Big Fish, Big Pond

Winning Vote:
[] Wait, you're low on rice and cooking oil again. Grocery shopping it is.


You weren't in a drinking mood, and you're not hungry enough to want to stop by a fast food joint for a bite to eat. You'll just head home and cook something simple to deal with any peckishness--

"Wait." you pause, and grimace. "Damn it, I think I'm low on rice and cooking oil again."

"Grocery shopping it is." the big guy nods. "C'mon. You can take the front seat while the stooges are still squabbling for it."

You do so, skipping past the pair and settling into the comfortable seat with a sigh of relief. Mellow and Jacques eventually see you and take the back seats with no small amount of grumbling, shutting up when Tyriel shoots them a look through the rear-view mirror. You stifle a giggle as the car starts and rumbles into the night.

You settle into your seat, watching the view as Tyriel turns on the bluetooth and plays something corny enough to get Jacques complaining, which prompts Mellow to badly sing along to the lyrics just to piss off the Gallian even more. You watch the same old routine unfold off the reflection of your window, snickering at Jacques' misfortune when Tyriel joins Mellow's singing with his deep baritone. You don't mind this chaos; its a good way to get your mind back into a civilian setting and you've long since gotten used to it by now anyway.

You wonder sometimes, how your family is doing back home. Your exile is still in effect for another thirteen years, and there's only so much you can convey with calls and messages. You're grateful that you can still talk to your family, really… but there's no beating a true face-to-face conversation.

How were they, really? What weren't they telling you, minding that the UBC is monitoring contact between you and them?

These familiar thoughts and worries echo in your mind as Tyriel drives into Lunaria proper, merging and splitting from the late-night traffic and following the long-memorized route to Junior's Bar. The vehicle rounds a corner and slows a stop, long enough for Jacques to step out.

"Don't stay out drinking too long, you hear?" you tell him. "We've still got classes tomorrow."

"I know, I know." he nods. "Just a few shots and I'll be headed home."

"You better." you mock-glare at him as he waves goodbye and trundles towards the bar. You sigh once you're sure he's out of earshot. "He's gonna come in hung over, isn't he?"

"He's a grown man, Cali. Let him deal with the consequences when they catch up to him." Tyriel assures you, revving the car and continuing his drive. He peeks up at the rear-view mirror, looking at Mellow. "Where's that convenience store again, Mellow? Fleet Street?"

"Yep. New place, just opened like a month ago." he confirms, nodding. "Down the road past the usual coffee joint, has a big ass lit sign. Can't miss it."

True to his word, the store is indeed difficult to miss, and Tyriel parks right in front of it.

"I'll wait in the car. Here," he presents you with a wad of cash. "Buy me something sweet, okay?"

"Sure thing!" you smile, opening your door as Mellow opens his. "Anything specific?"

"I'm feeling… fruity." the big guy hums. "Gimme those, uh, jelly candies."

You can't stop the giggle at his seemingly childish choice of sweets, but you don't judge; everyone has a sweet tooth.

The store doors swing open easily, revealing Mellow with a shopping basket in the crook of his elbow. You raise a brow at him.

"Figured I might as well do some shopping of my own while we're here." he shrugs. "C'mon, we can share a basket."

You quirk a brow, but follow him anyway; you weren't going to carry more stuff than you needed to, anyway.

You pick up your cooking oil and rice, and Ty's sweets. Mellow gets catfood, dried and wet varieties, some instant coffee, and creamer. He pauses at the last item, looking it over with a frown.

"What's wrong?" you blink, and he shows it to you. You follow his tapping finger and-- sweet gods, that's expensive.

"This is the biggest load of bull I've seen in a while. Really, that much for creamer?" he shakes his head, exchanging it for a cheaper but arguably inferior brand. "I might as well switch to plain black while I'm at it."

"It's probably something from the manufacturer's side. I don't think there's any economic trouble in Lunabreck recently." you frown. "Still, that big of a price hike in just a few days?"

"I'm guessing we'll have another mission lined up soon enough." he sighs, and you can't help but sigh with him. "We gotta ask for a raise some time."

"I'll be right behind you when the time comes." you shake your head. "C'mon, Ty's waiting and--"

An explosion sounds outside the store, blowing glass in and toppling nearby shelves. You shriek in time to Mellow's yelp, both of you falling to the floor. You blink the surprise away and look out the store, beholding some kind of shadow creature with too many tentacles rising out of a crater in the parking lot. To the side, Tyriel steps out of his car to inspect the damage on his ride. From the pulse of magic you feel in the air, it's pretty bad.

A second figure falls into the parking lot. Clad in powered armor too bulky to be practical, armed with a chainsaw-sword and a boxy SMG almost as large as your torso.

"I BATTLE EVIL UNDER MOONLIGHT!" the figure proclaims through the suit's external speakers, voice unmistakably feminine. "I EARN VICTORY BY DAYLIGHT!"

The shadow creature hisses, drawing into itself to appear taller. The tips of its tentacles morph into blades and barbs and maces that wave threateningly at the armored figure.

"TO EVER BATTLE AGAINST BEINGS MOST FOUL!" the figure brandishes her weapon at the monster. "I AM MAGICAL GIRL BLACK TEMPLAR!"

The monster screeches, hate and malice radiating off its frame like heat from a fire. The now-named Magical girl Black Templar enters a battle stance, gun raised and chainsword held to block and parry.

Tyriel stands up and begins cracking his knuckles.

"Oh shit." Mellow murmurs, pulling you to your feet even as his eyes stay glued to Tyriel. "They're dead."

[] Intervene and save Magical Girl Black Templar from Tyriel's wrath
[] Send Mellow out there to stop Tyriel and save Magical Girl Black Templar (+1 Feat Point)
[] …nah, the magical girl and the monster deserve to be punished. (+2 Feat Points)

Winning Vote:
[] Intervene and save Magical Girl Black Templar from Tyriel's wrath


You surge forward out of Mellow's hands, calling Story Ender into your hands and ignoring Mellow's shout to stop.

Tyriel's a good man, but he's got that Black Orc temper. And if he's anything like the kind of Orc he's half descended from, you don't think he'll be able to keep himself from badly hurting someone who pissed him off.

Bright pink light envelops your frame, and similarly colored mist begins to waft off your body; a result of excess mana leakage from your lack of fine control. Nonetheless, you feel power seep into your legs and you kick, launching yourself out of the store with two steps and skidding to a stop between Tyriel and the two troublemakers that dented his car.

From where you stand, you can see the damage of the half-breed's vehicle; the back bumper is dented in multiple places, the thin metal of the left doors and trunk are torn and sporting holes from shrapnel, and almost all the windows have been obliterated. Fuel leaks out of a torn gas tank, filling the immediate air with the strong scent of petrol. Tyriel himself is unharmed save for his clothes, which bear tears and holes themselves.

You crush the sympathetic wince in favor of a stern frown that struggles to stay in place before the murder in his gaze.

"Ty, no." you tell him, voice low. "She's just a kid."

"That kid wrecked my car." he grits out. "Stand aside, Cali."

"You'd maim her." you hiss. "You have trouble enough keeping your strength down when you're calm, you'd break bones if you so much as touch her now."

"Then she shouldn't have brought her make-believe non-sense here." he snarls. "Lunaria's got plenty more parking lots and empty rooftops for her to play at. Do you have any idea how much it'll cost to fix my car? How long it'd take?"

"We just got paid and you can sprint across the city faster in a few minutes, that shouldn't even be an argument." you snarl back. "Be mature!"

"CITIZENS! I WOULD ASK YOU BOTH TO CLEAR THE AREA!" Magical Girl Black Templar booms behind you. "THE MONSTER BEFORE YOU IS EXCEEDINGLY DANGEROUS!"

Tyriel raises his hand, his tattoos lit--

You move--

The shadow monster disintegrates into a hollowed-out husk, flopping to floor into a mass of fading darkness and negative energy. A car behind the monster crumples inward at the middle section, glass and metal spraying everywhere. The magical girl flinches back from the sound of an anti-material rifle going off at close range and falls back with a yelp.

Story Ender is at Tyriel's raised wrist, forcing it away from where the blast of his finger flick would have hit both the monster and the magical girl. You glare at him and he glares back.

"Sweetheart," you call out to Magical Girl Black Templar, not breaking eye-contact with the half-breed. "I think you should leave."

"You're staying there until I can get your contact information." Tyriel growls at her, meeting your gaze. "You wrecked my car and I'm not paying for someone else's mistake!"

"U-Uhm…" you hear the magical girl stand. "I-I'm sorry for--"

"I said--!" Tyriel breaks eye contact.

You spin into his guard, plant a foot on his stomach, and push him back. As he stumbles, you will Story Ender into its bombardment form and loose a hurricane gale his way.

The big guy brings his arms in front of him and weathers your attack; digging his feet into the ground even as light rubble and motorcycles are sent flying back a good few meters. He snorts and rears back a fist, tattoos glowing red.

You move to counter, Story Ender morphing into its melee form. You brace, readying a reflect spell to send his projectile back at him and--

"Enough!"

Reality distorts. Strength flees from you and Story Ender falls inert. Across from you, Tyriel freezes as his tattoos fall dormant as his power fades. Both of you choke and drop to your knees, gasping for breath as reality straightens in time to Mellow marching out of the busted store you were previously in.

"You two really thought this place was a good place to spar, huh?!" he drags the big guy to his feet and punches him hard enough to draw blood and collapse to the ground. "And you! Fucking casting a high-grade spell in the middle of a city!" he grabs your collar and slaps you so hard that you see stars. "The old man's going to have our heads for this!" he looks behind you. "And you! Going around in the middle of the night in powered armor hunting monsters you're nowhere near ready for!" you hear a yelp, a pained cry, and tearful blubbering. "I don't give a flying fuck if you're a goddamn teenager; if you're stupid enough to do this, then you need some sense knocked into you regardless!"

"M-Mellow…" you groan.

"M-My car…" Tyriel moans.

"No, fuck you both! You're both going home right now and sleeping the headache away!" he pulls out his phone and starts dialing. "Not even a day after a mission and we've already gotten into shit. There goes my sleep!" he scoffs angrily. "Thanks, dipshits!"

[] Try to apologize to Mellow and Tyriel
[] Check on Magical Girl Black Templar
[] Mellow told you to go home and sleep, so you'll comply (+2 Feat Points)