A Galaxy of Stars [IC]

[Vagabond422]

It all happened practically simultaneously. If someone could see it all at once they'd know the big picture, but anyone else would be forgiven for thinking that a good chunk of the Canyon had suddenly exploded in unrelated incidents of crazy.
@Simpli, @Vagabond422, @SplicedHunter

At that point, the cops were arriving, and on the way there they could see sparks of magic energy flying from a nearby side street, so they poured it on. They were impossible to ignore, really, and it was definitely time for Joan and Auriane to motor, especially as another guy bolted out of the store like a man possessed. They all had somewhere else to be right now.

Their path meant they roared past Callisto,too, sirens wailing. Something was going way wrong - for Callisto it was a sign to either get in the fight or look for some kind of advantage.

Click to shrink...

@Simpli
Joan's hand gripped her sword, the sound of her ancestors chanting in her mind. She saw the man rushing towards her, and Auriane. Shrugging off her HEMA bag from her left shoulder, a soft blue glow began to emanate from the mouth of the scabbard. Just as she began to draw the shining steel, the man passed her by, moving as if he had somewhere else to be.

In the distance sirens wailed, and flashes of magic burst but, they were not where she was, not in the crowded mall were only she and Auriane could intervene.

With the forceful move Joan slammed her blade back into its sheath, she would not draw it this day. A sigh of relief left the swordswoman's chest, the tension being released. In one motion she picked up her bag and took the horned girl's hand.

"See, the cops are here they should be able handle whatever is going on." With a weak smile she began to pull Auriane out of the store and away from danger, avoiding the fight that was taking place just a little bit away.

'You cannot walk away now.' Serithtial rebuked, 'can you not see the threat those men pose.'

'I can see it, it is just not my problem.' Joan mentally replied,

'You bring shame upon your name, upon my name, upon...'

'I get it I'm a disgrace...but, I never asked for any of this...I just want to get on with my life.'

'This is your life, you Aunt gave her life for this, your ancestors shed blood. Why do you hesitate, even when innocent are threatened right in front of your eyes.'

'Because I have other things to worry about…' the girl looked to the ground not wanting to look anymore on the scene outside

'I sense your fear,' the blade continued, though with a softer tone, 'you cannot hide it from me...what is there to be afraid of...your skills with a blade while rough are sufficient, you have your aunt's strength and a mind sharper than even my edge...with all these talents no threat is too great yet you hide away, tell me why?'

Joan's breathing shortened coming out in short bursts, her brown eyes tearing themselves from the floor and falling on her classmate, and the people behind her, the civilians that would be hurt if anything went wrong…

'I don't want to be held responsible...what if I screw up, what if people get hurt though my actions…'

'So you would let them be hurt by your inaction?'

'That is not my problem...that is someone else's. It is their fault someone got hurt not mine. I don't want innocent blood on my hands.'

'Whether you act or not blood will be shed, the only question is how much, a trickle or a flood. This is not an easy truth to learn but it is one you must...Taking up the blade is a heavy burden but, someone must, someone must be the sword in the darkness. That duty has fallen to you.'

'This burden was forced on me,' a sneer formed on Joan's face in the real world, the one outside of her mental argument with the weapon at her hip. 'I never sought it out.'

'Did I have a choice in my creation, did I have a choice of my form…' Serithtial's counterpoint wounding as if the blade itself had struck Joan, 'yet I serve my purpose. There are things we have no choice in, the whims of fate are cruel but, if we deny them we bring only more pain for ourselves and others around us.'

"Come on, let's go this isn't our fight." Joan said tugging on Auriane's arm, the fear causing her voice to quiver. She hoped that the girl from another world would go along, would leave this for others to handle. The swordswoman didn't want to choose, between the responsibility she desperately wanted to avoid, and keeping her friend safe.

 

[Simpli]

"Come on, let's go this isn't our fight." Joan said tugging on Auriane's arm, the fear causing her voice to quiver. She hoped that the girl from another world would go along, would leave this for others to handle. The swordswoman didn't want to choose, between the responsibility she desperately wanted to avoid, and keeping her friend safe.

Click to shrink...

Following her classmate out of the room, the horned girl merely quirked an eyebrow as the police car raced past them, her eyes darting back to the blonde at her side and then to the vehicle – musing about the question if a such accelerated vehicle wasn't more dangerous to the shoppers around here, than the magical energy spilling out of the next street. With a small surprised gasp she stepped to the side as someone from the shop barrelled past them in fright – or was it panic? She wasn't completely sure yet and gave Joan a searching look…

…only to take a small step to the side a bit startled as her second friend on the planet was grasping the hilt of her sword. Turning her eyes back to the running man, she could only let out a small sigh as he ran past them and the faint sound of the sword sliding back into its scabbard reached her ears – and some stiffness left her body as the faint glow of the weapon disappeared as well. Letting out a small barely audible sigh of relief, she turned to watch the local guardsmen mobilize and head towards the fight that had broken out only a street further down. More impressive than at her 'home' if you wanted to call the sleepy village that, but who knew how they were equipped to deal with such things?

Feeling the hand holding hers tug her forward, Auriane looked into Joans face – which was bearing the weird mix of being deep in thought – as well as being part of a conversation that the horned girl wasn't privy to herself. Glancing down at the sword again, she could only guess what the century old sword was trying to talk her classmate into this time…the sneer on the blondes otherwise friendly face was enough of an indication either way. Of course, when the blonde recoiled as if slapped by something the sword had said and her chest was rising and falling quite too quickly and unsteady to give her any peace. The red eyed girl quickly grasped the hand holding her own and gave it a warm comforting squeeze:

"Joan?", tilting her head just a tad to look into those frightened brown eyes, she tries to give a comforting smile, saying softly: "Shopping doesn't always end up like this, does it? All this sounds and sirens are a bit scary, aren't they? I'm glad you are here, it would be quite terribly distressing without you having my hand.", she said with a small smile, trying to calm down her classmate before she went into a full-blown panic attack. Thus, she looked towards the man that had just ran past them, saying partly for a certain swords benefit:

"Shouldn't we look after the man who ran past us just now? I mean – he does look like he is panicking and it would be remiss to have him run into another danger while the guardsman are taking care of the fight in the other street and as we aren't fully trained yet, we would only get into the way of any serious fight, wouldn't we?"​

 

[SplicedHunter]

It all happened practically simultaneously. If someone could see it all at once they'd know the big picture, but anyone else would be forgiven for thinking that a good chunk of the Canyon had suddenly exploded in unrelated incidents of crazy.

@Simpli, @Vagabond422, @SplicedHunter

At that point, the cops were arriving, and on the way there they could see sparks of magic energy flying from a nearby side street, so they poured it on. They were impossible to ignore, really, and it was definitely time for Joan and Auriane to motor, especially as another guy bolted out of the store like a man possessed. They all had somewhere else to be right now.

Their path meant they roared past Callisto,too, sirens wailing. Something was going way wrong - for Callisto it was a sign to either get in the fight or look for some kind of advantage.

Click to shrink...

When Callisto heard the sirens going off nearby, she checked the time. About twenty minutes. That sounds about right for something else to start. Well, there's no time like the present to try and find an edge. Callisto decided to look around the shop for anything that had enchantments, and maybe had some physical weight to it.

 

[Vagabond422]

Following her classmate out of the room, the horned girl merely quirked an eyebrow as the police car raced past them, her eyes darting back to the blonde at her side and then to the vehicle – musing about the question if a such accelerated vehicle wasn't more dangerous to the shoppers around here, than the magical energy spilling out of the next street. With a small surprised gasp she stepped to the side as someone from the shop barrelled past them in fright – or was it panic? She wasn't completely sure yet and gave Joan a searching look…

…only to take a small step to the side a bit startled as her second friend on the planet was grasping the hilt of her sword. Turning her eyes back to the running man, she could only let out a small sigh as he ran past them and the faint sound of the sword sliding back into its scabbard reached her ears – and some stiffness left her body as the faint glow of the weapon disappeared as well. Letting out a small barely audible sigh of relief, she turned to watch the local guardsmen mobilize and head towards the fight that had broken out only a street further down. More impressive than at her 'home' if you wanted to call the sleepy village that, but who knew how they were equipped to deal with such things?

Feeling the hand holding hers tug her forward, Auriane looked into Joans face – which was bearing the weird mix of being deep in thought – as well as being part of a conversation that the horned girl wasn't privy to herself. Glancing down at the sword again, she could only guess what the century old sword was trying to talk her classmate into this time…the sneer on the blondes otherwise friendly face was enough of an indication either way. Of course, when the blonde recoiled as if slapped by something the sword had said and her chest was rising and falling quite too quickly and unsteady to give her any peace. The red eyed girl quickly grasped the hand holding her own and gave it a warm comforting squeeze:

"Joan?", tilting her head just a tad to look into those frightened brown eyes, she tries to give a comforting smile, saying softly: "Shopping doesn't always end up like this, does it? All this sounds and sirens are a bit scary, aren't they? I'm glad you are here, it would be quite terribly distressing without you having my hand.", she said with a small smile, trying to calm down her classmate before she went into a full-blown panic attack. Thus, she looked towards the man that had just ran past them, saying partly for a certain swords benefit:

"Shouldn't we look after the man who ran past us just now? I mean – he does look like he is panicking and it would be remiss to have him run into another danger while the guardsman are taking care of the fight in the other street and as we aren't fully trained yet, we would only get into the way of any serious fight, wouldn't we?"​

Click to shrink...

"No," Joan replied quickly, almost snapping at Auriane, she took a breath before continuing. "Not usually, most of the time, we'd just have fun, find some new clothes and go back home." Though magic had a habit of throwing an infinite number of monkey wrenches, into any plan one could create. "Then again, we might have picked a wrong day to do this. I mean we knew that there were suspicious activities in this area." She shook her head, it wasn't helpful to focus on the past. Now they had to leave.

She gave a few glaces between space the man was and her classmate. Was she suggesting that they follow him...wasn't he involved with the criminals, that's why he left right?

"I don't think that guy is our problem, he's probably with these troublemakers we've heard about." Her uncertainty was in her voice but, she was keeping herself from thinking on it too much. If this guy fell into the middle of a shootout between the cops and bad guys that was his fault...wasn't it. She wasn't being callous, it was just common sense, you don't go near a magic flinging showdown between the authorities, and those that do ill.

"You're right, we'd just get in the way, let's get going."

She spared one more look down the path the man took, the sounds of magic and battle echoed in the distance. The words still lingered in her mind.

'Whether you act or not blood will be shed, the only question is how much, a trickle or a flood.'

She scrunched her face turning to walk away from the scene, then turned towards it…

Just this once, she would move towards danger, just to make sure that man was a criminal, was someone she should leave for someone else.

"Stay close." Joan said pulling Auriane behind her with her left hand, while keeping her hand near Serithtial. "We're just checking on the guy ok, nothing more."

 

[munchkinomatic]

Vanessa sprung forth with surprising alacrity, ice built up around her feet, forming a frozen platform that carried the Luminary forward.

The Silence of Frost plowed through the braver goons like a frenzied bull aw she home in upon the runners. Her hand reached out to seize their necks, denying both blood and air to their brains.

 

[Vagabond422]

@Simpli
Joan continued to follow the man, from a discreet distance, she thought. One hand was wrapped around Auriane's, the other near her Serithtial, just in case. They moved through the alleys and streets until they reached the epicenter of the magic, of the conflict. A place Joan didn't want to be. She stopped moving forward, urging her classmate to follow. She saw the man turning heading willingly towards the showdown between the cops, the students and the criminals. In the fray the swordswoman noted two other girls already fighting with the men magical weapons at their sides. She's seen what she needed to, this man wasn't innocent, wasn't a civilian just running away from something.

Joan tried to turn, to make a move to run away until she saw the man turn to face her, surprise on his face. He noted the sword, the shining magical blade on the girl's hip. The man charged at her, eyes still wide. He was just scared, like her. She didn't want to hurt him, but, he was threatening her, and Auriane. She had to do something.

Her eyes look over the man running at her, noting his movements, his stance, as if he was her opponent at a match. His body was leaned forward shoulders lowered. She also got a hint of tobacco, a smoker? Maybe, she'd have to take it.

In a flash her hand, tensed to draw her blade, wrapped around the hilt of Serithtial, her ancestors shouting in her mind. She drew the blade, but, not fully. Her intent was to slam the pommel of her sword just under his sternum, looking to knock the wind out of him. The eerie blue glow of the blade shone on her eyes, shined from her hip. She didn't want to kill him, just make him stop.

Her movements were too rushed, or maybe she was worried about Auriane. Either way her attack failed to connect, the man stepped out of the way at just the last moment. This distance allowed her fully draw the magical blade, the blue glow enveloping length of the edge. Instantly she took her stance, having to let go of the horned girl's hand. Her feet were a shoulder width apart, her shoulders brought forward blade held close to her right shoulder.

Posta de Donna. Her favored of the stances from the Flower of Battle.

"Back off." she shouted hoping that the spectical would frighten him more, scare him away. All the while she kept herself between Auriane and the man, protecting her classmate.

Vagabond422 threw 2 6-faced dice. Reason: Immaculate Strike (+3) Total: 3

 

[Hoshino Yumemi]

@Vagabond422 @Simpli

(That's a three, plus your three bonus...oh dear. 6, you just missed out. Least you get a bonus XP for failing a roll. Hilariously, because your Body stat gives you a couple points of Armor, that attack does absolutely diddly to you.)

The thugs responded by freezing in place...then laughing. It was no way to introduce herself, but it sure got their attention.

...a little too well, actually. They raised their magic devices and responded by returning fire, saturating the spot where Joan stood with angry flashes of green energy. It looked like the world's most claustrophobic tokusatsu filming.

(@munchkinomatic Is that last reply an attack? If it is, go ahead and give me what kind of attack you want to use it for.

@SplicedHunter Gimme a quick Mind roll to see if Callisto finds something usable.)

Hoshino Yumemi threw 1 4-faced dice. Reason: Returning Fire Total: 1

 

[SplicedHunter]

@Vagabond422 @Simpli

(That's a three, plus your three bonus...oh dear. 6, you just missed out. Least you get a bonus XP for failing a roll. Hilariously, because your Body stat gives you a couple points of Armor, that attack does absolutely diddly to you.)

The thugs responded by freezing in place...then laughing. It was no way to introduce herself, but it sure got their attention.

...a little too well, actually. They raised their magic devices and responded by returning fire, saturating the spot where Joan stood with angry flashes of green energy. It looked like the world's most claustrophobic tokusatsu filming.

(@munchkinomatic Is that last reply an attack? If it is, go ahead and give me what kind of attack you want to use it for.

@SplicedHunter Gimme a quick Mind roll to see if Callisto finds something usable.)

Click to shrink...

Callisto continued looking through the shop for anything she could use in the antique shop. Hopefully she could get her hands on something that ws useful on short notice.

SplicedHunter threw 2 6-faced dice. Reason: Mind +8 Total: 9

 

[Hoshino Yumemi]

(Let's see, given your Mind score, that makes for a total of 8, which is a regular pass, so...)

Callisto's eyes fell on something that felt faint on weight, but absolutely shone with magic.

They looked like knuckledusters, and were kept in a wooden lockbox that displayed them in cutouts of velvet. It sang with energy, it actually felt like it'd be quite dangerous. It looked old, too. These were definitely antiques, definitely magic.

Definitely angry.

 

[SplicedHunter]

(Let's see, given your Mind score, that makes for a total of 8, which is a regular pass, so...)

Callisto's eyes fell on something that felt faint on weight, but absolutely shone with magic.

They looked like knuckledusters, and were kept in a wooden lockbox that displayed them in cutouts of velvet. It sang with energy, it actually felt like it'd be quite dangerous. It looked old, too. These were definitely antiques, definitely magic.

Definitely angry.

Click to shrink...

That'll work. Callisto decided to grab the knuckle dusters, and put them on. She started leaving, and told the store owner, "I'll pay for these later!"
Once she got out, she started running towards where the fight was going on.

 

[Simpli]

Holding on to her friends' hand, not sure just what the plan was now: running away – running towards it – ignoring the sword or following it? Stumbling after Joan and nearly losing their purchases, she moved into the alley way and kept herself pressed against the wall, unsure of what to do. Peeking past the wall a little, following Joans example, she flinched ever so lightly as she saw the fight in the middle of the street, pulling back quickly as her heart hammered in her chest, her hands clenching around the bags she had taken. Letting out a small scream as the man they had followed suddenly turned around and charged at them, she felt her legs giving away, falling backwards on her tush as Joan pushed herself forward to shield her.

Wincing and looking to the side as Joan drew the sword of her family – even only slightly- she gasped and waited for any sound of battle to come…. which didn't actually happen as she looked back just in time to see her friend miss the man by a margin, the sword pommel failing to connect and instead allowing Joan the draw the sword fully…

…at which Auriane went stiff as a board for a moment, hopefully without Joan noticing how she stared at the sword in pure terror for a long moment, unable to move even as her classmate went into position to protect her. Of course, the laughter that rose up a few moments later was sinister enough to push her out of her trance again, the horned girl scrambling up and shielding her eyes just in time to see Joan become the target of a true storm of magical energy, rushing towards her and filling the world with green flashes.

Her eyes wide, the girl pushed her hands out, calling to the magic that was her own, wanting to get rid of the thugs just as dearly as she wanted to help Joan, gathering her Will and picturing one of the dragons that were so popular in the local culture, trying to conjure the illusion of one, readying itself to break fire and flame onto the thugs – hopefully making them flee!​

Simpli threw 2 6-faced dice. Reason: Magical Illusion: Roll + M 2 Total: 4