, with only the most notable and influential figures in magical society being privy to the full story. On account of their affinities, members of the nameless family are often employed for covert or forbidden operations, which are required to be hidden for one reason or another.
It is unknown how or when the Ar-Rynesartes formed a contract with this family. Only that they did, and that the agreement had yet to expire. And that when called upon to serve, a woman nobody had ever seen or met before appeared out of nowhere...

Mist City Story: An Urban Fantasy Mage RP

@VitaVitaAR

Character Sheet

Name: Selas
Age: Somewhere in her late thirties
Gender: Female

Appearance: I don't often wear a hat in public.

Personality: She rolls through life with a quiet confidence born from experience, a woman in black with more power and influence than you could ever fathom.
Or is that merely the impression she wants you to receive?
A deceiver, never showing her true colors, as warm or as cold as she ever needs to be. A professional, patient and pragmatic, consummate in her fulfillment of the role assigned. A spy, who knows things she really shouldn't, and who hides things you really wouldn't want to know. Who this woman is as a person is not something you'll ever find out; when she's on the job, she is the job. And once her work with you is done, chances are you'll never see her again.
In case you hadn't guessed by now, Selas is not her real name.

Abilities: Her Affinity is Secrets. The size and quality of her mana supply are unknown. The primary function of her magic is hiding information, and this includes hiding the actual extent of her abilities. Most forms of scrying, mind-reading, and supernatural perception simply don't work on her, turning up only a blank.
What is known is that her spells mostly work on recorded information. She can erase herself, or other people and objects, from photographs, video recordings, written descriptions, digital files, and even short-term memory. She can wipe key details from long-term memory, so long as she knows how the target first learned said details. From moment to moment she's as visible as anyone else, but after she's gone it's as if she wasn't ever there.
She has one familiar, the raven Oscurus. If someone has a secret, if someone is hiding something, it knows. It can track down hidden objects or people with unnerving ease, sniff out lies in an instant, and see through almost any form of magical illusion or concealment. However, this immensely powerful perception is purely instinctive: Oscurus cannot speak or understand any form of human language. It knows all secrets, but can only communicate them through weird bird noises or vague bird gestures, which somewhat limits its usefulness.

Skills: Selas is an excellent actress, a skilled liar, and has a nigh-unbeatable poker face. She's also quite stealthy when she wants to be, has a surprisingly deep knowledge of biology and chemistry, and is fluent in several languages.

Assets: At any given moment, she has concealed on her person several knives, a small handgun, up to three meters of razor wire, and two stun grenades.
She carries a locked satchel with her at all times.

Brief Backstory: Selas's family doesn't have a name. Their origins, numbers, goals, and allegiances are unknown. Most mages are aware to some degree of their existence, and that they perform work on behalf of certain families and Circles, but beyond that everything is a closely guarded secret, with only the most notable and influential figures in magical society being privy to the full story. On account of their affinities, members of the nameless family are often employed for covert or forbidden operations, which are required to be hidden for one reason or another.
It is unknown how or when the Ar-Rynesartes formed a contract with this family. Only that they did, and that the agreement had yet to expire. And that when called upon to serve, a woman nobody had ever seen or met before appeared out of nowhere...

Mist City Story: An Urban Fantasy Mage RP

Interested.

Do all contracted magi have to be from the Tower, or is it possible that some could be brought in from other Arcana?

Mahou Shoujo no Hex Night: A Magical Girl Battle RP

Once again, Hikari soared.

Eve had seen her use the technique before, and was ready for her speed. But even so, the monstergirl barely had time to raise her arms before the hammer slammed into her, the weapon meeting toughened skin and muscle with a sharp crack, the sound of a hard slap magnified ten thousand times over. Eve shuddered, gritting her teeth, but held firm.

The ground beneath her, in contrast, immediately cratered from the impact. Even with the Archetype taking the brunt of the blow, enough force had been transmitted through her to register on the Richter scale. Several meters away, Tokiko stumbled, momentarily losing her balance as the floor seemed to tremble under her feet.

Whaaaat?! She grinned wide, even as she struggled to find her feet. That technique… it’s not bad! Even if Hikari was still lacking in experience, her raw power was definitely higher than average.

Maybe she wasn’t such a hopeless case after all?

However, Tokiko herself was no slouch when it came to power, even if her focus was different. Having blocked the heavy blow, the Archetype quickly recovered, shoving the hammer to one side and then pushing off the ruined ground with her legs, swinging a hard uppercut towards Hikari’s chin. Even if she was a bit of a crybaby, Eve’s durability was something else!

At the same time, Tokiko found her footing, and raised her Tesla Cannon device, aiming it at Hikari again. This time, though, she held off from firing. Her goal wasn’t to beat down the newbie Magical Girl, but to make her stronger. Rather than actually attacking, she wanted to see whether Hikari noticed the threat of a ranged attack, and to see how she responded.

@VitaVitaAR

Fate/esoterica

Kazamyr Silvestrov

Smiling to himself, Kazamyr closed The Art of War and tucked it under one arm, before setting about the bookshelves in search of other titles. His gaze swept over hundreds of titles with laser-like focus, picking out a relevant few to be pulled from their places and added to the swiftly-growing stack he now carried. Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs. Samurai Women of Japan. Salem-Village Witchcraft: A Documentary Record of Local Conflict in Colonial New England. There was a wealth of knowledge at his fingertips now, so much that he doubted he'd have time to read them all. Best to skim, to pick out the parts most likely relevant and compare them to what he'd researched online.

Leaving the shelves full of history and mythology behind, he swung through other sections, picking up two detailed maps of Redrock and its environs (one recent, the other decades out of date), and a slim volume on the town's past, written by a local. With all these in his arms, he finally made his way to the reading room, setting the whole pile down on a sturdy wooden desk.

"There. Time to see what we can find." Rider was still in spirit form, but that didn't mean Kazamyr wouldn't be making use of his Servant. "Pick a tome, and I'll turn the pages for you. We can cover ground faster with the two of us, and one might catch what the other would miss...

Without further ado, he lifted the first volumes off the pile, and dove in.

Caster. Sarah Good, Susannah Martin, Alice Parker, Margaret Scott, Keziah Mason... there were just too many figures involved, and he had only the fleeting memory of a glimpse to compare with them. He idly wrote down some names, but stopped there, knowing he wouldn't make much headway. To figure out who Caster was, he'd need to see her in person, or at least have some idea of her specific abilities.

Saber. The warrior they'd first encountered had been strong, and Kazamyr had the sneaking suspicion she'd been holding back. Tomoe Gozen, Nakano Takeko, Hōjō Masako? He couldn't rule any of them out, but at the same time something didn't seem to fit. An Onna-bugeisha would normally wield a naginata, qualifying better for the class of Lancer than Saber. And, having witnessed Lancer's summoning through his familiar at around the same time he'd spotted Saber, he knew that Saber had been summoned first. So why that class? There's something fishy going on here...

"Rider, when you were fighting with that woman, what impression did you get from her blade-work? Did it seem like she was new to her weapon?" Tomoe Gozen was often portrayed with a katana, but then she was more famed for her archery. Had Kazamyr been too narrow-minded in his search thus far? The pieces seemed to be pointing in a new direction, a strange and fascinating one.

Finally, Lancer. It was here that he finally thought he'd found something. As numerous as the Valkyries were, Kazamyr soon found that many of them were mere footnotes, mentioned only in a few stray stanzas of ancient poems. Hardly notable enough to be a Heroic Spirit as powerful as the one he'd witnessed. That narrowed it down to those few shieldmaidens with their own unique legends, and among those one story stood out, blazing like a torch.

"Brynhildr!" Kazamyr grinned as he set his finger on the name. "I'm sure of it!" Even if he could not determine it with absolute certainty, a part of him knew that he was facing the most renowned of all the Valkyries, even wanted it to be her.

"Magnificent! Outstanding! To be facing such an opponent, is it not the most wonderful feeling?"

@King Cosmos

Berserker

"Master..."

Daylight shone through the curtains of a luxurious bedroom, painting the sleeping girl in a gentle, golden glow.

"Ah, Master..."

So small, so sweet and delicate, her tanned skin smooth and unmarked, her pale hair gently tousled from a short night's rest. A young heart full of innocence, a young mind full of wonder and precocious daring. She was precious, more precious than anything in the world.

And she would be cherished, and protected, with all the strength and fervor that she deserved.

"Mas-ter, it's time to wake up. We have a busy day ahead of us, don't we?"

The girl's mother smiled as she softly spoke these words.

***

"Berserker," she began, "Are you ready to destroy them all?"

Estelle Varianbec had wasted no time in getting to the point. What else would she have summoned a Berserker for, if not to destroy? Her question was likely a rhetorical one, meant to be answered with grim obedience, enthusiastic agreement, or even a roar of untamed rage (though the latter seemed unlikely, coming from the elegant and voluptuous woman who had answered her summons).

But instead, the Berserker had burst into tears.

"Ahh! To send one so young to the battlefield, how cruel!" She shook her head vigorously, her expression one of agonized resolve. "Master, I won't allow it! A child of your age should be at home, not at war!"

And so it went. Estelle's Berserker, the one supposed to be a mighty sword who would smite down her enemies, had cried and fussed and worried, had demanded to speak with her Master's parents, had refused to even let Estelle out of her sight lest some enemy Servant suddenly appear. By the time the young homunculus had managed to assert herself and calm her Servant down, it was too late: the other Masters and Servants had already made their opening moves and retired, leaving Estelle with nobody left to ambush. She'd have no choice but to try again on the second night, assuming she could even form a working relationship with her Servant by then.

For the heir of Varianbec, it seemed that the Grail War would be far more difficult than envisioned...

***

Berserker knelt down at Estelle's bedside, quietly waiting.

"Are you still tired, Master? Oh, that's all right. You can rest a little longer." She stood up, briefly adjusting her hair behind her, eyes never leaving her child. "But not too long, okay? It's not healthy to sleep in all day."

Stepping so softly it was barely audible, she made her way to the door. "For now, I'll get breakfast ready..." she hummed happily to herself as she went, pausing briefly to glance one last time at her Master. Magi, Servants, the Grail; none of them even felt like they mattered to her right now.

Berserker was happy right where she was.

@VitaVitaAR