Feeling Lumiére's pull on her magic, Wilhelmina let the blessing connect while her eyes surveyed the battlefield. Indeed, the Pageless were swarming - luckily, her allies kept her from being attacked - in unusual numbers, with some of them fleeing... or perhaps seeking out another target? As soon as her ally mentioned it, she could also feel it: the faint pull of a Grimoire in the distance. A new story that wished to be born with the power of magic. No wonder then that their enemies felt it necessary to gather so much force as the Pageless wished nothing more than to destroy valuable stories. Just like when they attacked the library.
The situation rapidly devolved into chaos, with a massive iron pole smashing into the midst of the Pageless while a horrendous monstrosity tore into their ranks, sending shivers down the girl's spine. That... what the hell was that?! It looked like an abomination, a chimera born from the most twisted experiment and her eyes hurt while she looked at what could not possibly be real, a shadow that held itself against reality, an unknowable terror that struck a chord within her heart looking to eviscerate her down to the bo-
No! Focus, Wilhelmina!
She managed to realign herself just in time to give her blessing to Lilac and then the unknown magical girl who tore through her enemies like thin paper. The battlefield, after all, did not wait for sick girls and with her blessings stretched thin, she could feel her magic pulse, draining at a steady rate to supply more for her allies. Yet, her job was not done.
"Sailors! Stand as One!" Wilhelmina announced and three ghostly figures materialised around her. Dressed in the fine livery of the dutch navy of old, they immediately summoned muskets before diving into the Pageless, elbowing, riflebutting and dashing their way towards the rough direction of the Grimoire. Even with so many Magical Girls present, Wilhelmina was the most suited for this task as she could cover much more ground at once than her allies. Spreading her attention to so many different places left her vulnerable though; her allies would have to protect her and she could barely afford to spend a moment to reply to the azure girl landing not far away.
"I'm really sorry! I didn't hear you and I have to focus!" she told Ethereal Rose as she tracked her allies and sailors across the battlefield, seeing if she could aid someone.
On a less memey note, posted for Wilhelmina! I assumed she worked with both Lumiére and Lilac in the past, so she knows them a little and they would be aware of her powerset as well. Feel free to pre-emptively make use of her blessing as she will cast it as soon as she hears anyone speak up.
Night. A time ripe for trickery, deceit and villainous acts, or at least so fiction would like you to believe. For the cover of darkness obscures the deeds most foul, most dreadful, including those of the supernatural kind. Like the Pageless for example. Bloodthirsty monsters with nothing but the destruction of humanity's stories in mind, in all forms that they could find. It seemed that this time, their approach would be to target the very authors of stories themselves, devouring human souls so that not only the fiction they wished to write would come to an end, but their lives' tales would also annihilate in an unraveling of flesh.
None should suffer such a cruel, terrifying fate.
"Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name." A prayer rung out within the darkness. Several of the Pageless turned their heads as they sensed one of their enemies most foul: Magic. But unfortunately for them, their hands filled with the sounds of their own screams as pillars of light rained from above and a wall of fire separated their victims from their ill intent.
"Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven." The familiar prayer continued. Small, yet strong hands pressed against each other as light blossomed between fingers no older than sixteen summers. Gold, white and embracing red surrounded her form with great splendor.
"Forgive me my foolishness, for I have lead my men astray." It became unfamiliar, yet warm. The gentle voice of an old captain lamenting the consequences for their actions while winds threatened to rend their ship.
"I ask of you but one thing: deliver safety unto them so they may live another day." The light became greater. It spilled from between Wilhelmina's fingers like a hallowed liquid, following the contours of her form; the force of an old legend coating her body.
"For this, I shall pay any named price. Amen." With an explosion of riotous color that dominated the night for a split second, Wilhelmina finished her transformation. Her knuckles no longer white and her grip on her own fingers not deathly anymore, she found confidence in the soft sea breeze that materialised around her for a second, filling her lungs with a deep breath of air. She would not confide this in her allies, but she recited the full prayer of her transformation not because it sounded badass, but rather, because she felt herself squirm at the mere sight of these... creatures.
She still was not used to them.
Captain Goodhope shook her head to clear it before raising her hand towards the skies.
"Lumiére! Lilac! It is nice to see you again~" she called out in a loud voice to the two girls she recognised. There had to be another one here based on the flaming spears, but they were too fast for Goodhope to recognise. "Your oaths for this battle, please!" Magic gathered and swelled in her hands as she prepared to cast her blessing upon her comrades-in-arms, waiting for them to swear upon an objective.
It’d be extremely hilarious if the RP dies in its first round of posting because everyone is waiting for another to post before them and it creates an endless loop.
@Ponn Ohhoho! A warm welcome to our other bookworm in the cast~ I wonder how she will react to someone who loves stories just as much and is wielding a tale that has been Altered - but in the exact opposite way! Wilhelmina will certainly be an interesting contrast to her. And possibly a friend in making, as long as Olivia doesn't mention bugs.
She's just become a Magical Girl and will basically be her first week in an entirely new country having to rely on her middle school knowledge of English to get by, assuming there aren't translation spells. So she's gonna need a friend to keep from freaking out.
On a scale of one to Itary, Iesu and Rabu, how good is her English going to be?
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I don't typically discuss story beats openly in the OOC, but I would be up for working on this further once we get a few posts in and have a better grasp on the situation.
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Sure, sounds great! I for one look forward to annoying the heck out of Silvia with good-natured cheer, warmth and hugs.
Is it pure coincidence that Grand Ministry and Game Master share the same initials?
Anyway, sounds good.
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I'm reading through the other character sheets more completely now, and that is pretty funny. I'm also pretty sure this is going to be one of those situations where she's my favorite character and Silvia's least favorite one.
Imagine the extra delicious irony of Silvia learning an ability from the Flying Dutchman's Kindness, given that there is a heavy altruistic theme to the tale. Maybe it could even affect her negatively overall, such as disabling another one of her spells temporarily due to the essentially clashing stories. As if to make matters even worse, Wilhelmina would likely feel sorry for her and try to figure out how to make the whole thing work better.
Their opposition could be a really interesting side plot, given that they are basically the opposite both in Grimoire and personality.
I figure that Lucette, Bonnie and Wilhelmina would make for a good team! Or at least that is how I planned it in my mind. Come to think of it, do Magical Girls prefer to work alone or in teams? Because Wilhelmina is best when she is a part of one, due to her lack of offensive abilities.
Personality: A kind, warm girl raised by a loving family, Wilhelmina is easy to get along with. Despite her youth, she tends to take life in stride and with a certain sort of warmth. Make no mistake though: While she is an optimist who always gives people a chance, she is by no means naive. Should someone try to exploit her repeatedly, they will soon find themselves lacking her assistance along with her presence. She is also a voracious reader, a lover of stories who always has a book at hand.
On the flipside, Wilhelmina is very inexperienced. With only a year under her belt as a Grimoire Wielder, not to mention her peaceful upbringing, she finds the more frightening aspects of the Magical Girl World - such as the Pageless - difficult to stomach. She wears her heart on her sleeve, making her easy to read and manipulate to an extent. She also tells the truth most of the time, even when keeping her mouth shut or lying would serve her far better.
Opinion on the Ministry: Despite her bearing an Altered Legend, Wilhelmina finds the Ministry useful and she willingly cooperates with it. In fact, she is enrolled as a full student, one of the few of her kind to do so. She views it as an essential instution of support and is quite starry-eyed about it given her positive experinces so far. If only she did not have to fight the Pageless! But everything comes at a price, right?
The Netherlands is a nation with a proud naval history, which Wilhelmina's father seemed keen on maintaining. Having served as a sailor for nearly a decade before he found his wife, one of Wilhelmina's fondest memories is her sitting on her father's lap and listening to the stories of the sea. From the brave Odysseus who took twenty years to journey home through the legendary journey of Columbus and even the tale of the Flying Dutchman when she grew older, Wilhelmina loved them all. She also loved her fairy tales of course and her parents shared the duty of storyteller, alternating every other day.
Needless to say, she grew up in a loving household. Surrounded by older and younger siblings alike, she found herself supported where it counted and gently guided where she had to be. While her upbringing was by no means flawless, her parents gave it their all when it came to their children and it showed brilliantly with all of them. In the case of Wilhelmina, their care mainifested as excellence in all things literature, whether it be prose or poetry. Her successes came one after another; she even got accepted to a prestigious high school in a relatively remote location.
Saying her tearful goodbyes to her parents, Wilhelmina set out to live in the dormitories and immerse herself in the school's grand library. She set her sight on becoming a librarian, a professor of literature or perhaps even a great author herself, but fate would have other plans for her. For shortly after she set foot in the library she so wished to see, the Pageless struck.
Uncaring, unfeeling, horrible monstrosities, they started to devouring the library like a swarm of locusts. Ripping out page after page, destroying tome after tome, they cackled and danced as they destroyed humanity's greatest works while Wilhelmina stood, frozen in terror at their sight. This could not be happening, she thought. Why were they so cruel, she asked. Why did they not leave her beloved stories alone? It was unacceptable. She could not bear it. She wanted to defend these stories, to make sure they get passed on, just as her father passed his stories onto her and she would be willing to pay any price for that.
But nothing happened. All hope seemed to be lost as the Pageless flooded the premises until...
A brilliant pillar of light. Eight wings of gold. The choir of angels.
Magical Girl Lumiére had arrived. And as that dazzling figure fought against the relentless tide, something clicked within Wilhelmina's mind: she realised that no matter how deep the storm, no matter how dark the clouds... hope waited for her at the end. As though hearing this thought, her Grimoire Manifested in her hands, transforming her in a blinding show of light and colours. Her heart throbbing in her chest, the newly-born Magical Girl overcame her fear to stand beside Lumiére. With the older girl's experience and the younger girl's support, they managed to defeat the Pageless menace.
After that, Lumiére invited Wilhelmina into the Ministry, promising an explanation for everything that happened so far. Confused, lost and honestly curious, Wilhelmina accepted and she got moved to Britain under the guise of a scholarship; not a surprise given her general performance in the literary arts. This was one year ago and since then, she served as one of the Ministry's many Magical Girls.
Title: The Flying Dutchman's Kindness
Classification: Altered Legend
Description: The Flying Dutchman was a common tale amongst the sailors of the seventeenth century, with as many versions as the number of mouths that retold it. However, two elements remain consistent between all versions: the existence of a ghost ship cursed to forever wander the sea and the Cape of Good Hope being the place responsible for its tragedy.
In the most popular version, the Flying Dutchman is a vessel which got embroiled in a storm near the Cape of Good Hope. The captain swore that he would make it home "even if he had to sail until Judgement Day" and the Devil took him at his word. He cursed the captain to forever wander the seas along with his crew. However, an angel appeared before him, revealing how he might save his crew along with himself: Every seven years, the waves would bring him to shore. There, he would have to find a wife who remains true to him no matter the cost.
When he finally finds a hope for his salvation, the captain learns that the woman whose hand he sought in marriage, had been promised to another man. Succumbing to despair, he interprets this as a sign his curse would never end, so he and his crew return to his ship to sail the seas forevermore. But as Flying Dutchman leaves the harbour, his chosen wife swears eternal loyalty to him as she casts herself into the sea. Thus, the captain's redemption is earned: the Flying Dutchman, her crew and his wife ascend to heaven as one.
The Grimoire tells a much different story.
As written in The Flying Dutchman's Kindness, the captain is approached by one of his sailors, who has learned that his mother had been stricken with illness. Touched by the sailor's tale, the captain vows to make it home as soon as possible. He is even willing to brave the dangers posed by the Cape of Good Hope, which is also known as the Cape of Storms.
The other sailors are all too happy to get home again and merry tales fill the ship's hull as they leave port. They sail the seas with high hopes, however, they are struck by a terrible storm at the Cape of Good Hope - the very thing they wished to avoid. As the ship rolls, creaks and starts to shatter, the captain prays to God and His angels for salvation.
In his sincere prayer, he professes his foolishness and begs for the life of his sailors as he names all the prices he is willing to pay for their safety. An angel soaring in the heavens hears his prayer and just as the storm is about to rip the vessel into tiny pieces, just as a hope seems lost, the angel rescues them by lifting the ship out of water before delivering it to safe shores.
The angel delivers the price of his intervention: For seven hundred and seventy-seven years, the captain will have to wander the sea, saving seven sailors every day without fail. Humbled by the angel's appearance, the captain accepts the deal and swears an oath to live by it no matter the cost. The angel then ascends back to heaven as the storm dies down and the captain makes his way home - but he makes sure to fulfill his promise to the angel.
Since that day, he and his crew have saved countless sailors. Appearing as the faint light in the distance, they have guided many a ship to safety. They took mercy on the shipwrecked, rescued those trapped on uninhabited islands... even today, they continue to help the unfortunates of the world. For the captain shall never forget the kindness of God, nor will he ever forget his oath. He will faithfully accomplish his duty until his debt is repaid, whereupon he will take his rightful place by God's eternal throne.
Captain's Prayer: Locking her hands together and uttering a prayer to the Lord Himself, Wilhelmina calls upon His aid just as the captain did in her Grimoire's Legend. Unlike the Grimoire, however, the aid comes not in the form of an angel, but in the form of a blessing that she may convey to any ally or herself. Capable of healing all wounds and ailments, whether they be physical, mental or spiritual, its potency is only limited by how much magic she pours into it.
Captain's Oath: Whenever one of Wilhelmina's allies swears to accomplish a goal, she can choose to bestow a blessing on them by calling upon the captain's goodwill and determination. In turn, the captain smiles upon them, granting a pinch of good luck, an increase of skill and a general increase in power to the person in question. The blessing lasts for as long as Wilhelmina maintains it and she may bestow it to a maximum of three people at this time, with each blessing taking a toll on her magic reserves.
The Flying Dutchman's Crew: Much like the blessed captain of her Grimoire, Wilhelmina does not act alone. She is capable of summoning a maximum of five spectral sailors, all dressed in fine livery and appearing almost completely human. Veterans of countless years, they follow her commands to the best of their abilities, which are beyond that of any mortal man. Should the need arise, they can also summon magical muskets into their hand to deal with Wilhelmina's enemies.
Aaaand done with the edit! I reworded some sections, finished her backstory, decreased the amount of her powers and hopefully made them more in theme with the Legend itself. Have at it!
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