Beyond the shroud of the Crystal Curtain was this fantastic city; a backdrop of the fantastic and impossible.
The Overcity.
There was an otherworldly odor pervaded through every last spec of air within this fantastic city. A sickly sweet odor that seemed impossible to place the direct nature of, yet was pervasive enough to make one nauseous. Within the expanse of the city, however, this scent was thankfully muted by other scents, some more and some less pleasant.
Yet these beings were not anomalous to the Overcity. Conformed standards of normality were different in the areas where one traveled, and this was no exception. This was the Overcity’s ordinary hustle and bustle.
While perhaps strange to the uninformed to what lies beyond the moonlit veil, to someone who had the better part of a century as the gear to an impossible machine, Valkyrie did not seem phased by the sheer insanity of the fantastic city. If anything, she seemed somewhat nervous about having such a seemingly infinite expanse of both human and inhuman masses cluttering the expanse between the impossible structures.
A man with the face of a lizard.
A woman with the wings and talons of an owl.
A magical girl riding on a mighty serpent.
And there were those who hid their faces under sheets and cloaks.
While Valkyrie held a mostly “normal” appearance of a magical girl, her wings were one of her defining features; they hardly stood out against the backdrop of the impossible, however.
She was not afraid of the unknown. Or at the very least, what she understood as the “unknown”, yet “known”. The streets were full of dangers, yet held many wonders. Such did not matter to someone who had given away her exhausted life for a peak under the veil of moonlit world.
What concerned Valkyrie more than anything was losing the person, whom she had sworn her protection to, within the ever-expanding pool of people, which had Ronin running into the Overcity with childish vigor. Catching up to the energetic Ronin with the city drop behind them was a difficult task, but once she had, Valkyrie took Ronin’s tiny hand by her own.
“Do not let go of my hand. I am afraid if you let go, I shall not be able to find you once again,” Valkyrie said to the young (appearing) magical girl, tightening her grip ever-so-slightly as to not harm Ronin, but to reassure her of her presence. Even if for a moment, were the two separated Valkyrie would have no chance of finding Ronin. And even if the two were to find one another once again, it likely would take a while, trivializing the urgency of the mission she had bestowed to Valkyrie by Ronin.
“I was told to find someone called Jill, but they didn’t really give me much instructions beyond that. I wish I was given a little more assistance than that…. “
Valkyrie sighed, though even if she was distressed by this, she did not wish for Ronin to realize. It was not as if she blamed those guards for their lack of more seemingly concrete information, though it was not as if it did not get her a bit down, her wings drooping a bit at her temporary feeling of powerlessness and confusion.
She had to be strong in these trifling times, though in reality this quest to find this “Jill” person was something akin to the blind leading the blind.
There was always the possibility of Valkyrie and Ronin splitting up to cover more ground, but again, attempting to find the tiny Ronin in this fantastic city would be akin to finding a needle in one out of a nearly infinite number of haystacks.
“Idiot. They told you how to get there, didn’t they? What more do you want from them. A Basaghan who can’t follow directions is a Basaghan I don’t need.”
Her only clue was the name of the place she might find Jill; Magical Services district.
According to the very nice guards at the edge of the veil, this is where “Jill” would be found. If she was popular enough to be known by name in an infinite expanse of highrises and impossible fantasy, then it couldn’t be too hard to find her, right? If these were her only two clues, she would not let them go to waste.
With that, Valkyrie attempted to direct herself towards this district in order to ask about this “Jill” individual. Hopefully, “Jill” was not such a common name that the directions given by the guards would be for naught!
Valkyrie wasn’t the sort who judged others based on their preferences. After all, it was not something that truly mattered. It was still rather jarring to hear to her, but it was not like she allowed Ronin to comprehend her current emotions aside from an ever-glowing shade of red appearing upon her face and the continued stuttering of her speech. She longed for love, but she never really had a clear definition of what that meant to her. Perhaps, in a way, Yury was correct. She was rather jealous of this “little girl”.
Valkyrie would never admit it even to herself though.
“W-Well we have no time to lose then!”
Valkyrie carried the girl as quickly as she felt the other could handle. After all, the turbulence would cause issue to someone not used to moving as quickly as Valkyrie was used to.
If anything Valkyrie was just happy to have someone to talk to for the time being. It has been a while since she had much interaction with others. After all, she was rather standoffish in terms of outward expression, often leading others to believe that she was a lot more serious than she leads others to believe. And if what Ronin was saying was true, then at the very least she had someone she should be able to rely on when it comes to combat. While she was sure of her ability, protecting another was a completely different ballpark.
After all, she was not able to protect ____
Approaching the gate, Valkyrie was stopped by the voice of the two guards, ever vigilant.
“Valkyrie; I wish to travel to Penrose in search of someone, whom of which I have reason to suspect is in danger. This girl with me is under my protection as a traveling companion with the same goal,” Valkyrie says, being curt and to the point with the guards(wo)men more so than even her previous tones and mannerisms, and her flushed face was replaced with its normal pale. Of course, while Valkyrie herself might not have ever served in the military, her father was a commander and she and the other kids in the steppe would often play soldiers together.
It was not common for a woman to want to play such aggressive games, but due to her previously tomboyish personality and slender figure, no one questioned her about it. Her father might not have enjoyed having a daughter who would skip her music lessons to play with the town boys, but he never did more than give her a scolding. He was never the same after her mother had died, but she could tell that he cared for her in his heart.
It was not the first time she had used the gate, and would likely not be the last. She understood that these girls were just doing their job, but they were often more of a nuisance than she would care to admit. However, without them, it was likely this place would not have such a level of standard, keeping unwanted “others” away. What tends to be annoying might be overlooked as an important and integral cog in a greater machine, and Valkyrie knew that. Hopefully it would go smoothly; after all, guards might have the same goal but might go about it in completely different ways. However, she felt if she simply told the girls the truth, there would not be too much of an issue with her actions.
Valkyrie simply waited in response, her weapon sheathed as to not appear like a threat. After all, peaceful posturing would do a lot more good in this situation than any aggression might. While Valkyrie was confident in her “quick draw” technique, it would be near suicidal to force the gates open in such a manner.
“I would wish to be granted access.”
It was rare for Valkyrie to arrive at these gates. To begin with, her position tended towards passivity more than action. In her heart, she was a coward. Someone who would prefer to run than to engage in combat, only fighting if backed into a corner. She was not the sort to actively search for monsters to fight, but rather her kills were the result of her actions.
But even if she considered herself a coward
Even if in her heart, she hardly wished to fight.
There was one thing that caused her to press forward, despite these conflicting thoughts swirling around in her head. Beyond her cowardness, there existed a burning feeling in her chest that pressed against all others, like an inferno that consumed her down to the very last being.
Once Valkyrie decided in her heart to act, that deed has already been done!
“I think they are supposed to say something like “Get out!”, “Cursed!”, “Do not enter!”, and that one over there says “Enter at your own risk”,” Valkyrie responded to the girl while pointing towards the sign behind them in a rather earnest, matter-of-factly tone. “Apparently it is ''Dangerous`` and ''Could cause harm to newer magical girls” or something to that effect. I was tasked with putting up these signs I made for this section of land. It’s history … it isn’t a particularly happy one from my understanding.”
Even though she desired to prevent others from entering the area, the signs Valkyrie was putting up seemed closer in design to a cheesy haunted house one might go to on Halloween than a legitimate warning. Despite her best efforts, her idea of aesthetic might be a bit dated, and her Guardian’s was probably worse. Though. people with a remedial understanding of the area would likely avoid it, regardless of the effectiveness of her signage.
Regardless, the little Magical Girl before her had introduced herself, though, from her statement, Valkyrie seemed moderately uncomfortable by the conversation.
“Did you come up with that one on your own? Uhh, G-Good work there,” Valkyrie said to the young girl, not wanting to offend her for her rather … simple name choice, turning away and not able to face the tiny girl on her own and feeling the experience of second-hand embarrassment for her. She did, however, attempt her best to hide this expression from the girl, though, given the circumstances, it was likely very easy for “Ronin” to put two-and-two together.
...The irony was seemingly lost on Valkyrie; someone whose pseudonym was equally simplistic in design.
Laughing at Valkyrie from their mental link, Yury seemed to remember finding Valkyrie’s own name to be rather comical when the two first met, Olesya getting embarrassed and upset with him for laughing at her “creative” and “cool” name. It was the name she ended up sticking with for a long time.
Not understanding where he found amusement, and the laughter dying down as quickly as it began, Valkyrie remained patient, waiting for the girl to complete her explanation. Though she didn’t really go too in-depth, Valkyrie was able to discern that she was in some sort of mortal peril and that she needed to meet someone quickly.
“If you want to help her out, then do so. So long as you don’t die; it is difficult to train someone. Though time is not a factor to something like me, I would not want to be lost to the world anymore. Besides, if it is dangerous, it might be fun to fight! Wouldn’t you agree, Basaghan?”
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Ronin, though I would have preferred us to have met in better circumstances. It appears that you have mingled with the wrong crowd, but regardless of what you had done, I do not believe you should be “ended”. I cannot say I would like to stand beside that decision. On my wings, I swear I would not allow you harm, though I would hope that you would at least have a bit of combat experience under your belt. While my strength is great, I cannot say I can also protect you against any and all harm. Especially with Penrose being the way it is currently. That doesn’t mean I won’t try my best though.”
However, there began the first crack in Valkyrie's rather calm demeanor. A light crack of her voice as a sharp, high-pitched squeal.
“A d-d-date!? Like, one of those things where you enjoy the company of someone you love!? K-Kids this era sure are bold....”
Unbeknownst to most others, and even though she normally maintained monotonous tones with a constant, serious scowl plastered upon her face might suggest, Valkyrie was a hopeless romanticist. From novellas to music, to her favorite, plays, she enjoyed the romantic situations found within such. Despite this, however, her first-hand experience in the field was rather … hopelessly lacking.
“Jealous? Of a little girl!? My cute little maiden? Don’t make me die from laughter! Gahahaha!”
And with that statement from Yury, Valkyrie flicked the pendant he was held in, causing him to spin like a pendulum for a short bit, yelling obscenities through their mental link. It was simply the thing he possessed, after all. He could enter most any object if he had chosen to do so, though the pendant was like a second home to Yury. It allowed him to both watch Valkyrie, and to stay by her side so she could “serve him” as a magical girl. That “high-functioning dumbass” always needed a second set of eyes to make sure she was okay. Even if she seemed cool and collected on the outside, she has maiden flowers where her brain should be.
Realizing her break in her outward stoicism, Valkyrie cleared her throat. A light blush was plastered upon her face, half caused by her embarrassment and the mere idea of a date. Wanting to steer the conversation away from its current course, she began to speak again.
“A-Anyway, grab onto me. Though I know not about yourself, I am confident in my speed; my wings can bring you anywhere you desire.”
Valkyrie extended her hand towards the person, and if they were to grab it, they would travel towards their destination with the girl like a bolt of lighting.
The ever solemn and vigil Valkyrie was surprised by the young girl’s presence, though she hardly allowed for such to appear on her body language outside of her initial shock. Looking around for but a moment, she had not seen anyone around her and was rather shocked at this realization. Perhaps, then, it was her mind playing tricks on her, but could her mind emulate the high-pitched, childlike voice of someone she had never heard before so well?
“DOWN”
It was not until that provocation from that voice that DOES occasionally come from nowhere that Valkyrie had thought to look downwards to see … a child?.
A maiden wondering the shrouded recesses of a forest.
A girl, gentle in years, under glowing grandeur and bewitching twilight.
Valkyrie was surprised by someone so young around. Magical Girls were mostly youthful in appearance, though this one seemed especially young. If she were to happen a guess, she could not have reached any meaningful puberty, and if she did, Valkyrie probably couldn’t stop her external stoic shell from being pervaded from a lingering sense of second-hand despair for this young girl.
Regardless of her appearance led Valkyrie to believe, however, it would have been somewhat difficult to guess her age from her appearance alone, given that magical girls like herself have lived much longer than their physical ages might let on. After all, had it not been for the effects of her magic, she would have taken the appearance of a village abgai.
"I am placing these signs across the road. I was told that this would be of help to someone."
After listening to her request, the booming voice of her demanding partner began to grow inside her head, and it told to ignore this girl and to continue about her duty.
Valkyrie was the type that would much rather allow others to deal with the problem if she could and orders from her benefactor were just about absolute. In addition to that, given that he is a being that can communicate directly with her, there are ways to make the act of barking such demands an insidious endeavor; something she was keenly aware of.
“I have heard of such a place. If it pleases you, allow me, Valkyrie, to be your guide, young girl. I cannot allow someone as young as you to take upon them such an arduous task by themselves, though allow me to ask: why would a young girl like you desire to enter a place so dangerous right now? What draws you there?”
While the tone of valkyrie's voice might not have conveyed too much warmth, being rather monotonic in its pitch or tone. Though she did mean to help out the other girl, even if she didn't comprehend the correct method to display such minor conversational queues. However, given her tone, one might confuse such questions for an inquisitor.
Even if it was an order, she would assist the small girl. After all, Valkyrie was not the sort of person to sit idly by while someone who was calling out for help before her very senses. If she ignored this girl now, given the tenacity of a magical girl, she would likely have figured her own path forward; one full of the dangers and threats. Therefore, Valkyrie would be the one to assist this young lady to forge her path towards the ever-forward dawn!
"You? Sticking your nose into something you shouldn't? A rare occurrence, indeed, Basaghan," Yury said, seemingly in jest, though there was an air of genuine surprise about his tone.
After all, Valkyrie rarely showed interest in others. Even if she had disobeyed his order to ignore the girl, and while she had no attachment to her, Valkyrie would not leave someone in need on the side of the road.
Specialization: Lightning - Valkyrie is able to utilize the specialization of “Lightning”. In addition to shooting lightning as a projectile from either her hand or her weapon as an electric rod, she is able to internalize the effect within herself, firing it out at controlled bursts from her body to improve her overall speed and perception to be similar to the lightning itself.
Weapon: Baikal: A three-pronged long spear that Valkyrie is able to cast her lightning through. When in use, the blade moves as fast as light itself.
Power: Focused Assault: Olesya commits herself to a piercing shot. The skill has two uses, a ranged version used directly through her magicks, and a melee version, used through the weapon. The ranged attack deals an incredible multiple strikes of lightning in the same location, originating from Valkyrie, and the melee version directly injects the target with an incredible blast of electricity, often frying them from the inside.
Perks:
Gifted: Olesya was born with an unnaturally high affinity for lightning. According to Yury, he expected it to take much longer for her to understand how the abilities work, and he tends to be surprised at the unique usages he never really considered for the ability. She is able to completely edit the charge, amperage, wattage down to the most minute detail. In addition to this, electric not produced by her own ability is easily manipulated by her as well.
Enhanced Weapon: The Baikal is a weapon blessed by the gods themselves. While Yury claims it to give a person the ability to overcome any challenge, Valkyrie pins it more to her skills than the weapon itself.
Training: Yury had taken years to train Valkyrie to be the greatest spearman in the world, at least in his eyes. By extension of this skill, she has a rather solid grasp of human anatomy, as do most who had trained their life with the sword.
Get out of Jail: When cornered, Olesya is able to escape captivity to a place that is safe.
Wings: A pair of bird-like wings are fixed to the back of the magical girl outfit, making Valkyrie seem almost angelic.
Patron: Yury
Patron Benefits: Focused- Yury is a spirit that was bound to a lake before meeting Olesya, but his knowledge of the element “Lightning” is both a boon to Olesya’s ability to control both the passive and active forms of the ability to extreme proficiency under his watchful gaze.
Subtle- though technically “flashy” in the sense it “produces a flash”, magic used by Odesya is less detectable.
Mental Link- A bond shared between a “Host” and “Parasite”. Complex nuances can be conveyed between one another almost instantaneously, including information about an opponent, observations one makes, and when eggs are going on sale at the supermarket.
Mana Font- Being constantly near Olesya gives her the ability to utilize the magic of Yury directly.
Patron Drawbacks: Limited-
Alien Mind: Just as the culture which pervaded itself as a spirit is unintelligible to a human, humanity’s culture is incomprehensible to it. Certain feelings are impossible to comprehend properly both ways between Olesya and Yury, though at the very least Olesya would imagine the two are relatively close from her perspective. The truth of this is to be seen.
Big Brother: Standardly seen within the confines of the locket upon Olesya’s neck, and demands to be brought with her anywhere she goes. Punishment tends to be severe in the event this rule is broken. Often comments on any situation Olesya finds herself within.
Formless: A bit of a misdemeanor. While technically without form, similar to a ghost or spirit, Yury usually can possess inanimate objects; contains itself within a pendent around Olesya's neck. When the weapon is summoned, he is also able to possess such as well. It is unable to move things it possesses, but others are able to carry them around as they please.
Fighting Style: Utilizing her Focused Assault, Odesya is able to wither down an opponent while going for short, concise attacks aimed at vitals in order to eventually defeat someone. She would prefer if the first attack were to completely debilitate an opponent, though she is also skillful at more personal combat, being able to use both her speed brought upon by her specialization and her precision to attack both precisely and quickly, each attack aimed to end the fight.
Stats (Untransformed): These start at 3. CYOA options indicate if they apply out of costume as well. STR: 3 AGI: 5 VIT: 3 MAG: 3 LCK: 3
Personality: Olesya seems to take herself somewhat seriously, often taken as somewhat standoffish to others. Though in standard conversation she tends to come off as rather well-mannered, well-spoken and intelligent, her statements tend towards sardonic, which coupled with her lack of any real emotive projection in both her voice and facial features, leaves others to often misinterpret these statements to hold some sort of truth rather than simple jokes or mockeries. Though she comes off as very prideful, it isn't as if she means anything poorly by it (usually).
There doesn’t really exist a divide between the personalities of Olesya and the being known as “Valkyrie”. Perhaps Valkyrie is better suited as less of an “alternate identity” and merely an extension of the previous personality.
Olesya describes herself as a coward, not afraid to retreat if the situation calls for it, in order to preserve herself. He who fights and runs away are able to live and fight another day, after all. But despite this, she tends to contradict this aspect often enough for it to be somewhat bunk in the long run of things. Perhaps it could be best described as a desire to avoid a direct sort of combat, though even she understands there are certain fights one must never run away from. Though she would rather not see the mundane innocents involved in the affairs of the mystical, it isn’t as if those people truly matter to her.
History: War is hell. A war that pits together once countrymen, once townsmen, once family separated by lines that were only broken at the stem for a cause neither side fully understands. Torn from their homes, even children, hardly able to form opinions themselves, are branded by traitors by the victorious. The difference between a traitor and a hero is simply which side if the victor.
The retreating White Army upon the Great Siberian Ice March was forced to cross the frozen lake Baikal as they flee the pursuing soviet army upon the Trans-Siberian Railway. Olesya was the daughter and heiress of a Count loyal to the Romanovs after her father had fought as a commander for the Whites and had died when a stray bullet had killed him, but the overwhelming power of the Petrograd Soviets and the lack of realistic support from the international community due to the events of the first world war seemed to spell an end for the tradition and pride the great Russian Empire had. After hearing what the Soviets had done to the entirety of the Royal family, surrender was not an option. It was either crossing out of the country by any means possible, or death.
The crossing of the lake, even for a man in full army winter gear, would be arduous, the frozen lake reaching temperatures below zero, iced over half the year. But it was either make the trek from the lake into Manchukuo and seek refuge and political asylum from the Reds. Many froze to death, and many were left behind, unable to continue on and succumbing to the artic winters of the Eurasian steppes.
Unable to continue forward, the young now-Countess Olesya had collapsed on the ice of the lake. The cold was too much for her young body to handle. She should have died to the cold here, but for but a moment, she thought she saw something next to a jutting rock atop the frozen lake. A shimmer of something caught her eye, it’s light, unlike anything she had ever seen before. But for whatever reason, this light gave the young Olesya but a sliver of strength to carry on. She believed it to be her father, calling her to the gates of heaven, but that is when she saw what was shining like the ether: a strange spear lodged in the ice at the base of the rise. Though something told Olesya that the spear was dangerous, her condition was hardly that of rationality, and with the first idea that came to her mind, she had taken the weapon from its icy hold.
At first, nothing happened. Of course, nothing happened. It was just a spear. Weapons couldn’t hold any power. They were simply weapons of war. But the shining spear at least made what appeared to be the final moments of her short life.
… But that didn't happen.
Instead, a warmth surrounded her. And before her, a being claiming to be a “God or something” asked if she wished to be his champion, or die in the tundra. With a new chance at life discovered, she had accepted his offer.
Incantation: Truth does not do good in the world as the appearance of truth does evil.
Additional Info: Olesya tends to enjoy more romantic pieces, her favorite ballet being Swan Lake, as she remembers being captivated by the ballet she had seen with her father all those years ago.
Type: Lesser Force
Name: Yury
Personality: Yury is best described by Olesya as an “high-functioning dumbass”. Not really understanding how humanity interacts with one another, lessons about love and valor tend not to come from him. But what he does understand is magic, and it’s applications to the world. However, that doesn’t mean that Yury hasn’t been trying to get adjusted to the current state of culture, such as “not pillaging and raping the cities of your rivals”, but it took several years after reawakening to discover this fact.
Yury claims to be somewhat doting and seems to enjoy the company of Olesya, even though the two tend to bicker between one another.
History: A nameless spirit that Olesya found within the great Lake Baikal during her trot through it with the remnants of the White Army during their retreat from the Reds inside of a Spear upon a jutting rock. Though Yury claims to not remember much about what he was doing there, trapped inside of the spear waiting for an individual to interact with the spear, it isn’t as if he seems like a bad guy. He claims that the last time he was awake in the world, there was a great warlord in the lands south of the lake. The two have been a pair for nearly 100 years, often bickering with one another, though Olesya claims it mostly to be a “friendly banter” rather than anything serious. It is also noted that Yury was named by Olesya, as he knew not the concept of a name, which was the name of her father; the pendant which Yury inhabits happens also to be a pendant with a picture of Olesya’s father as well.
Resources: There isn’t a lot that Yury could really offer Olesya, aside from his magical power and knowledge, as he is a spirit. Most of the money came from the liquidizing of Olesya’s assets, and the two, which in reality is just Olesya seeing as Yury is a spirit.
Additional Info: Yury seems to dislike the cold; ironic considering he was found on the surface of a frozen lake.
Would they be able to manipulate molecules and such with their electron control? I vaguely remember that being the gist of Darker Than Black protag's deal.
Technically yes, but it would less be a "molecular manipulation" but instead "generation/collection and manipulation of electrons". I guess Hei's stuff is applicable to an extent.
@PhonicOffer some examples of what she can achieve with her minute control cause I don't science good. I also dunno how Ari feels about it, but I'd say that she can only easily manipulate electricity that isn't produced by someone else's magic.
Well electricity is simply a stream of electrons at the end of the day, so I guess that a minute control would be the ability to freely manipulate electrons. That would include the production of electricity, electromagnetism, heating/cooling through excitement, and other such things.
As for not controlling other people's stuff, that is completely fine. It would be lame to have something like "completely countering someone else's powers just because they, too, use electricity" like that. It is more of a utility power in this case, or at least was the intent.
