FamishedPants

Beyond the Looking Glass: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed]

S i l h o u e t t e

"Section of a gateau."

Silhouette

"Strange to see a magical girl with the very specific power to speak when they're decapitated."

Silhouette's voice was perhaps the last thing either of those girls had heard. The rest was silence. In the end, the only one left standing was a weakened, injured, and exhausted Sil. But that was enough. Because the irony was that despite manipulating time, she always seemed to be low on it, and thus she could not spare any for something so foolish as chivalry. The knight merely had herself to blame for her anticlimactic death. Had she not spewed vile words about how terrible Sil was? What had made her think she could expose her back and not be stabbed? An assassin like herself could not pass such an opportunity.

With her target and the glorified obstacle no longer a threat, she sighed, only to cough up some blood, which she wiped away from her mouth with the back of her hand, then applied some pressure on her wound. Unfortunately, while the act of eliminating the both of them wasn't exactly difficult, the power she possessed came with a hefty price. Left in bad health and lacking mana, she'd need aid, which was also ironic, given her remaining objective.

Fortunately, the wait for assistance was not a long one.

Sil could hear Veronica's laughter, and with that, she somehow felt some of the pain go away. When it is kill or be killed, hesitation begets missed opportunities and a swift loss of life. Inversely, If you dare, the very world will briefly yield, providing you everything you need to succeed. she mentally responded to Veronica. Given that Silhouette was characterized by her concise replies, this was probably noteworthy. I have no plans of failing.

Though she was determined, she understood she was in horrible position to follow up on it. Honestly, it wasn't clear to her how she'd accomplish her current task, only that because Veronica willed it, it had to be done. It was going to be done.

"..."

She wanted so desperately to sigh in relief when Mika arrived, but doing so would likely hurt. It was also her intention to save every breath she could for when things went sour, a high possibility given things went well for once. While weak, she was still on her guard. She wouldn't succumb to any opportunists there might be here, at least not without seeing them first.

"...I appreciate it..." she managed to breath out her gratitude to Mika for easing her the burden her body was experiencing, but felt a little embarrassed by the fact that she was the one being helped. Silhouette, if only out of pride, vowed to return the favor if she could manage to regain the energy to do so. Yes, she wasn't someone who exhibited a selfless desire to repay someone, it was just that not doing so would tarnish her reputation... or something.

Deciding that thinking too hard on her reasoning was pointless, she listened to Mika's question. Brainwashed? Maybe that explains her aggression. Silhouette wasn't sure if Mika was blind or what, but she clearly didn't catch what remained of Sil's prior obstacle. So to avoid dwelling on a pointless subject, she answered the girl. Sil opened her mouth to speak, making a 'sh' sound, but closed it again. She wore a somewhat confused expression, but then finally spoke. "...She left, but... I doubt she's hurting much, if at all." Silhouette lied as naturally as she breathed. "But there's... no reason to worry about her... if she's not going to impede us. Instead, lets focus on what's ahead..."

Silhouette thought to herself. She had just spoken about hesitation, but then she found herself a victim of said trait. Though she excused herself. The reason was solid enough, for she had tried to relay knowledge she did not actually wield.

What was her name again? I suppose it doesn't matter. They're simply two nameless bodies added to the count.

E m i l y

"But why tho?"

Lucifer

"Kuh...!"

At first, Emily was happy to have the additional help from Mayra. With the three of them, they should be able to overtake the brainwashed girl without killing her. Considering they were strangers, she couldn't let her guard down entirely, but she had done so enough that she didn't have enough time to avoid the kick, so she did her best to mitigate the damage received by blocking.

It still hurt, and as she was sent flying, she cursed her stars in bitter grief and woe. She quickly did her best to slow her air speed by shooting jets to try to propel herself in the opposite direction she was sent, so when she collided with the barrier, it wasn't too painful.

Grunting, she looked to Mayra. Her expression wasn't anger, but rather sorrow, or maybe disappointment? Perhaps a mixture of the two. It pained her to be forced to fight a sister. But that was the extent of what she did, as she had to focus on what the other magical girl was doing. She kept an eye on Mayra, but the immediate threat was the spiders coming down. Thankfully, she was rather proficient in waveclearing, so she shot wide blasts of fire to intercept the spiders, at least until Mayra tried to do something. "Hey, you need to pay attention!" she called to Alex, who seemingly hadn't noticed the newest barrage of spiders.

Devil May Cry: Night of Knights

G a w a i n

"Onward!"

Gawain

If the terrorized citizens and screaming didn't make it obvious enough that he was about to be attacked, the abnormally fast-forming mist that covered the area had certainly done so. Gawain took a defensive stance right as the beasts launched their attempted ambush on him, their attacks not managing to even scratch him. The knight couldn't help but want to yawn. Judging by their attacks, these things wouldn't even be a proper warm up.

But they are an eyesore, I suppose.

As they bared their true forms before him, he sighed. "Spoiling for a fight, are you?" he retrieved his Devil Arm, Hades, and kept it in the more agile, Kusarigama mode. With a quick flick, one of the blades was sent flying towards one of the beasts, embedding itself in it and then, as Gawain yanked it back to him, dragging the poor demon along. The knight let loose a few quick slashes with his weapon, then swung it in such a way that the monster was launched skywards. Gawain immediately retrieved another weapon of his, a bat, and as gravity came into effect and forced the monster back down to Earth, he gave a few swings of the bat before winding up for a larger hit, knocking the thing away, towards its companions, who barely managed to scramble out of the way. Smiling almost innocently, the knight continued. "Then I'll be happy to oblige!"

Having turned the camera back to the others so they would attack seen one of their allies knocked around with little difficulty, a more rational being would probably have fled. But due to some real courage, or more likely: foolishness, they seemed to be even more riled up than when they attacked. This spurred them into all coming at Gawain at once, an action that further reinforced the idea that these things weren't exactly bright.

Gawain readied his guard as the four came after him in quick succession. He blocked the first three strikes, but brought his bat up for the last one, effortlessly deflecting the demon's attack and leaving it wide open. Abusing the chance, Gawain made an upwards swing with his bat and launched the foe helplessly into the sky, where he followed and did not relent on the thing, the blades of Hades making fast arcs in the air, his victim being shredded to pieces. When he fell back down to the ground, he did so between the remaining three demons.

"You're a rather scrawny bunch, aren't you?" he quipped, clenching his fist. As he did so, one notably sought to attack him. But before it could, it found itself reeling back from a blow to the face it hadn't expected. It was dazed briefly but was quick to recover, but it then noticed that Gawain had something glowing in his grasp. He didn't hold onto it long because as the beast would immediately (and unfortunately) find out, this glowing thing was what hit it before. And as the ball collided with the demon again, it flew into the air. Gawain, however, did not simply wait for it to return. In a more proactive approach, he turned and immediately slashed at the beast behind him, who was about to strike him, and then following that, blocked another attack from the third monster to his side. Abusing the AI low intelligence of these demons, he essentially repeated those actions two more times, having caught the pop fly, bouncing it off that same demon, then interrupting the attack behind him, and then guarding against the final attack.

But although it was quite entertaining to see that he could provoke these guys into a simple pattern by exposing his back to them and giving them a false opportunity, it was getting rather repetitive for his taste. Come the fourth round of this whole routine, he opted instead to switch Hades to its scythe mode and place the blade behind the monster he typically struck, pulling it closer to him. He then quickly positioned himself behind that monster, managing to catch the flaming ball at the last moment, and then threw it one final time at the nearest monster, it ricocheting off of all three of them. The poor soul that had been pelted repeatedly did not survive this attack, collapsing from the hit itself. Luckily for it, the other two weren't far behind. As the ball neared its final target, it detonated with great force, obliterating the final two foes.

"I am rather loathe to consider the fact that such unworthy beings might be considered potential enemies of my lord." he sighed in disappointment. Gawain did not want to sound like someone who discriminates, but at the very least, those who were pitifully weak should show some due respect and not throw away their lives just to be minor inconveniences. Especially if their doing so might even slightly impede Arthur's goal.

Yet as he thought this, something emerged from the mist at an insane speed, attempting to behead him. Gawain raised his hand at the very last second to defend himself. "Oho? Admirable tenacity you display." he almost seemed surprised to see the demon that had attacked him. It was, of course, one of the pack from just a second ago. Because he had little interest in them, it wasn't like Gawain was an expert a picking individuals from a crowd, but judging by the blunt trauma this creature obviously received, he would guess that this was the one he attacked first. It didn't exactly look like it was in the best health. In fact, he was impressed this thing hadn't simply keeled over after its failed attempt. It was clinging for dear life.

"A good show, to be sure." Gawain respectfully bowed to his opponent, who stumbled over towards him, while Gawain showed no signs of stopping. With a tremendous amount of effort, it raised its arm to attack and....

...perished.

The moment the blow would've landed on Gawain, he thrust his arm out, expending all of the energy he'd built up while defending over the course of the fight.

Now that there were no other demons present, Gawain resumed his walk. "At the very least, I seem to be headed the right way." he figured.

Beyond the Looking Glass: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed]

S i l h o u e t t e

"Time has stopped"

Silhouette

It was no easy task, but Silhouette had managed to get the upper hand on Shona just long enough to give her an opportunity to perform a coup de grâce. While the fight was lengthy by no means, she managed to enjoy it, despite the implications that entailed. However, before the final blow was struck, Shona tore open a portal in time a third party intervened, and both girls were forced to separate. Silhouette couldn't help but feel frustrated.

I suppose the only time something will go exactly as desired would be the moment I step into a well-placed trap.

Though the new challenger had spoke Silhouette's name, it was not like Sil was aware of who she was, exactly. There were countless reasons why she would attack Sil, though none of them seemed especially likely. A Beacon girl would attack her for reasons quite obvious, but just as obviously, Sil doubted she was with them. There was the possibility that Sil had slain someone she fancied, but then again, how would she have ever known it was Sil? She did not tend to leave witnesses. Stretching the imagination, maybe the Mint leaked information about her in some capacity? She wasn't too confident about that idea, either. Perhaps the most obvious conclusion would be that this woman was a deranged fan of Shades simply not worth the effort. Her motivations, in the end, mattered not. All that did was that she denied Silhouette a kill that she had earned, and now impeded Sil's ability to follow Veronica's orders.

That all said, judging from Shona's tone and demeanor, it would seem this would be a perfect time to bow out and assist her VIP. Though it was disappointing that she had been denied victory, in the end, all that mattered is that she protected her target. Neither of these girls needed to be killed in order to fulfill Veronica's ord---

“What?” Veronica's voice came to life in her head. “So that thing is what attacked Eliza.” She did not sound especially happy. “The V.I.P. must be kept alive, but that dragon girl takes your priority as a target.”

Really, it was strange just how often she was forced to change her plans at the last moment. From being forced to give her Schatten over to her VIP instead of using it against Shona, to now being made to fight the girl that appeared instead of taking advantage of the inevitable fight to flee. Of course, Sil wouldn't complain. If Veronica willed it, then so it shall be.

And so it was that Shona launched the first strike, with Silhouette dashing in right behind her. Silhouette was confident that with the two of them, it would not be much of a task to dispatch her target. However, that meant they would then return to being enemies, which meant more time wasted getting back into a position of eliminating Shona again, which was too time consuming. There was no way to tell exactly how her VIP was going to deal with the horror mob that was surrounding her even with the assistance Sil'd provided, while it was possible she'd survive long enough for Sil to get there after fighting both this new girl and Shona, there was an equal chance she'd perish before then. She wasn't particularly fond of the idea of leaving that to chance, so that left merely a single conclusion:

"Slay all."

Perhaps Kate had opted to avoid Shona's attack. Or perhaps she had decided to block it. Maybe she even ate it. But in actuality, it did not matter. Because as they attempted to do so, Silhouette plunged her dagger deep into her own chest.

The world froze in that moment of time, at least to Silhouette. To witness a cease in motion from everything around her, it was a jarring sight, but one she could not take in. The action she had committed was one that placed a great deal of strain on her, and she would not be able to keep this up. So she would use what little time she was afforded to the best of her ability.

In a flash, she closed the small distance between her and Kate, retrieving her weapon and digging her blade deep into the throat of her target, tearing it out of the side, all but decapitating the girl. But she did not stop there. Naturally, Shona's attack would have left her close to Kate. In the same motion she tore the blade out of a throat, Silhouette would lunge at Shona, and attempt to essentially do the same thing, her dagger glowing as she tried.

A risky play, to be sure, but the payoff was much to great to pass up on.

E m i l y

"Would've been a lot worse if you were a magical girl, Alex."

Lucifer

Emily had certainly dealt with more stable magical girls, that was for sure. It was hard for her to peg exactly what this girl's deal was, but if she wanted to fight and needed a target, then perhaps she had some use in this situation. "I see." she glanced over at Alexander, who was struggling against the slime attempting to eat him. "We don't have much time to waste, if you want to fight someone, fight that slime horror, watching for friendly fire, if possible."

Assuming the girl would listen, Emily made her way towards the slime, noticing that Alexander had seemingly gotten out of his predicament. If that was the case, then she figured she could turn up the heat on this abomination, with the intent on forcing the girl inside back out. "Take this!" a ball of fire formed in her palm, and then shot outwards towards the blob.

Beyond the Looking Glass: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed]

S i l h o u e t t e

"Escort missions blow"

Silhouette

"Tsk." Silhouette clicked her tongue, annoyed her attempt to end the fight early wasn't successful.

She was able to raise her weapon and deflect the attacks Shona had launched in retaliation but was grazed by the hit from the sweep Shona used before backing off. The damage was negligible, nothing that would impede her ability to fight, but it did prevent her from immediately chasing her as she tried to gain distance. "A squire with a verbose title, huh?" she scoffed, raising her dagger towards Shona. "As if it matters. You're no better than a drone. But if it's darkness you want..." Silhouette's shadow slowly slinked into her, eventually disappearing. "...I'd be right happy to let darkness be the last thing you experience!" Saying so, she engaged once again with Shona. Though she was experienced with her blade, the fact quickly became apparent that she would be at a disadvantage if she were to continue to fight so directly. Her 'shield' had made the engagement somewhat manageable, but blocking thrusts with her arm proved to be a bit difficult to do consistently, eventually leading to her suffering a few hits that would've been a lot worse were she not able to twist her body in such a way to minimize the damage they had done at the last moment.

A different approach was going to be needed. Silhouette wasn't going to be able to treat Shona lightly, but she was prepared for this. As the two continued to fight, Sil forced a clash between her stasis-locked arm and Shona's blade, bracing it with her other hand. It was around then that Veronica's voice rang inside her head with new orders. Consider it done. She answered mentally, though in all honesty, this wasn't exactly as easy as her confident reply might've made it sound. Her best bet to successfully ensure Mika's safety was to break off from this duel and personally assist the girl, but she had the feeling Shona wouldn't just let her do that. Alternatively, she would have to finish this fight quickly, but Sil noticed that Mika wasn't faring too well against the countless horrors descending upon her, so she needed help immediately.

I suppose I can't be too selfish right now.

Still in a clash with Shona, Silhouette's shadow leaked out from beneath her and began to take on a physical form, its appearance being that of Silhouette's... silhouette. Knowing what its purpose was upon its creation, it quickly ran off to assist the two magical girls who had become surrounded by horrors, hopefully providing some relief to them while she dealt with Shona. She had originally intended to use her shadow to throw in more unpredictable attacks at Shona, but now she was missing the shadow she needed to do so. She would have to manage somehow. "You're not bad yourself. For a drone, that is. I suppose I'll extend to you the same courtesy and not hold back." she told Shona, then attempted to push her weapon to the side. If successful, she would throw stabs at Shona with her dagger.

E m i l y

"Talk shit, get clicked....tongues...?"

Lucifer

"Tsk." Emily clicked her tongue, annoyed despite how obvious that it was that this was going to happen.

It was a shame that things led to this, but there was nothing to be done now, except defend herself. Ignoring the unwarranted insult to her character, as it was something she was used to by this point, she extended her arm towards the apple-riding spiders being launched at her. "By fire, be purged!" She greeted them with a stream of fire from the palm of her gauntlet, presumably vaporizing them. Admittedly, this was perhaps the only time she actively enjoyed defending herself against another magical girl, as the only good spider, in her eyes, was a dead one. Bugs, in general, weren't pleasant to deal with.

Still, she did not appreciate this girl attacking them. And since it seemed like the magical boy with her thought she was being brainwashed, it was unlikely they'd be able to talk her down. A nonlethal solution was preferable, and with the two of them against her, Emily felt the odds were on their side.

That, of course, perhaps changed with the appearance of another, scaley girl. Emily was not one to discriminate against monster girls, though in her experience more had been hostile than not, though not to the degree of a horror girl. Still, it wasn't like she could instantly identify friend from foe in this hectic place. "You there! Can you teach me how to do that flip shit was awesome State your business!" she demanded. Of course, this meant she wasn't able to follow Alexander in his attack on Tonya. At least, not yet.

Devil May Cry: Night of Knights

G a w a i n

"As our lord wills it"

Gawain

A fact Gawain had learned growing up was that the truth wasn't often a pretty thing. Learning early on that he was considered no better than cattle, that the circumstances behind his birth were... unpleasant, and that he was powerless to defy his father -- these were all ugly truths that he was forced to understand. Though it was still a fact that, on occasion, the truth was pretty.

It probably isn't hard to guess just which 'truth' Gawain thought was most beautiful. But even then, ugly truths still remain. And today, just like every day, Gawain was forced to recall a certain truth he'd much rather be without:

...That he was most certainly not what you would consider a 'morning person'.

Every day was the same, regardless of how much sleep he got, or the quality of it. Sure as the sun would rise each morning, Gawain would fail to do so with any sort of enthusiasm. It mattered not if he slept well, if his bed was made of legoes or fit for royalty, in the end, when morning came and Gawain was to escape his slumber, he would do so looking more akin to a zombie than anything. Of course this wasn't so bad that it'd be a threat to his life. Were danger afoot, he would be able to rise to the occasion... it's just that rising to anything else required more effort than he'd like.

Nevertheless, Gawain did not allow this... undesirable trait of his conflict with his duties as a knight. He made sure he was there for anything and everything he was needed for, to the point where most probably didn't know about that side of him. But that was all the better. He had no desire to look bad in front of his king. That is why, when he appeared alongside the rest of the knights, the only thing he allowed other people to see upon his features was a stoic expression fitting of a loyal knight who was awaiting orders.

While his expression remained immovable, and he spoke not a word while Arthur and Merlin spoke, Gawain couldn't help but mentally gush at the situation. Years ago, he would never have thought he would be blessed to serve a king destined for greatness. But here he was, with the rest of the knights and demons, watching evidence of just that! And sure, things weren't exactly prepared just yet, but it was merely a matter of time before Arthur's vision was made true. To be a part of that, it brought Gawain joy he couldn't properly express.

That is why Gawain almost found it pointless to bother saying anything in response. In his case, it was a given that when Arthur's desires were vocalized, that Gawain would simply comply. Yet, it was still a fact that the knight leaned into a small bow and voiced "As you wish." in regards to their orders.

Wasting no time, he set off to do what was asked. Those that oppose Arthur's reign would come to regret doing so, Gawain would make sure of that.

Beyond the Looking Glass: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed]

S i l h o u e t t e

"In which Silhouette decides to use her pride as a skilled killer as a way of hiding her edgy 12yo OC from her friends"

Silhouette

Upon seeing the knight atop the mausoleum, the Crimson Cradle's Idol clutched the grip of her knife tightly. Her expression slowly warped into that of a vicious wolf baring its fangs, and she trembled with primal anger. The foe before her was a familiar one, a victim of an attack made by someone who was not herself. And with the trauma of that incident came a near-relapse that threatened to send Sil into another berserker rage.

But she was now stronger than that.

This feral rage is for mutts with no skill, that's not what I am! You can sit back while I show you who the real Samantha is!

Her features began to ease back into the stoic expression she was known for, the grip on her weapon following suit. The being inside her said nothing, but she could tell that it was displeased, to say the least. But she didn't care. This body of hers, it belonged to Samantha, the former contracted killer, and a current member of the Crimson Cradle. It was not property of some beast who could not differenciate between a target and a victim! Tighter than any vise, Samantha would take hold of the traits that separated her from the corruption, even if it was difficult or unfamiliar with her.

The girl from before, Shona, had in this time issued a challenge to Silhouette herself. The beast inside would love nothing more than to come out and play, Sil knew, but she'd stuck it in a time-out it was going to stay in so long as she could help it. "Perhaps," Silhouette clenched her left hand into a fist and then traced its entirety up until the elbow with her right hand, applying Stasis to it, before continuing, "But even if that is the case, I really don't have the time to listen to a squire telling me I'm not worthy of something I've never asked for."

Things had occurred in such a way that made this particular fight, as least for now, a strict duel between the two girls. With the others currently distracted by the horrors Shona had apparently summoned, she wasn't likely to receive help until they were dispatched. But this was fine by her. If anything, she preferred it this way.

When the fight began, it did so signaled by Shona's leaping from the top of the mausoleum and subsequent slash at Silhouette's position. Her response was to raise her left arm and position it to deflect the blow, it now acting as close to a shield as Sil was going to get at the moment. Once it had done so, she attempted to jab her knife straight into Shona's neck before she could recover from her attack.

E m i l y

"Nothing written here will ever compare to what was written in my previous post, I'm sorry."

Lucifer

Emily preferred to avoid fighting her brothers and sisters whenever possible, but knew the inevitability of doing so. For whatever reasons, Magical Girls and Boys would have to clash with other Magical Girls and boys, and in particular, those under the control of a Horror were more prone to do so. So it was needless to say that when she spotted the girl riding atop of a horror, she had her doubts that things would resolve themselves peacefully.

Emily did not let her guard down.

But even if she were going to fight another magical girl, she would certainly not throw the first blow uncessarily. And since this girl and this boy knew each other, she clung to the hope that diplomacy would prevail. While she wasn't subtle in showing she was prepared to break into battle at any given second, she eyed the two of them and waited for whatever conclusion their speaking might reach.

Beyond the Looking Glass: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed]

E m i l y

"Cindy Ford? More like Cindy got ignored! HA GOTTEEEEEEEEEM"

Lucifer

To the surprise of nobody, it wasn't long that Emily found herself alone on the rooftop. She was quickly joined by many of her sisters, although not all of them seemed to want to make friends. Luckily, however, the first one she met did. As a girl introduced herself as Shannon and extended her arm, so too did Emily. Giving a respectful shake to the girl, she nodded. "It is a pleasure to meet you. You can call me Luci."

They weren't given much time before another girl appeared, and this one far less welcoming in body language than Shannon. Lucifer would prefer to avoid fighting, but that didn't mean she'd blindly drop her guard against someone who seemed hostile. Her expression was tense, and she attempted to answer the query presented right after Shannon but was ultimately cut off by the appearance of the woman of the hour, Cindy Ford, who seemed to at least moderately enjoy making a spectacle of her appearance.

Not that Lucifer could blame her.

"How noble of you." Emily didn't pretend in the least like she was going to go along with the idea Ford presented. Sounded to Lucifer like Cindy just wanted to a place to play Queen. Threatening others just meant no matter what the objective, her motives probably weren't just. "But I'm not here to bow down."

It didn't take long for Lucifer to notice something was amiss. She turned to notice the changing scenery and, to her surprise, tornadoes beginning to form in the distance. They could cause a lotta damage. "A world in which I must ask for permission before I protect the innocent..." Lucifer's palms started glowing red-hot. "...is not one I'd willingly live in." Saying this, fire erupted from her palms and she jetted off towards the disturbances.

S i l h o u e t t e

"Don't remind yourself that at one point in her life, Sil was an adult male"

Silhouette

Keeping a low profile was nothing difficult nor new to Samantha. Since her 'escape', she hadn't been too active as a magical girl, instead continuing her part-time job helping the older storeowner. Her old routine continued, same as ever.

Yet, while things remained the same, they had also changed.

Ignorant as she was to certain social aspects of herself, Samantha was told by the storeowner that she had recently developed a skip to her step. The man claimed she seemed happier, but Sam herself never noticed it. At least, not until he pointed it out. But once he did, she began to notice certain things that weren't typical of her that she'd done. Things like offering to do more than necessary without ensuring bonus payment would be provided. Things like staying just a minute or two later to listen to the man finish up a story he'd been rambling on about.

And things like trying on a swimsuit, just to see if she'd look good.

Yes, while her routine had not changed, something did. She did. But for what reason? Samantha wasn't sure, even when she pondered why. Any changes in behavior would normally be associated with her lingering corruption, which while nothing serious had happened lately, was a problem she was aware hadn't gone away. But she could not use it as a scapegoat for this, as no matter how she thought about it, the corruption that desired nothing but death and violence and to erase her very sense of self should have absolutely no interest in those cute swimsuits.

And they certainly were cute.

...B-but it's not as though she even cares about those things in the first place! Just that, looking at it objectively, each one of those looked appealing and, if, say, she were to attempt to strengthen the credibility of her disguise as a normal human girl, then it would only make sense to find such things 'fashionable' or 'cute' or even 'sexy' because that is what girls her 'age' do! Yes, she was merely interested in them from a disguise standpoint, nothing else!

...besides, they were on sale! How could she NOT take at least moderate interest!

Silhouette hadn't seen anybody nearby, and sighed in relief as her hands came to her face. Her cheeks were flushed, perhaps due to embarrassment of what was going on in her mind. Thinking about such trivial things when Veronica had told her to head towards the graveyard... it was insane.

She needed to regain her composure and focus on the task at hand. Judging by the subtle change in scenery, and the forming tornadoes, it was likely something unpleasant was about to go down. The dark mahou shoujo, now collected, hurried towards the graveyard.

Devil May Cry: Night of Knights

Gawain

Appearance

Name:
Gawain
Gender:
Male
Age:
Around late 30s
Race:
Hybrid

Theme Song:
"To Battle"

Personality:

As a loyal knight to Arthur, Gawain exhibits behaviors one would come to expect of him. He is quite affable, shows no fear in the face of difficulties, comes off as humble, and is extremely courteous to everybody he meets, be they human or demon, and particularly to those that are both. At least on the basis of his character, many would find it hard to hate him.

Juxtaposed by that is his approach to combat, however. Though skilled in battle, he does not have years of proper swordsmanship or the grace that would accompany it. Rather, his way of fighting almost seems brutish and unbecoming of a knight, yet still he retains jovial nature, even when lives are on the line. In it’s own twisted way, he somehow manages to make his brutish methods appear graceful. Jarring, to say the least.

Gawain is not without fault though. He places a great deal of importance in his physical appearance, always ensuring his demonic attributes are hidden behind cloth, as if he’s ashamed of it. In the event that his devil features are revealed, he’s equally likely to go into a berserk state as he is to retreat into a mental shell. Furthermore, his loyalty to Arthur urges him to defend the man’s name, and he doesn’t take kindly to insults thrown that way.

His favorite food is Strawberries, or anything that has them in it.

Backstory:

The bastard son of a fairly strong demon with many ties, Hades, and one of his human concubines, Gawain never got to enjoy his childhood in hell. He spent his earliest years in the Underworld catering to his father’s every whim and facing discrimination by both the demons he encountered there and his own human mother for owning features that resembled Hades. Less a person and more of a ‘thing’ to be used and discarded, Gawain burned with a desire for vengeance, but was too weak to act upon it, and so feigned obedience as he bided his time.

He lived in terrible conditions and was treated as nothing more than a slave until he was nearly a teen. Around this time, an incident in Fortuna occurred and as a result, Hell Gates opened up, allowing both he and his father, as well as other demons, to invade the human world. At the time, Hades had a specific goal in mind and, instead of attacking Fortuna and the area around it like the other demons, set off to achieve it. Thus, they were spared from an encounter that surely would have led to their end.

In the weeks prior to escaping from the Demon World, Gawain had displayed feats of power that intrigued Hades. For lack of a better word, Gawain’s ‘bullies’ from the Demon World had come to learn he was not an individual to mess with, even if he was merely ‘human trash’, or whatever variant they’d decided to call him on any given day. When one day they attempted to assault him for talking back at them, he single-handedly defeated them and, in doing so, earned a bit of respect from his father. This little bit of respect is what made Hades take Gawain with him to the Human World, as he desired to have a trustworthy pawn to perform tasks he did not want to bother with himself.

Gawain was convinced this would eventually lead him to his freedom. Performing whatever task it was that Hades gave him, be it to fend off pesky devil hunters, or even gather blood for Hades, Gawain did so in the hopes that he’d become strong enough to betray his father, and lead a life of a free man. But while Gawain was getting stronger, so too was Hades. Often, perhaps as a way to blow off steam, Hades would spar with Gawain. And not once could Gawain steal a victory from the demon. This weighed on his mind, to the point where he wasn’t even sure if it was possible to escape his father’s grasp.

Following that, he’d fallen into despair, and resigned himself to a life that’d never entirely be his own. He’d execute the orders he was given, be treated as a second-rate being, and live a meaningless existence until the day he died. That’s what he was convinced of. And he was sure it was because he was a mongrel, just like they all had said.

It was in this depression that Gawain met Arthur. His appearance initially was nothing of note to Gawain. Despite Hades holding great power, Demons had proven to be rather stupid when it came to assessing threats and he imagined this half-demon would be no different. He would challenge Hades, lose, and be made an example of, as pointless as that seemed to be. But then something strange happened: Hades lost. He lost… and to someone who wasn’t even fully demon? Gawain’s eyes lit up, the vestiges of hope flaring once again within them. In Hades’ eyes, however, only bitter resentment showed. The powerful demon Hades could not bear the humiliation of not only losing, but losing to a mongrel. His pride made it impossible for him to submit to becoming a subject of Arthur’s, and that left merely one fate for him.

Gawain had become free from his father, at last! Though he was upset that it wasn’t by his own hand, the yet-to-be knight knew immediately what he would do with his new self. Without any hesitation, he bowed before his savior, and in doing so, became the knight he is today.

COMBAT

ABILITIES:
Demonic Physiology - Like many demons and hybrids, Gawain sports a body physically superior to that of a normal human, giving him increased strength, speed, reaction, endurance, and the ability to recover from most wounds provided they aren’t outright fatal.

Soul Devourer: A power he inherited from his father, Hades, Gawain is capable of absorbing the lifeforce of his foes. Explained in Style section.

False Identity: A power bestowed upon him by the great Merlin. It allows both he and his weapons to temporarily take the form of Arthur. The trick fades away when engaged in combat, however.

EQUIPMENT:
Hades (Devil Arm): A weapon made from the soul of his father. A scythe that can change its form into a unique kusarigama. Rends the life of its victims to strengthen the opposite form’s attacks.
Techniques:

• Suffering: Hades stores the life essence of beings it strikes, and spends it when attacks are made in the form other than the one it stored it.
• Agony: Gawain twirls the Scythe or Kusarigama in front of him, hitting enemies caught multiple times with the final hit knocking enemies skywards. Works in the air, too, but knocks enemies to the ground.
• Hatred/Wrath: A quick attack with Hades that swaps it to the other form.
• Despair: A single swipe from the scythe fully empowered by Suffering deals great damage in an arc in front of him. Or, a relentless assault of melee slashes and stab from the Kusarigama to a single enemy before him.
• Apprehend: Places the blade of the scythe behind foes in front of him and drags them closer to him. If used with kusarigama, throws blades into a single foe and either pulls them to him or him to them if they are larger from a drastically increased range.

Babe (Minor Devil Arm): A weapon created from the combination of some weak demon and an aluminum baseball bat. To the untrained eye, it would merely appear to be a baseball bat with bloodied spikes on it.
Techniques:

• Pop Fly: Upward swing with the bat, knocking enemies airborne. Or, if in the air, downward swing that bounces enemies off the floor.
• YER OUT: Two horizontal swings followed by an attempt at a homerun. Knocks enemies far back.
• Bunt - Gawain hold the bat in front of him in order to clash with an enemy attack, causing a parry effect if successful.

Cue (Demonic Energy): A manifestation of Gawain’s demonic power, in the form of a small ball of black fire. Can be launched out of his hand almost like a cannon, or thrown. Only one ‘Cue’ can be out at a time, so if he decides to summon another one, the first will immediately disappear.
Techniques:

• Break: Cue is launched hard in a straight line and will knock down most enemies in its way.
• Put a Lot of English On It - Cue is thrown and orbits Gawain, constantly hitting foes within close proximity to him.
• Bank Shot - Cue is thrown at enemies and repeatedly bounces between foes grouped close together.
• Lag - Gawain throws Cue in a way that makes it immediately bounce off a foe and return to him, strengthening the next throw if he decides to catch it. Can stack with itself twice.
• Scratch - Cue can be detonated at any time, the radius and damage of the blast increasing based on how long it has been in the air without returning (except via Lag).

STYLE
Death’s Dance
Gawain can be best described as an ‘Ebb and Flow’ fighter, as the ideal situation for him in a battle is to utilize his own life force to empower his assaults, and then fall into a defensive posture and regain his footing in the event foes are not vanquished, as he has limited mobility options and his assault will often leave him feeling weak.
Techniques:

• Soul Devourer: Gawain can absorb the life energy of his foes, either through the attacks he lands on them or through skillful defense against their own. He may also pour his own life energy into his attacks to increase their strength.
• Debate/Perfect Debate: Postures defensively in order to receive enemy blows. Activating at the last minute not only entirely blocks an attack, but also leads to Rebuttal.
• Rebuttal: In the event of a Perfect Debate, Gawain recovers a little bit and his next melee attack is made stronger.
• Refutation: Strikes out with a blow that scales off damage negated by Debate, up to a point. Release, more or less.

PURCHASED UPGRADES

As of yet, not used.

Devil May Cry: Night of Knights

Oh shit, I'm sorry.

Re: Zero: The High Council

Featuring Captain Crunch from the Quaker Oats May Cry series!
Special Edition includes The Tutor and The Library add-ons, and additional Goat waifu!($20 value!)

---

When he realized he was sent back to the tavern, Alistair couldn't help but hope that this spontaneous relocation deal was not going to be a habit. It could potentially lead to some unfavorable situations if he were sent to the wrong location. Plus, it was disorienting to jump between two vastly different places in the span of a second.

This is irritating.

Having reclaimed his composure, Alistair would have liked to ponder the information the witches had shared with him and the others, but Captain Crunch's appearance stole his attention instead.

She seemed to have been in a small panic when he disappeared, and as she decided once again to sniff him, he assumed that he might smell a bit different given that Sloth as well as others had started to treat him like a toy they were all childishly fighting over in that... void or whatever it was. So it came as little surprise to see Crunch notice this heavier witch stench even though he himself didn't.

Being a rather proactive pursuer of cultists, Crunch wasted no time darting off in pursuit of these 'cultists' that weren't likely to be around at the moment. She'd likely just be wasting her breath and scaring the general populace as, in his opinion, she looked like she had a few screws loose.

Alistair's response was to yell after her to get her to stop, but she'd bolted out of the tavern before those words had reached her. He let out an irritated sigh before hopping off the chair he just remembered he was standing on. Some people were probably staring at him, but he didn't paid them any mind. It seemed that Sandra had taken off earlier and left her rather expressive friend here, but he was taking a rest he might've earned given his exhausted appearance.

He could only give a longing look at the table void of any food before turning and leaving the tavern to get Captain Crunch. The girl, not the cereal, although he would be fine with either at this point. "Hey, wait! Captain, save your breath!" he called out.

Crunch did not respond to Alistair. Once he followed her outside, he was immediately pulled off to the side by the captain herself. She lifted a finger to her lips. ”Shhhhhh!” An awkward silence hung in the air as crunch's eyes scanned the area. Her sword arm was raised, ready to strike on a moment's notice. ”I don't see anything.” she whispered. ”When they teleported you, what happened?”

Ali was beginning to wonder if all woman in this world were this touchy-feely. No respect for personal space whatsoever between the witches nor this woman, or that other one too. Were it that he was in the mood, this might've been quite a pleasant place in that sense. But such was not the case, and all it did was serve to annoy him.

But consider she at least had a reason to be touching him aside from being a bit too comfortable with him, Alistair allowed the woman to finish looking around and then sighed when she asked him about what had transpired. He took a moment to himself before trying to answer her, a looming sense of dread encroaching upon him the moment he thought about mentioning those witches.

I figured as much.

He took another moment to calm down, then gave an audible answer this time.

"Things I cannot speak about, my apologies." he admitted.

Crunch squinted her eyes. ”That curse is annoying.” She slid along the side of the building. ”We should go to the harbor then. At least there you won't be in any danger.” She spun her sword in her hand before taking it in an iron grip. ”Are you a fast runner?”

She's telling me. If only she knew the half of it---wait, what?

"Wait, what? In danger?" Alistair had forgot to mention there were probably not cultists in the immediate area. He blamed the artificially-induced dread as the cause. But nevertheless. "No, you have it all wrong. There's no---"

Crunch took Alistair and threw him into a cart filled with hay. As soon as he landed, about ten cats ran out from under him in all directions. ”If you cannot run, than I will have to carry you!” The cart was likely suppose to be driven by a dragon, or a horse, but Crunch didn't seem to care. She took hold of it and was getting ready to run all the way to the docks.

"Woman! Yo---”

”Keep your head down! It probably works by sight!” The captain threw her overcoat on top of Alistair without letting up on her running. If the road wasn't so bumpy, sitting up might have been an attractive option. Needless to say, it was quite uncomfortable, and this was made even worse by Crunch's inability to listen and also the coat she threw on top of Alistair.

Such... misfortune!

What crunch said next was truly horrifying. ”Out of the way civilians! Less I trample you!” Then Alistair heard some very familiar voices.

"Excuse me?" Vasilis pointed his halberd at Crunch. "Nobody threatens to run over Irene! Over my dead body!"

The young girl standing behind him tried to interject. "Vasilis, that's-" But it was too late, the knight was already charging head-first at Crunch, who showed no signs of slowing down. "El-Shamak!"

”Tch!” Alistair, Vasilis, and Crunch had all been paralyzed by Irene's spell. Vasilis and Crunch fell into each other before sinking to the ground. A few seconds later and they both sprung to their feet. ”How dare you cast a spell on Captain Crunch! I am transporting a VIP away from sudden danger.”

"Not through Irene you're not!"

While the two bickered, Irene locked eyes with Alistair. ”Alistair, was it?” She folded her arms. Irene's eyes were half squinting. The disgust was pratically radiating off of her. ”I realize that, given your predicament, you need all the help you can get. But I'm a bit surprised you've taken to letting military figures cart you around the city.”

Alistair had recognized the voices after he had a moment to think, and once he could move again, he immediately hopped out of the cart and brushed himself off, before facing Irene, his irritation at the entire predicament rather clear on his face. But he understood how things looked.

In the face of disaster lies opportunity for renewal. Keep you cool, things will be alright. What has anger gotten you thus far, Alistair?

"I see you are misunderstanding the situation. As understandable as that may be circumstances presented, assumptions are a wicked thing more often than not. Allow me to correct your assumption by informing you that at no point was any of this consensual. Merely a misunderstanding exacerbated by the Captain's eagerness to protect the innocent. Almost brings a tear to my eyes, really."

Wonder if sarcasm is a thing in this land? Oh well.

“That said, I do appreciate your help in ceasing this runaway cart.”

”Yes, I can't help but feel that fate has decided that I must remain in your group's company.”Irene eyed Alistair up and down. ”I suppose you'd have picked a more suitable form of transportation, if given the choice.” She plucked a few pieces of straw that were sticking out of his collar. ” If Crunch is carting you around, that must mean you got your passport without a hitch. Congratulations.” She gave a curtsy ”It shouldn't be hard for the others to get their passports. Do you know how Hiro, Aerith, and Chieko are fairing with their job at Donovan's clinic?”

How embarrassing to be caught like this. Ah, so irritating!

Having been groomed by this cruel society into becoming desensitized to girls randomly touching him, Alistair paid Irene little mind, perhaps even appreciating her picking out the stray straw. He listened to her bring up the others at Donovan's place, and then thought about what had recently transpired.

His thoughts jumped back to the void he was in minutes prior. There were context clues he picked up when Talus and the Witches were explaining how their abilities affected the 'checkpoint' that implied Hiro was dead. However, Flame and Ashton had all but confirmed this with their deal they tried to make with Talus. That man, that boxer... he must have died, and for good this time. Alistair wasn't sure what state the other two were in, exactly, but it was unlikely they were faring too well themselves.

"I've not really had a chance to speak to them," he told Irene. It wasn't a lie, exactly, as Sloth and the others had taken his attention away from them before any real conversation happened. “Though I don’t imagine they’re doing too well, call it a hunch.”

Irene closed her eyes with a sigh. ”That is unfortunate to hear.” She placed a fist on her chest. ”I would have liked to have stayed with you all longer, but there were urgent matters that demanded my attention.” Her eyes opened again. ”I do not want to leave any of you alone again. Would you be interested in staying with Vasilis and myself? I will expect things from you, but I have an extensive book collection that you might find handy. Anything you'd want to know about the kingdom is within arm's reach.” She looked over her shoulder. ”Not that I doubt Crunch's ability to protect you, but her style could use some work.” Vasilis and the captain were still shouting at each other.

An interesting offer, he thought. Alistair pondered briefly about what he'd like to do. While he certainly wasn't in any hurry to be stuffed into a cart and hauled off again, Captain Crunch had proved to be useful in her own way. She introduced him to someone who gave him information relevant to his situation which had been his short-term goal. That said, Irene's offer was appetizing as well. Learning about the world in which he and the others now lived would be just as useful as knowing their foe, and given her earlier display of magical ability, she perhaps could show him a thing or three.

Didn't they mention something about helping us learn quicker? This ought to be the best chance to improve. I'll need more power if I'm to deal with those damned cultists trying to kill me.

"I think I'll accept your generous offer." he answered. "Though I hope Crunch doesn't mind parting ways with me too much."

Crunch immediately shoved Vasilis off to the side when Alistair mentioned her name. ”What? Alistair!” She balled her hands into fists. ”You were just abducted by some cultists right in front of me! We need to get you someplace safe so that they can't harm you.”

"I was trying to tell you before, Captain, that I wasn't in any immediate danger." he clarified. "But then you threw me into a cart and here we are." Alistair had become quite calm, perhaps because of the new path that had opened up had please him. Or for some other reason. Either way, he didn't seem as annoyed as he should have been. “I don’t think those cultists will be a big threat just yet, but I appreciate the concern.”

”So that explains the smell.” Irene folded her hands together. ”Crunch, I'm sure the Arcadia name must mean something to you. My grandmother taught me very well, and she wouldn't have lent me the aid of a personal knight just for show. I'm not sure what happened to Alistair, but I think we can agree that if he was going to be abducted again, they would have struck already.” She cast out her hand.” Alistair was teleported here with a few others. I think your efforts would be better suited to reaching them before the cultists do. I recall a few of them going to Donovan’s clinic. You’d be wise to start your search for them there.”

Crunch exhaled sharply. ”Alright.” She nodded. ”That sounds reasonable. But I would like to check in on him from time to time.”

Alistair nodded to Crunch, he almost seemed happy now. "I do appreciate what you've done for me. When I am in a better position, I'll do what I can to return the favor."

”You are more than welcome to.” before Irene could finish her curtsy, Crunch had already taken off. ”Strange woman. I can't say I've ever seen her like that. She's always so calm and reserved.”

"Can you blame her? Alistair smells like a cultist! I-I think? I can’t really smell that stuff." Vasilis hung his head.

Irene only smiled in response to Vasilis before looking back at her hay-covered companion. ”Well, at least she won't be running you around in a cart any longer.”

The Archibald would need to remember each and every one of these people he was being indebted to. It was not like repaying a favor was something his parents every particularly stretched, or something he'd been taught by something else. But he'd always thought it only natural to clear up one's debts. Donovan, assuming he wasn't part of the cult trying to kill him, and now Captain Crunch, who'd led him to this point. And, of course, Irene. Both for the clothes he was now wearing, and the books he'd be able to read later.

"I don't entirely dislike that kind of drive, though. It's something to respect, when it's not causing me discomfort." Alistair watched Crunch walk off for a minute before turning back towards Irene and Vasilis. He sighed. "Is it that bad?" he asked them. He couldn't find a stench that he'd describe as 'witch-like', but if that many people were talking about it, then it had to be true.

"It tastes bad too." A goat demihuman commented from behind Alistair."Blue didn’t taste bad earlier, now blue tastes bad.." Despite her adult shape, her mannerisms came across as very childish. She didn’t make eye contact with anyone, and her thumb had a habit of slipping into her mouth when she wasn’t talking. "You need clean blue."

Alistair glanced at Irene before speaking, as if to ask if she was familiar with this demi-human who had just spoken. But since he hadn't noticed her before, he was going to make one of those 'bad' assumptions and assume that she'd just happened by them. Still, what she said was intriguing.

"You're saying the stench has a taste?" he asked her, his curiosity piqued. "And it's blue...?"

Visibly confused, Alistair's attention was on this demi-human, though it did dart to Irene on occasion.

"Not the smell, the blue. The blue tastes bad now."The goat woman hopped closer. "What am I going to eat noooowwwwwww?" Her voice cracked.

Irene cleared her throat and stepped closer. ”How long have you been eating Alistair's 'blue'?”

"A while." She sniffed.

Irene nodded. ”What's your name?”

The goat girl blinked a few times, never making eye contact. "Odessa."

”Do you have a surname, or a house name?”

"I don't have one."

Irene's eyebrows flicked up before she turned to Alistair. ”Alistair, I don't know how, but I believe you've attracted a spirit. I've never encountered one quite like this one, but it's the only explanation. I believe when she talks about your blue, she's actually referring to your mana.”

Alistair eyed Odessa with suspicion. "I don't like the sound of that at all. I have limited understanding about how all of that stuff works, however. Is this something I should be concerned about?" he moved his eyes from the shy spirit and back to Irene.

”It can be a problem. If a spirit eats too much of your mana, they could get into your life force. In less severe cases, that would permanently cripple you as a spell caster. More severe cases would erode your ability to feel emotions or even kill you.”

Odessa wrapped her arm around herself. "I-I would never take that much blue."

Irene looked at the spirit. ”Typically a spirit will forge a contract with the person who's mana they're eating. Did you ever make a contract with Alistair?”

"Mmmmmm."

”Is that a no?”

Odessa nibbled on the tip of her thumb. "I thought it would be okay if he didn't notice."

“Well, it’s not.” Eyes once again on the spirit, Alistair spoke. "This sounds like a pest that I need to be rid of. But if you mentioned a contract, I assume that there's some sort of benefit to having one?"

It was one thing to have girls throw him into a cart and stubbornly refuse to listen until physically stopped. But since this spirit was potentially costing him his magic, and therefore impeding his progress towards defeating that smug knight as well as dealing with those assailants, then she was standing in his way. And that was one of three things he absolutely could not stand.

”There's pretty good value in a contract, yes.” Irene folded her arms. ”If you supply her with magic, she can cast spells for you. If you have, say, a fire gate for fire spells, her gate might be a different element. You would be able to use multiple elements in combat.”

Odessa huffed. " But if we're going to make a contract, I want you to keep your blue pure. I don't want to eat mana this bad ever again! Also sorry about you blue. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble."

Wait that sounds hella dope

"That sounds... incredible, honestly." upon hearing that, he seemed more keen on the idea of keep her around. But there was that 'bad blue' she was mentioning. It wasn't like he didn't have an idea of what it might be, but the problem was he wasn't sure what he could do about it. "As long as it doesn't cripple me, I wouldn't mind making a contract but... I imagine this 'bad taste' has something to do with the stench? Is it something I can rid myself of?"

There's still too much shit I don't know!

Irene nodded. ”It should wear off in time, provided you don't linger around cultists for too long. That is the easiest method I know of.”

"Bad blue will become pure again?" Odessa tipped her head. "What should go in the contract, mister?" she popped her thumb in her mouth and, for once, made eye contact with Alistair.

The problem is that they linger around me! Well, if there's the chance to purify my mana, then I suppose I can try. Having a spirit does seem useful.

"Then in that case, in exchange for that sort of power, I would not mind allowing you to 'eat the blue' as it were. Within reason, of course." he told Odessa, but then added, "And I'd prefer you look me in the eyes when we speak from now on. It's a pet-peeve of mine when people actively avoid eye contact." he paused for a moment, then also added, "...unless there is something you would like to add or object to?"

"Look you in the eye, and don't eat too much? I can do that." Odessa scratched her head. "Uhh, I really don't like the taste of your blue right now." Her cheeks were getting red. Possibly a side effect of her making prolonged eye contact. "But then you need to keep your blue pure. I can't possibly function on blue that is this bad." After a moment, she pointed at Alistair with an outstretched finger. "And don't laugh at me. I don't like it, not one bit." She nibbled on her fingers.

Alistair didn't seem to notice or mind the goat-spirit's flushed cheeks. But he may have questioned that second condition she set had he not just made one on his own whim as well. "Those terms sound agreeable, but due to things currently beyond my control, I'd like to ask what's in the fine print of this contract before we set it in stone. Is there a penalty for one of us breaking it, or is this an elaborate 'promise'?"

"Fine, print?"

”It's in her best interest that you are kept alive, Alistair. You don't have to worry about a spirit going back on a promise.” Irene interjected. ”You're offering her your mana, and she's offering to protect a dedicated food source. The contract simply serves as a way to make sure that both parties are okay with the arrangement. It's typical for the spirit to request more, as the spirit gains the least out of such a pairing.” She looked to Odessa. ”Right?”

"If your blue starts to taste bad, I'll let you know." Odessa didn't look away from Alistair. "But I won't eat bad blue, and I won't be able to help you if your blue is this bad."

"Perhaps I'm being a bit too cautious, but it's better to be safe than sorry." he said. Presumably, the answer Irene gave in lieu of Odessa's was enough to satisfy Alistair. He extended a hand towards Odessa, now his partner of sorts, and his lips raised into a friendly smile. Simply because he hadn't really done so before, the very act of smiling might've appeared odd on him.

"Shall we shake on it?"

"Shake?" Odessa blinked. "Do we have to? I think it would be better to just etch it into your blue."

Irene raised an eyebrow. ”Shake? Is that something you do in your part of the world?”

Odessa started to vibrate. "Like this?"

"...I see." Alistair's genuine smile seemed a lot more forced after Odessa began shaking. Still, he persevered and turned towards Irene. "In my w-...home, it is customary to take hold of one another's hands and then give it a few firm shakes when a deal like this is made. But..." he turned back to Odessa. "I suppose it doesn't matter. What's the deal about this mana-etching concept you mentioned?"

Irene held her chin. ”To avoid going into a bunch of other complicated topics, she wants to take a small portion of your mana and replace it with her own. It's just a ritual, and won't have any long term effects. You could look at it as the spirit version of a 'hand shake.'”

Vasilis ran up to Alistair and put a hand on his shoulder. "Just accept the offer already! We all know you’re not going to back down now. You can figure all that sophisticated stuff later."

What remained of Alistair's strained smile disappeared when Vasilis' hand landed on his shoulder. "I'd prefer if you did not touch me. I've had enough people violate my comfort zone enough today." he calmly said.

"Oh! Sorry."

Once Vasilis removed his hand, he continued. "But I suppose I am being a bit too overcautious." Not that I can blame myself. It's hard to trust anything when you've experienced death countless times. "Very well, let us finalize this deal however and be done with it." he finally agreed.

Odessa’s body was outlined by a purple neon light. She pointed her palm at his chest, but made no physical contact. There was a blue glow directly over Alistair’s chest, but it subsided after a few seconds. Then Odessa’s neon glow vanished, and she lowered her hand. "Now there’s a little bit of purple in your blue." she bit her thumb. "I hope your blue clears up soon."

"You and me both." Alistair was somewhat disappointed by the event. But that may have been the effect of media influencing his expectations of something like a spiritual contract. And it was probably a good thing, too. No screaming, no pain, and it did not take very long at all. There was also no non-consensual lip-locking or CG dragons. Perhaps this was optimal. "Well, with that out of the way, I suppose we should move on. I appreciate both the advice and your patience." he nodded towards both Irene and her knight.

"Think nothing of it! Irene is the most patient person I know! And I give pretty good advice!" Vasilis fought the temptation to put his hand on Alistair's shoulder again.

”Let’s get you acquainted with my books as soon as possible. You are thirsty for knowledge, and I will see that you are sated. I am also curious if it would be possible to cleanse you of the witch's touch.”

Odessa rubbed one of her eyes. "I'll rest in your blue for now." The spirit turned into a ball of light and floated behind Alistair. She seemed to completely disappear, but Alistair could feel she was still nearby.

Deciding against questioning how Odessa's disappearing act work, Alistair let it be. He looked to Irene. "I can’t help but admit I am a little excited to see what I can gleam from those books." And with that, he would follow behind his new set of 'partners' as they set off towards Irene’s place.