Villamvihar

Grimoiric Heart

@Ponn Come to think of it, how large is Thyerg? Would Wilhelmina's sailors be able to find steady footing on him to pelt the Pageless with their bullets from afar?

Grimoiric Heart

The Pageless loomed high in the sky. Like a titan or a giant of mythical origin riding a cloud, it hid itself in the folds of darkness that now patterned the skies, far away from the reach of... well, Wilhelmina. Though the Magical Girl boasted quite a bit of power, she had not figured out how to make herself fly or if she even could fly, which presented quite the dilemma: either she remained here, vulnerable and unable to help her allies or she would have to impose on one of them. But which one could she inconvenience freely?

Lumiére could not be it, as she needed her mobility in order to fight effectively. An extra body would just weigh her down and make her more clumsy and even if the magical girl could fight fine with it, that would likely not be enough against an opponent of this size. Likewise, she could not make herself easily at home on Nessie's broom, as it looked quite fragile. Which meant that only one option could transport her reliably.

The realisation almost made Wilhelmina drop her focus.

She swallowed as she felt her comrades take up oaths one by one - even Olivia, so she could move her power to her in case the ethereal maiden required it - pouring her magic into the bonds between them, letting her blessing flow free exactly like the warm, golden glow radiating from her. Not just on the outside, but on the inside as well, the story along with the characters of her grimoire making up for the shortcomings she knew she had. The dread she felt when she looked at the distorted form of Olivia's summon being chief amongst them in this case.

"Y-y-y-es, y-you're fine," Wilhelmina responded to Olivia's question, trying to put a brave front on as always. It did not succeed. "Y-your oaths are all good. I can only give it to three p-people a-at a time, s-so... Thyerg'll be the one to recieve it! B-but oh! D-don't worry, if y-you're in danger, I-I'll be able to shift it over to you, so you won't get hurt as easily and your power will rise and you can do m-more t-things and ohgodI'mrambling." Frankly speaking, the thought of having to ride on Thyerg made her shiver, the very idea lancing into her soul with a cold, serrated edge. She would have much preferred if she could get slowly used to the creature's appearance along with the disturbing feelings it left with her over time, but they were pressed for time. And the option of abandoning her team-mates never even crossed her mind.

The golden magical girl took a deep breath, her blessing fluctuating as she calmed her emotions. Metaphorical hands digging into the story of her grimoire, she found solace in the fact that even the Cape of Storms could be peaceful, that all storms along with ailments would eventually end. With this thought, she steeled her heart.

"Okay. Okay!" Her determination wobbled, yet remained upright. "I'm ready, so let's go!" With her eyes refusing to look at Thyerg'Xolys, it took a while for her to find appropriate handles on his skin. Even then, she could not bring herself to grip the flesh completely tight, the sensation of it under her fingers proving more than enough to remind her of what she rode on despite her best intentions. Fortunately, she had allies to keep track of, with her powers being best at healing along with support, however, her hesitation did prove to be her downfall.

A gust of wind swept her off her perch and for a moment, Wilhelmina felt weightless. Helpless. Buffeted by fierce winds which always raged up here, catching her clothes in a gale. Her scream stolen away from her in a cacophony of noise. Eyes closing as she felt gravity make its inevitable claim. The ground closing in on her like a relentless wall. Moments of her life flashing before her eyes, even her connections shattering for a split second as chilling terror turned her veins into ice. Eyes closed, reaching out in desperation for something, anything that could help her survive this.

She found something.

Even as Thyerg reached back for Wilhelmina with his horrid tendrils, the winds around her resonated with an aspect of her Grimoire, responding to her will. The winds, which had been intent on tormenting her skin just a second before, became docile, then gathered beneath her in a supporting cushion to give her rescuer a crucial moment of still waters, so to speak. And even though she lost the feeling when the squirming tentacles grasped her and pulled her back, the golden magical girl's heart remembered it vividly as it echoed with the very same beat that she felt when she first got her powers.

Of course, the things which now wrapped around her body to keep her secure, gave Wilhelmina a more... immediate concern to think and shriek about.

"I-I really, really, REALLY a-appreciate y-y-your protection, but c-c-couldn't you d-d-do it in a l-less c-creepy way?!" She shouted at the top of her lungs, clearly distressed at the prospect of being gripped by Thyerg's unsavory appendages. "I-it's i-i-i-i- u-unpleasant! I-I-I wish I could summon a s-ship for real!" Naturally, it only took a split second for Wilhelmina to realise she was being ungrateful towards her comrades and hung her head, making sure to close her eyes lest she give herself another reason to heighten her heart rate.

"S-sorry. I-I... u-ummm... E-even if it's unpleasant you're s-still a good... man? I-I will apologise properly later, but Pageless first, p-please!" Goodness, this was going to be such a strange fight.

Grimoiric Heart

I plan on posting for Wilhelmina tomorrow. Unless she dies of a heart attack because of Xolys. Then I will hold her funeral~

Grimoiric Heart

Who will solve the storm Pageless' mystery first. I wonder.

@TheWendil

Clearly, I should be the one. My profile picture proves it.

Grimoiric Heart

@Villamvihar

I know Goodhope would be very reluctant to do so, but since the latest GM post has her deciding to be carried by Xolys, is it okay to assume she just pushed through her fear?

Just wondering, since I'm working on an Olivia post and I wasn't sure how to word things.

@Ponn

She is probably praying with her eyes closed or something along those lines, but yeah, she could overcome her fear / distaste.

Grimoiric Heart

Given she’s primarily a support Magical Girl, I think the first ability would be better for her development. It can manifest in small ways in this encounter and become a skill she slowly works on developing, maybe even making it more offensive along the way.

@TheWendil

That does sound good. I will probably have it show up as minor effects during the fight, maybe even just as much as her clearing up the storm completely before the girls vanquish the giant Pageless.

<Snipped quote by TheWendil>

I am not Lumière, nor Lumiere, I am a lurker.

@Izurich

You, sir, are a horrible lurker. I CAN SEE YOU.

Grimoiric Heart

@Villamvihar

I'm fine with this, though what power do you have in mind.

@TheWendil

I am not one hundred percent sure yet; still brainstorming ideas. The possibilities that come to mind are the following two:

1) The ability to influence weather, more specifically the creation and cessation of storms and clouds. Her allies would be boosted in the areas she controls and suffer no ill effects from the weather. They would be able to see through fog, ignore heavy winds and such for example, as long as Wilhelmina maintains control.

2) An ability that lets her rescue her allies if they are in danger, probably something like a simulacrum of her appearing and pulling them aside in the last moment, or teleporting away with them to a safe place nearby.

Both would be appropriate for her myth; the first one because of the prominent role of the Cape of Storms and the latter because it is very much in sync with the mission the captain is given and how he is rescued by an angel at the last moment.

Grimoiric Heart

Hmmm. After writing my post, I just realised this could be a really thematic scene for Wilhelmina to learn a new power. It is a sudden storm after all, and depending on how severe it turns out, it could be very much in theme with her myth. What say you, fellow players and GMs?

Grimoiric Heart

Wilhelmina Anholts

Wilhelmina listened closely to Lucette's explanation, going over it in her head as the older grimoire wielder talked. It sounded quite profound, especially as she held her hand out to show how the Sun's light cast a shadow and how that translated metaphorically into the Pageless, however, was it truly the case? Young she might have been, but Wilhelmina had her own thoughts about the monsters along with what they represented. Going for a symbolic light and darkness dynamic certainly felt valid, save for one question: What of magical girls, then? If humanity's stories were light, then they did not fit into the picture.

Perhaps another explanation could be found. Neither hers, nor the older girl's seemed to fit the picture completely and Wilhelmina had to admit, despite her expertise in various narratives, she only had a schoolgirl's knowledge about most other matters. So maybe the question would prove itself too difficult to answer regardless of all effort expended.

Regardless of the young blonde's many thoughts and feelings, Lucette moved on to explain a rather peculiar Pageless in response to Olivia's question. Normally, Wilhelmina would shrink from such things, but this one did pique her interest as Lucette explained it. It reflected exactly the nature of the experienced veteran's explanation about the Pageless being a reflection. After all, she fought her metaphorical reflection in that place, only to be rescued by her admittedly dangerous move. A very fine example of what she talked about, now that Wilhelmina thought about it.

"It's exactly like your explanation about the Pageless!" She noted with a smile when the older girl finished her story. "It was literally your reflection. Well, dressed in black and all creepy, but it was your reflection." She let out a light laughter as she figured it out. "I wonder why it disappeared once you detransformed though. I mean, it's great that it did, but if it is a reflection, it doesn't make any sense, does it? Maybe... maybe because it makes for a good story? I see this a lot in fantasy stories. You know, when the hero has to face their evil reflection! Or their own doubts disguised as their evil reflection. It's a really nice story element, because it makes you think."

Indeed. And while it was risky, exactly as Olivia pointed out, detransforming solved the problem, so all turned out right in the end. Exactly like in most stories: Then they lived happily ever after.

However, before she could share her insight into this, Wilhelmina felt a chill down her spine... and she was not the only one as the skies darkened. The clouds gathered. Rain fell, thunder blossoming close to the chest of foreboding messengers before it spread itself out as lightning, illuminating the skies. Almost as though it wished to spell out a message, it echoed within the hearts of the girls around her, pulsing with something all too familiar. Something that towered over them with an evil glint in its eyes and made Wilhelmina freeze in her tracks as she caught its glimpse.

Even on the best of days, she did not like the Pageless. But this truly went beyond the pale. Even though she could only see a fraction of it, her blood felt as though it turned into poisoned icicles. Her spine threatened to crack itself into pieces. Her throat wrapped around its own diaphragm to choke her. She felt as though she could not breathe, her ribs along with her lungs rigid. Filled with terror.

Olivia - and Thyerg'Xolis, as much as she hated to admit it - snapped her out of it.

"R-right! T-thank you!" Wilhelmina could not hide her pale face along with her trembling hands even if she tried, but she gathered all of her courage and reached for her power. Holding close to herself the hope along with the message of her story, she made it real as golden light blossomed around her, reaching out with its gentle rays to banish the evil. The skies ligthened ever-so-slightly due to her influence, almost as though hope peeked from behind the rumbling clouds.

"O-oaths, p-please! J-just swear on something or swear to do something and I can bless you!" Trying to ignore the uncertainty in her hands, Wilhelmina brought them to her chest to gather her power, then give it over to her allies. For even if fear ran in her veins, even if the dark skies threatened to overtake the lost and forgotten... Captain Goodhope would stand tall against the waves.

Innocence Lost - A Science Fantasy RP [v.03]

Qingdao used to be a peaceful planet on the frontiers. Just a few years ago, the Ascendancy treated it as one would treat an oyster capable of making a great pearl down the line, but war had a way of interfering with one's plans. Not to mention one's life.

Because, against all odds - or precisely because it had wished to stack the deck so much in its own favour - the Ascendancy lost. It only took one measly battle for the tide to turn, one chance for those who had been used as tools to turn against their masters and the dreams of human supremacy evaporated. Along with any other plans. And after that, the peace treaty struck harsh, levying penalties that left the government scrambling. Retreating into its shell. Abandoning its investments along with some of its responsibilities, it turned inwards to recover from its losses, abandoning the frontier worlds to fend for themselves.

Or at least so the people of Qingdao believed.

There were many variations on the tale; probably as many as there were people on the planet. But the sentiment remained the same: the Ascendancy's high-and-mighty core-worlders, those who wielded all the power and prestige in the world, abandoned the common people. This was then, a tale all too common through history, for as several philosophers have noted, wars are fought by spilling the blood of young men on the battlefield in order to appease the bloodlust of old men sitting behind a desk. And for Shineyd, nothing could have been better about the situation. After all, not only did she get to crack the head of some assholes, she also got paid for it.

Speaking of... The thing beneath her feet writhed in pain as it attempted to move.

"Oh. You're still alive," Shineyd spoke as though she were talking about the weather. "Really should've told me earlier. I could've killed you and saved you the pain!" She aimed her pistol. Toggled the safety. Let loose a shot which echoed through the ruined building, the sound carrying outside and alerting the rest of the idiots she came here for. They would be scrambling to their feet at any moment now, ready to turn the intruder into a sieve of bullets, but Shineyd refused to move from her position. A position which lay open on all sides, with plenty of cover for her enemies. She knew she would be riddled with bullets within seconds and die if she were any other soldier. But Shineyd spat at that notion.

A hail of bullet fire rained onto her within minutes, but most of it sparked instead of penetrating her form. For instead of yielding meat, the bullets encountered a layered, grotesque combination of flesh and metal, plates merged with cords of muscles that would not be out of place on titans. Even if a few bullets did manage to penetrate this unorthodox armour, Shineyd kept her mouth clenched so they would not hear her scream, appearing like a juggernaut in the eyes of her enemy.

Three seconds later, Shineyd moved.

She felt her magic drain as she controlled her hellish shell, manipulating the mass to launch her like a crossbow bolt. Smashing feet-first into the ribcage of her enemy, she felt the pathetic human body yield beneath her oh-so gentle touch, then she sprayed her foes with her assault rifle.

They fell like wheat before the scythe. Though they wore bulletproof vests, they could not protect all of their body and Shineyd did not care how many bullets she wasted. She aimed to injure as many as possible, causing them to drop their weapons or fall back before she parted her shell and rushed forward.

Her second victim got his throat eviscerated. Her third shot her, but she shook it off and blew a hole through her skull. Her fourth dove behind the carcass Shineyd left behind; the red-haired merely maniac touched it and commanded it to impale him with a spike. The fifth and last victim pissed himself before she shattered his shin with a kick that had extra mass behind it, then stomped on his head with a satisfying splat.

Five people killed within about twice as many heartbeats.

Shineyd took cover before she let out an explosive breath. Shifting spells in such rapid succession left her strained; she needed a few seconds to recover before she could be at her full fighting strength again and there were three more fireteams for her to handle judging by the directions of attack. She had to be at the top of her game, so she listened closely; one of the quirks of her regeneration was that her hearing also restored to normal within an eyeblink. Extremely useful in battle, but also extremely annoying as it meant she had to get used to gunfire again.

A few seconds later, she could hear the characteristic, thundering steps that came with people sprinting in heavy equipment. Shineyd really had to give them credit: they reacted quicker than she got used to. Or maybe her fame already spread far enough that people could handle this much. Time to show them a new trick, then~

Concentrating her armour around her most vital areas, Shineyd broke into a sprint towards her opponents. Naturally, they opened fire, but she sank her teeth into her lips and drew blood; forcing herself to remain silent as she endured their torturous assault. A rain of white-hot, serrated agony which threatened to tear her apart. A symphony of bullets which blasted through muscle and bone alike, digging deep into her being, but never able to completely punch through, for the ever-rejuvenating flesh would not let it.

The pain rocked Shineyd's world, but she remained conscious as she pushed forward, diving deep into the formation. Most of the gunfire stopped to prevent friendly fire as she deliberately moved behind one of the soldiers, who tried to pump her full of bullets. If only his magazine did not click empty, he might have been able to scratch her a little.

Reaching for his knife, the soldier attempted to intercept her, but Shineyd sped past. She needed a second to clear her head, to be able to focus, so she zig-zagged between the people around her, forcing them to risk killing or injuring each other if they wanted to hit her. Her lungs burned with exhaustion; she could only keep this up for a couple of seconds, but that was all she needed to bring forth her ace in the hole.

The soldiers around her turned into red mist. The ground ceased to exist beneath her feet and she fell about a metre. The moment of her hanging in air turned into a stretched-out eternity as she felt her magic scream bloody murder, along with the knowledge in the back of her mind that she could have killed herself with that spell. It always made her break out in cold sweat, but she relished it and she landed smooth on her legs before she sprinted towards the edge of the crater she had carved for herself.

She had gotten used to Maws of Charybdis a long time ago. It was still not a pleasant experience by any means, nor could she use it again for a while unless she wanted to risk ripping her skin and insides open. But if she were just a little lucky, she would have eliminated all of her pursuers. Unfortunately, twelve remained. Fortunately, they froze in shock as they saw their comrades evaporate, giving her ample time to kill three of them before they opened fire at her.

Shineyd took the pain head on and let hideous laughter escape her lips. There was still so much fun to be had...