Magical Girl Quest - The Fire That Burns

[Rukia]

You wriggle in big sis arms for a moment, the frantic energy crawling across your skin tickling you. You feel your sister relax when you let out a giggle, her magic washing over you and scrubbing away the sound of waves from your ears. You can still hear the roiling of the deep

The tension in the room seems to even out a little, even ghost ship lady stops getting harder to see. Sis finally puts you down, but she still won't stop looking over you. "Naa, I'm fine!" She presses her lips together, gazing down at you with embers flickering away from her, she probably doesn't even notice. ohmygodthatssocool

You just about manage to restrain your urge to jump on her and see if they are real and if the way she tightens her grip on your arm, she knows too. Sure, maybe you shouldn't have interrupted her while she was using magic and gotten caught up in that whole thingymabobby, but it was fine! Everything work out juuuust fine, and you'd met a new friend. Heh, another Harem member has arrived, plus one to me.

Your lovely sister who was in no way angry with the situation turned to the nice ghost lady ship and spoke in a tone that you'd only ever heard when she was really mad. Uh oh.

"You are LYING." Her shout sends loose decorations flying and cracks racing along one of the closer glass windows as she bares her teeth. Oooohhh noooooo. "You did Something to Her, I can feel it." The metal around you is making an ominous creaking noise as the embers dancing across her shoulders flicker into tiny flames. You couldn't feel any heat from them, but you could see waves of hot air shimmering. Crap. Uhhhh. You grab your sisters hand, pulling her towards you instead of letting her be angry at the ghost ship lady.

She doesn't turn to look at you, instead kneeling down and gently cradling you to her chest as you feel more magic washing over you. Ooooooh this feels weird. You were fairly sure she didn't mean to do that, but considering that you could see the a faint outline of her gauntlets on her hands, flickering in and out told you enough about her state of thoughteses now. The waves are quiet

Ghost ship lady shook her head? It looked vua-vue-va like a head, kind of. Even if it was all misty and foggy. "I didn't do anything, I swear." You don't feel the swell of magic increase, but sis looks over to Dai with a silent question. Neither of them say anything for a while, not that you are complaining that much, feeling your sister all around you like this was... incredible. It was just like that time in the forest. Maybe best to just stay quiet.

And of course the second you thought that she looks down at you. It takes her a second to notice that her magic is literally flowing over you, well, most of it... She doesn't exactly panic like she did last time, but she quickly sets you behind Daiyu as she steps forwards. Dai flashes you a quick smile before turning her attention back to the foggy ship ghost person lady. By this point, the room has been well and truly wrecked, steel rent and glass cracked everywhere.

Ghost ship lady person doesn't look to be in much better condition, half of her fog? mist? is barely hanging onto her by a thread, the waves of magic just serving to pull her apart more and more. Sister stops close-ish to her, looking at the foggy bits for a second before speaking. "If that wasn't you, what was that? I felt something."

Foggy lady shrugs as best she can, considering half of her body is gone and she is trying to stand in some weird military stance thingy. "She reached and the watcher poked back."

You can feel the frown on your sisters face from here and you are behind her. "Who is this 'Watcher' then?"

Not-so-scary ghost ship lady person kind of shrugged, with the one shoulder she has left. "She is... everywhere? Beneath, above and around. I- am new, made-ish." She shakes her wispy head. "I do not know a lot of things, but I remember a great deal of some."

You feel the magic in the air fold, squeezing tighter and tighter until with a screech, the metal chair next to Sister gives way. She looks at it perplexed, quickly hiding the magic like she does before staring back at you. She looks between you and the wisp several times, her face almost pained, like she was trying to think backwards and sideways at the same time. Eventually she shakes her head, throwing an arm towards the slowly falling apart wisp as she slowly makes her way back towards you and Dai.

"You... I don't care, you stay here, or something." She picks you up, holding you close as she starts towards the door at a brisk pace. Dai, or should you use YuYu? Mmmm, later. Dai follows after you quickly, keeping an eye behind you as you quickly make your exit. You are greeted at the ramp by a large group of what have to be Enforcers of some kind, since they are somehow keeping all of the peoples from noticing the big fuzzy storm that sis was earlier. Morgan was pacing back and forth quickly, watching you descend but not running up to meet you. Cuifen was sitting down, rubbing her leg as if it was in pain and Sabina was staring at your sister with wide eyes.

None of you get the chance to say anything before Karen just hops out of the ground like that girl from that book. She looks around quickly before taking off towards you at a brisk pace, eyes lingering on the ship behind you.
Light Cruiser HMS Belfast C35
POV
[] Cerys
[] Una
[] Daiyu
[] Cuifen
[] Morgan
[] Sabina
[] Karen

 

[Rukia]

Cerys POV

You barely keep your transformation from flickering into view when Karen just fucking hops out of the ground like Mary fucking Poppins. She doesn't give you a chance to say something as she marches closer, a stony look on her face as she stares over your shoulder at the thing behind you. She looks at your sister, cradled closely in your arms and the swathes of normal people her Enforcers are somehow just funnelling away from the place. She gives a taller man, a prominent scar running across his chin and through his beard, a nod and turns back to you.

"Follow me, we'll get her looked over right now." She spins on the spot, moving back to the spot she had appeared from, swiping her foot across the brick. It ripples and parts like water, a staircase shimmering into existence. You don't give it a second thought, nearly stepping on her heels in your haste to follow her. She leads you through a short corridor, walls made of stone that bear scratches and carvings. You don't notice a thing, your attention entirely on your sister.

You exit into Karen's office, where you quickly depart for the medical centre kept on base, ignoring the screeching of her various trinkets as your magic tears a storm in your wake. People nearly dive out of your way as you move at not quite a jog, your sister remaining silent in your arms, tiny little rivulets of blood dripping from her arm as she twitches slightly. Karen barges into the hospital with a rough shove of her shoulder, the door slamming against a padded brace as she leads you towards a certain door.

A hand pulls it open from the inside a second before you arrive, several white covered people almost jumping out of the way to make room as a short man practically shoves his way towards you. When you reach him he glances at your sister, quickly spinning on the spot and leading you towards a bed. "Set her down there, you." He turns to another man who was halfway out of his seat, knocking over a half used chessboard in his haste to stand. "Get the fuck out, we'll finish our conversation later." He nearly runs from the room as you gently set your sister on the bed, carefully resting her head against the pillows.

The man quickly walks to her side after grabbing a box sitting on the side, clearing the bedside cabinet with a quick sweep of his hand before setting it down. He leaves the box as he kneels by the bed, leaning over your sister and checking her pulse. You step forwards to do something, but Karen sets a hand on your arm and gently tugs you. You nearly snarl at her, magic whirling before Daiyu grabs you by the shoulders. You look down at her, her eyes slightly wide but her hands steady. "Sister, you must give space." You reach up to throw her hands off when she clenches them tightly.

"Let go." Your words tear themselves from your throat, sounding more like a growl than something a human could produce, your magic burning hot as you barely leash it.

She bites her lip, her hands twitching slightly as they loosen, before she sets her face and they clamp down. "No. Must give doctor space." Her words are firm, but her eyes are tight, looking like they pain her somewhat to make. You grit your teeth, clamping your hands down on her wrists. You hear your sister let out a loud breath, immediately forgetting everything else as you turn your wild gaze to her.

She's looking up at you with glowing blue eyes, staring at your face with a sort of fascination, seemingly ignorant of the blood leaking out of the side of her mouth. The sight of your sister, bleeding, is enough to reignite that burning rage inside you. You clamp down on your magic again, memories of what it could do when left to run wild fresh in your memory.

Daiyu takes the opportunity to pull you back a step, enough room for the doctor to move around the bed freely. Once you shift, she moves her grip, sliding her arms around your neck as she hugs you from behind. You ignore her completely, staring down at your sister with wide eyes as the doctor gently tilts her head from side to side, checking something. You watch him like a hawk, hand twitching when he pulls out something magical and moves it closer to your sister.

Daiyu just tightens her grip, but she is watching him with just as sharp eyes, you can feel her transformation bubbling away just beneath the surface. When the man eventually steps back, his hands are stained with blood, face drained from whatever magic he worked. He looks to you and gives you a small smile, the flex of muscles and skin conveying more than words ever could in that moment. You resist the urge to fall to your knees in relief, instead stepping forwards to your sister, kneeling by the side of the bed. The doctor hands you a small cloth and you start wiping away some of the blood from your sisters face and arms, you'll get the rest later.

You feel the doctor shift behind you, your sense telling you he is waiting for you to turn around. You ignore him until your sisters face is clean, her now dim eyes staring back at you sleepily. "Shhh, sleep now, it's fine." Her eyelids flutter, straining to look up at you as you fix a relaxed smile onto your face. When she settles, your face drops, turning to the doctor just slowly enough not to wake your sister. He waves to the desk, a few metres from the bed, miming finger in front of his mouth and looking over your shoulder.

You frown, looking down at your sister and the four metres between the chair and her. I can make that in time to stop an attacker. You slowly step away, dropping into the seat quietly as the doctor leans towards you, Karen standing next to you and Daiyu on the other side. "First." He starts. "Your sister is perfectly alright." He continues before you can say anything. "The blood was just a reaction to interacting so closely with whatever spirit it was that did this." He takes a slow breath. "The glowing eyes was residual magic flowing through her." You grit your teeth. "You don't need to worry about that though, it was your magic."

You stop, mouth half open as you stare a him. He nods, rubbing his scruffy chin as he speaks. "She has traces of some foreign magic, but primarily she was almost overflowing with your magic. Am I correct in assuming that she has been in very close contact with you whilst you have been using an extensive amount of magic?" You see his eyes look to the path you had taken through the room, the floor laced with tiny cracks where you had passed. When you nod he lets out a long hum, before nodding back to you.

"Physically she should be fine, make sure she sleeps and eats a lot. Otherwise, she should heal fine on her own."

You narrow your eyes at his wording. "And not physically?"

Karen's eyes stare down at his, her gaze conveying her thoughts. He closes his eyes before meeting yours. "Magically, its likely there will be some effect from this. It is very unlikely that her magic will return to exactly the same as before." Your grip on the chair tightens. "There are no malignant or malicious effects that are immediately apparent, but I'm not an expert on this in the slightest."

Karen interjects quickly. "I will have someone I trust here within the day, tell me everything I need to know."

He nods. "Bedrest, food and sleep for physical recovery. No use of magic, light secondary exposure will be fine, so long as it is her sisters magic there will be no complications, but keep her away from foreign magic use." Karen nods as she writes down his words. Snapping the notebook closed and sliding it into a pocket.

She taps you on the shoulder, waiting for you to look up. "I will be going to collect a trusted expert on this right now, I should be back within several hours." You nod at her and she quickly leaves, reaching for something deep inside her pocket as she walks away, a heavy frown on her face.

/LINE BREAK\​

Fate did not exist, not so long as she had any say in things. But she was not beyond guiding things to go as she wanted them to.

[Curiosity]

A slip, a mind wandering deeper than she should with only the lightest of nudges.

[Rage][Worry]

Her Knight, soul burning brightly, to the rescue.

[Anticipation]

What will you do.

FAKER

POV...
[] Cerys
[] Daiyu
[] Karen
[] Una?

 

[Rukia]

Una POV

Waking up in pain wasn't a new feeling, but the gentle hand brushing through your hair along with the quiet murmurs of words were comforting still. You push off opening your eyes for as long as you can, enjoying the radiating warmth of your sister, before creeping them open when you hear a door close.

You are alone with your sister, as best you can tell through your eyelashes. You don't recognise the room, but big sis smell is familiar and comforting. You open your eyes slightly more and she snaps her head towards you. Ooops.

When she sees that your eyes are open she grabs you in a hug, dragging along the bedding as well. You feel her settle her chin on your head, the sudden movement sending little aches through your body, along with a small tingling. Big sis brushes a hand against your skin and you feel that tingle jump across your arm, starting off a wave of giggles against your will as she stares down at you with a tight face. You put on your best smile, closing your eyes since she is so good at mind-reading through them and snuggling deeper into her embrace. The bedsheet is enough to stop most of the tingling, but you still feel a little through the sheet.

Now that you are closer, you can feel it moving, getting bigger and smaller as she breathes. You resist the urge to giggle as it tickles you again, holding still as you feel her heartbeat settle, her tight grip loosening slightly. You hear her muttering to herself, over and over just past your ear. You wiggle backwards a little to hear her words, feeling your belly fill with butterflies when you do.

"She's fine, she's fine, she's fine, she's fine, she's fine-"

You hug her tighter, silently frustrated at the sheet between you for it's dulling of your huggability. She seems to notice though, letting out a long breath before looking down, gently running her fingers through your hair as she supports the two of you on one leg, half hanging off the bed as you are.

There is a small smile on her face, both real and fake at the same time, tiny little tracks of dried tears trying their best to hide away from you. When you run your fingers across her cheek, her lip wobbles a little before steadying. It's ok, I'm here.

She clears her throat, a rough gravelly noise, before speaking. "What you did back there was really, really stupid." You nod slowly into her chest, feeling your stomach drop out from underneath you. "I told you not to get too close when I'm using magic, and to never try that thing that happened again." She pauses for a moment, letting out a shaky breath as her fist clenches. "This is my fault, for not stopping right away, for listening to her." The tingly feeling grows slightly stronger, but not by much. "You got hurt-" Waitwhat "-and I couldn't do anything to help you."

You sit in silence for a long time, neither of you feeling the need to say anything, partly from the feeling of shame hanging over your shoulders. Sis was never the type to lecture, she's said all she meant to say, that's that. Why isn't she more mad. I did a bad thing, why aren't you mad at me! You almost speak, the bad feelings too much, but she looks calmer now. You don't want to constantly bring it up.

I'll just have to punish myself then, sister is too nice. You don't know how you'll do that, but not doing fun things sounds like a good place to start. No books for the next week- no, month. just thinking about it almost makes you cringe, but it feels like the right thing to do. No ketchup, or snacks, more exercise. Your list keeps growing, but you're sure you'll find enough things to cut.

You nod to yourself as sis starts speaking. "A man will be coming over later to talk to us about what happened, in fact-" She looks up, a strange feeling washing over you. "He will be here shortly." You nod again, settling down and turning an eyes towards the door as you enjoy her warmth.

Your moment doesn't last long, a loud knock at the door and a call from your sister admits a really tall old man covered in scars. Your sister lets out something like a relieved sigh. "Gilbert, is that you?" Who?

The giant just nods back to your sister, moving his eyes over to you, a strange shimmer coating his eyes as he looks over you. He lets out a long, considering hum, looking at a notebook Karen hands him while nodding. Neither of them come any closer to you, standing in just inside the doorway, on the other side of a line of tape on the ground. He taps the notebook in his hand, passing it back to Karen with a snort. "Your guy is ok, but 'e missed a couple a things."

You feel your sisters grip tighten on you slightly, the tingling edge stronger very slightly at his words, but she waits for him to speak.

"First, 'summin done and cracked an hole in the little lady here." What. "'S why she's so vulnerable to magic right now, it's really for the best if you'd just ship them out to the middle of the countryside, somewhere naturally magically rich would be best. Get her away from the nasty goddamn mess of magic floating around here." Your sister turns her gaze towards Karen and you can almost feel the intensity of her stare. On her part, she nods quickly, waiting for his next words.

"Second, there's some foreign magic clinging to her real tight and it's doing something." He turns his weathered gaze to sis. "Best you stick close to her right now, what yer doin is good. Your magic is washin that other crap out, keep that up." You feel her nod, the tingling feeling intensifying slightly.

"Third, not sure how your guy missed this, maybe 'e wasn't lookin." Not so tight sisssss. "Her own magic is fluctuating a lot, lowest looks to be above average 'n highest looks to be a fuckin lot." Karen pockets something. "'S not really noticeable with 'er tryin her best ta drown us with 'er magic, but she'll need 'ta get a hold of that 'efor she breaks somethin." He lets out a rough laugh. "We'll sommin, more." You follow his eyes to your hands, clenched tightly around the bedsheets, what was left of them. The ones directly in your hands had been shredded. Oh

Your sister lets out a rough breath, gently cupping your hands in hers, tiny little flickers of magic drifting away at her touch. You feel tiny flickers of magic along the edge of her hands as she coaxes your magic away. Woooooah how does she do that?

She sits up a little sharply when she's done, being careful not to jolt you as she does. "Karen." She is really serious. The woman in question looks over from where she was poking through her pockets. "I want to follow Gilberts advice as soon as possible. You have a place out of the way somewhere I assume?"

The woman nods, abandoning her search as she speaks. "Yes, I have a holiday cottage further north. It's very much out of the way, give me a couple of hours to scrub it of my magic and it'll be free to use." Your sister nods and you almost pout. How am I suppose to do the punishing of myself if we're going on holiday? A thought comes to you. Oooooh, we've never been on holiday before, I wonder what it's like? Wait no, bad thought, punishment.

POV
[] Cerys (Skip to travelling)
[] Una (Skip to travelling)
[] Karen
The stars are awfully bright tonight, mmm?
+5xp ???

 

[Rukia]

Karen POV

Seeing Cerys rather drastic shift in attitude now that her sister is safe just confirms every thought you'd had previously. Absolutely reliant, protective past the point of sanity. Gil sends you a disproving glance out of the corner of his eye, but doesn't say anything more. You ignore him, even if you feel the slightly childish urge to let some of your smugness show. Try to tell me that I'm wrong about people.

You blink and clear your thoughts, spinning on the spot and moving at a fast pace towards one of the many shortcuts within the base. An hour to get there, five minutes to get through the security, leaves me four to clear out the entire place of magical objects. You step out of the wall into the garage, entering the second nondescript car, two others pulling away before you and one behind you. Good luck, they're on the prowl tonight.

/Line Break\​

The journey is almost entirely uneventful, a single call over the phone from a mildly infuriated Gil complaining about your ditching him. If he thinks I'm letting him get a good look at my security, he's delusional. It's not that he would do anything particularly bad with it, but you liked the thought of being able to sleep without waking up covered in whipped cream and surrounded by busty strippers. Mmmm.

You pull into the drive without issues, passing through the security net with just a tingle. Needs a tune up, someone else could have noticed that, it's coming on a bit strong. The door parts a moment before you reach it, only a slight squeak to be heard, though the noise echoes through the empty house loudly. I really should have checked on this place sooner, all of the enchantments are starting to break down.

You make your way through the house, idly stepping around a cushioned pit and down into the basement. A pulse of magic alongside a puzzle later and you have the keystone in hand. You feel the large external enchantments fall immediately and it only takes you another hour or so to pull the magic from whatever things you have lying around. It's a good thing this place is so new, otherwise I'd have to tear the foundations out to get rid of the ambient magic.

You think about emptying the house, but you didn't really keep anything here anyway, just some spare clothes and trinkets gathering dust. Ah! You go back and close the basement, locking it tightly. No point taking risks. It'll still take a few days for the ambient magic to disperse, but this should be enough for now. You take a quick step out the back, looking out at the valley below before nodding. Perfect.

You step back outside, closing the door and locking it behind you. The garden is a little overgrown, more evidence of the flagging enchantments, and the hedges are starting to creep over the fence. Honestly, for 20 years without maintenance, they held up pretty well. You turn the keystone in your hand over and rub a little dust off the top, peering at the words scratched into it. To Karen, from your favourite person ever. You smile, lifting a tiny flap on which the words were written. PS - You better make good use of this midget.

Your smile turns a little frail as you think about it's creator, your mentor, as best the word worked. She'd been a light in your life, always bursting with energy even as old as she was. You look down at your perfectly smooth hand, untouched by the march of time, just as they were eighty years ago. You were too honest with yourself, too good to keep going. The sharp edges of the cube press into your hands as they clench. Too good to stay with me.

You feel something wet trickle down your hand, along with a sharp pain. You shift your gaze to your hands, where a tiny drop of blood is welling in your palms. You pull it back before any more can stain the cube, holding it awkwardly with your fingers as you quickly knit the cuts closed.

You shake your head, closing your hands around the keystone and restarting your walk. I shouldn't be wallowing in old memories, after all. You look up, past the field and to the sky. The sun was just barely peeking through the clouds, doing it's best to be seen. What was it you said, "Never stop moving, always chase it. The more you wait, the more it will pass you by." You close the gate behind you, sliding into the car. "Heh" You turn the ignition. "Nothing is waiting for me, I have nothing to chase." You pull out of the drive smoothly. "Forever and Ever, Alone until the End."

You aren't waiting for me and you've gone where I can't follow.

You look up, finding yourself in the middle of changing lane, doing a steady 80. You glance down at the notepad on the seat next to you, detailing the latest explosion your little charge had caused. At least it's less than she did.

Your eyes move over to the side, seeing a nondescript car, a faint trace of magic wafting from it. Fake, stolen.

A hint of a smile forces it's way onto your face, the edge of a fang peeking through.

Let's see where your little experiment takes you. You pull off the main road, following a route you know by memory. Playing with the spirits is bad for your health, idiots.

You catch a glimpse of red as you take your final turn, flicking a switch on the dashboard and leaning forwards, slowly building magic in your fingers.

And so is following me.

 

[Rukia]

The burst of force from your fingers not so gently shunts you through the reinforced metal roof of your car, just in time for a rapid spray of bullets to walk it's way along the windows. They don't break, but they crack enough that they probably would with another volley. They've got something new in stock, previous testing showed this mixture was immune to their standard weaponry at any ranges. You flick a glance at the car racing towards you, spotting the man standing on his seat, aiming at you through an open hatch on the roof. Give me that

Without a movement a shield snaps into place around you, your other hand moving to point at the car as your toes just begin to scrape the ground, a pulse of magic digging them into the old tarmac. You can see the drivers eyes widen as you stop dead, a small trench left over from your slide. The increasing roar from the vehicle tells you of his intentions to try and run you over.

Bitch please

Your hand flicks downwards, a small ball of fire rocketing forwards, impacting the road just beneath the bumper of the speeding car.

(Attack: Implosion: +2325 Base Damage, 392 633 +1065 Dice = 3390 Total Damage

Armoured Car: +250 Base Resilience, -20 Thinner Armour = 230 Base Resilience

3160 Final End Damage

Armoured Car Health: 800 - 3160 = -2360

6 Occupants Health: 600 - 2360 = -1760)

A millisecond later, the hollow ball within the fire pops, magic drawing air in far beyond it's normal volume and expelling it at maximum power. There is a tiny lick of flames before the car is split in two, the frame simply evaporating before your spell. Tiny fragments of metal ping off of your barrier harmlessly as the the remnants of the car are flung every which way. You walk towards one of the larger pieces of wreckage, flipping an armour plate over with a burst of magic through your leg.

The mangled pieces of a male body remain, shrapnel having torn him to pieces before the compression of the car crushed him against the armoured roof, snapping his spine and pushing his head into his torso. You sigh as you pluck the mangled piece of metal from his hands, the weapon he'd been shooting at you with was well and truly ruined, the entire thing was bent like a banana. What a waste, I'm going to have to ask Sarah to keep an eye out for these, they probably aren't in general distribution in their ranks yet.

From what you could tell of the weapon itself, it was much more advanced than almost anything you'd seen before, apart from maybe some of the cutting edge American tech. Well, and what the Institute had been banding around the office. You shake your head as you feel a tingling on the back of your neck, spinning on the spot just fast enough for an sniper round of some description to just barely scrape the edge of your barrier.

(DPAMR: +800 Base Damage, +100 Aimed Shot, -300 Grazing Hit = 600 Total Damage

The Pinnacle: 35% Reduction

390 Total Damage

Karen: +280 Base Resilience, 362 1740 +4171 Dice, +2259 Protect: Shield, +50 Dodge = 6760 Total Reduction

0 Final End Damage)

The wayward shot buries itself straight through the armour plates behind you, hitting the ground hard enough to make a small explosion. Anti-Tank rifle of some sort, or Anti-Material, stolen or copied from Americans? You dash to the side with a pulse of magic, a follow-up shot missing you by several metres as you slam your foot into the ground, casting through it. Your magic pounds the ground hard enough to vaporise the surface layer of tarmac, the dirt underneath billowing upwards in a large cloud. Safe for the moment, shot was far and from above, some sort of aerial platform?

You build up magic, dashing through the dust as you layer another barrier atop the first, deflection rather than general purpose. Hardly a second later you shunt yourself to the side, two shots passing through the space you had occupied. You feel a slight magical build-up in the distance and can barely see a helicopter hanging there in the sky, completely silent. There is another. You enhance your eyes enough to be able to see the sniper, a second before he pulls the trigger he presses a button.

In that brief moment, you see the man split into three, see-through copies of him manifesting to each side as they all fire at the same time. Test weapon strength. You plant your feet, focusing your shields forwards as the shots cross the mile between you almost faster than you can see.

(DPAMR: +800 Base Damage, +100 Aimed Shot, +300 Target Stationary, -100 Anti-Projectile Barrier = 1100 Total Damage
DPAMR: +800 Base Damage, +100 Aimed Shot, +300 Target Stationary, -100 Anti-Projectile Barrier = 1100 Total Damage
DPAMR: +800 Base Damage, +100 Aimed Shot, +300 Target Stationary, -100 Anti-Projectile Barrier = 1100 Total Damage

3300 Synchronised Damage, x3 Hail of Lead = 9900 Total Damage

The Pinnacle: 35% Reduction

6435 Total Damage

Karen: +280 Base Resilience, A lot of rolls +3908 Dice, +2259 Protect: Shield, +2307 Protect: Deflect, +200 Braced = 8954 Total Reduction

0 Final End Damage)

They all connect simultaneously and they all ricochet away from you harmlessly. There's a lot of power in these shots. You dash forwards, throwing the magic you had been building in your other hand. Some sort of magical assistance seems likely.

(Attack: Pierce: +2300 Base Damage, A lot of rolls +1104 Dice, -300 Very far away = 3104 Total Damage
Attack: Pierce: +2300 Base Damage, A lot of rolls +1108 Dice, -300 Very far away = 3108 Total Damage

Scout Helicopter: +200 Base Resilience, -25 Stationary = 175 Total Reduction

6037 Final End Damage

Scout Helicopter Health: 600 - 6037 = -5437

3 Occupants Health: 300 - 5437 = -5137)

Two beams of magic dart forwards, crossing the mile in-between them in barely a second, one tearing the rotor from the top as the other rips the tail from the craft. It starts dropping instantly, the impact shredding the helicopter's frame and its fuel exploding a moment later.

You put on the pace, rushing over towards the falling machine just a little too slow to catch it before it hits the ground. Tch. You tear what's left of the door off of the frame, the roof sagging dangerously as you remove one of the final standing pieces of support it has.

The inside is completely wrecked, the walls covered in blood from where the sniper was hastily introduced into the ceiling. At least this seems to have survived. His rifle, mounted to the floor of the helicopter, seems mostly intact, enough that you could probably get something out of it. A flick later and you haul it from it's mooring, the metal tripod falling away with a clean cut through the middle. Alright, this is kind of heavy, I can see why it was mounted. Now, where is that artefact.

You rummage through what was left of the snipers pockets, a small talisman dropping onto your palm after checking an ammunition pouch. Gotcha. You turn it over in your hands, the crude glyphs and runes scratched into the wood being the most telling to you. They've managed to coerce or bribe an enchanter to work for them. You stand up, making your way to the entrance of the lot. I thought they would have learned by now. You tense your legs, jumping high enough to see over the trees. You catch a glimpse of a convoy of cars rapidly scattering, breaking apart into inconspicuous groups and then further.

Not going to go all in today? You look back at the empty lot behind you, fire burning merrily away atop the wreckage. This was a rather pathetic attempt, someone must have panicked to order an attack like this.

You sigh as you run a hand though your hair, letting your barriers fade away as you try and wrangle it back into form. It's only a little frazzled, mostly from all of the jumping around you'd been doing. They are getting much too bold lately, perhaps this is retaliation for cutting their knees out in China? Mmm, probably where they got their new Enchanter actually. You feel your driver pull into the lot, slowing to a stop next to you as the door pops open for you.

"M'lady." He bows his head once, turning back to look back at the devastated lot without another word. You drop yourself into the passenger seat, not really physically tired so much as mentally. Everything is slowly starting to spiral out of control. Your driver pulls away, smooth as butter, even over the potholes you'd made from running. You take a moment to close your eyes and relax. Are you ready to harden your heart, Cerys?

POV
[] Cerys
[] Una

 

[Rukia]

Cerys POV

Once again, the corridors were empty for you.

You made a brisk pace as you carried Una through the twisting and turning hallways, cradling her sleeping form against yourself. The fact that she had fallen straight back to sleep when she was usually so energetic stuck strongly in your mind as you moved. There was also a strange stillness in the air and it took you until you had passed the cafeteria to identify as the lack of magic floating around.

Karen was waiting for you in the garage, leaning against one of the many cars and playing with her hair. She looks up when you approach and something is just off about her. She looks normal, her hair a little ruffled but otherwise excusable to the wind. You frown, but put it on hold for now as she nods to you in greeting, opening the passenger door she had been leaning against. You shimmy inside, careful not to wake your sister as Karen walks around and settles into the drivers seat.

She opens her mouth to say something, but glances down at your sister before shaking her head. Instead, she starts the car, engine starting at a quiet rumble as she closes her door. The moment she does, all outside sound seems to disappear, the silence enough that you could hear your own breathing clear as day. Even Una's little breaths were as loud as talking. You smile at her as she pulls out of the garage, moving through the congested streets with age old practice.

/LINE BREAK\​

An hour into your drive along the motorway, you notice something. I smell blood.

Your carefully check your sister, but she isn't bleeding. When you take a deep sniff, you can still barely smell it, but it is definitely not coming from either of you.

You scrutinize Karen, the tiny wrinkles in her clothes and her ruffled hair adding up to make a much clearer picture. The final thing that seal it is a tiny little fleck of blood, on the very end of the cuff of her sleeve. On the outside of her clothes.

She notices your scrutiny, flicking her eyes down at her cuff before looking back to you a little sheepishly. You don't say anything for now, your sister really does need the sleep, but you'll ask her about this later. I didn't think she still did frontline work...

/LINE BREAK\​

Two hours later, Karen finally pulls into a drive. The sound muffling is broken when she cracks her door open, quickly opening the gate and closing it behind her as you were driven through. You carefully stand from the car, your sister dead to the world as she dreams deeply, quiet murmurs of whatever dream she has making it's way to the surface. You smile as you carefully brush a fallen hair off of her eyelid, quiet crunching noises sounding out as you walk down the pebble driveway.

Karen is waiting by the doorway, unlocking the door with an old, ornate key and stepping through the entranceway. She waves you closer, reaching up on her tip-toes so she can whisper into your ear. "I'm going to put dinner on, do you want to settle her in a bedroom?" You instantly shake your head, a little tired from keeping your output of magic into your sister steady for the last nine hours or so. She nods, apparently having expected that answer from you anyway. "The living room is through that door." She points further into the house, a doorway a couple of metres off to the left of the entrance hallway. "Go sit down, it should only take twenty minutes or so."

You awkwardly pull your shoes off with your feet, padding down the soft carpet and glancing at the knick knacks on the walls. An old pendulum clock waits at the end of the hallway, several paintings of nature lining the walls, a small one of a fluffy kitten sitting next to the clock. The door swings inwards silently, the room having the same floral green wallpaper as the rest of the house. Two sofas sit on opposite sides of the room, a thick rug taking centrepiece with a large chair by the knee to ceiling windows topping it off.

You gently set yourself down on the sofa, lowing yourself until Una is lying atop yourself as comfortably as you can. The sun is beginning to set outside, half of it hiding behind the tall trees that line the edge of the property, little streams of light falling onto your legs. You shift a little, letting your head burrow into the soft plush of the sofa's arm.

You lie their for a long while, listening to your sister's soft breathing, her tiny form slowly rising and falling on your chest as she breathes. You hear a clang from further into the house and you almost jump to your feet, but you can just barely hear Karen cursing quietly to herself and the spittle of oil on a pan. A little while later she pokes her head through the door, a small smile on her face as she looks down at the two of you. "Dinner is ready."

You nod at her, slowly sitting up as Una slumps forwards against your chest. Your wrap your arms around her shoulders, gently shaking her. Her eyes blearily open, tiny sparks dancing in her iris for a moment before they fade. She makes a cute noise, like a rabbit squeaking as she blinks. "...huh?"

You gently flick her nose to get her attention. "Come on, sleepyhead, it's time for dinner."

She blinks a little before nodding sleepily. "Uh... 'kay." She takes your hand, letting you guide her as you pad along the soft carpet after Karen, who was trying her best to keep her enormous smile to herself.

You settle down at the table, sturdy wooden seats creaking as you set yourself down on them, a plateful of sausages wrapped in bacon, mash and carrots waiting for you. You cautiously take a bite of the sausage, after dipping it in the provided ketchup. Mmm! "It's good." The words slip out of your mouth without thought, a pleased smile appearing on Karen's face.

"That's good, it's been a while since I've cooked for someone else." She starts to eat herself.

"It doesn't show." Una yawns as she devours her sausage, nodding with your words.

The rest of the meal is made in silence, the two of you far too busy eating to waste breath speaking. Somehow Karen still finished before either of you, despite eating normally and starting after you. The two of you put your cutlery down, sitting back and enjoying the feeling of a full meal as you let out a comfortable sigh. A glance out the windows in the kitchen show the sky darkening, the clock telling you that it's just shy of seven in the afternoon.

Normally, I would be trying to get her to sleep right now. You glance down at your sister, she's subtly bouncing in her seat as she stretches, letting out a long yawn as she finishes waking up. I get the feeling I'm not going to be getting any sleep tonight. Karen sends you a pitying glance as she leans back, but her amused smile tells you everything you need to know. Traitor.

[] Explore the house
[] Talk with Karen
-[] About?
[] Where is the Tea, woman?
[] Books?
[] Call Home and talk with everyone

You may pick two

 

[Rukia]

You lean back in your seat, sliding out of it and collecting the plates around the table. Karen gives you an appreciative smile as you put your significant amount of experience in using unfamiliar kitchens to use, finding the cloth and getting to work cleaning up. Una joins you half-way through, taking the plates and drying them without a word. You give her a smile for her efforts, ruffling her hair with a wet hand, smile growing wider as you hear the resulting squeak.

When you are done, you slide the plates back into the cupboard, turning to see Karen watching the two of you with a relaxed air. She makes her way to her feet, cracking her back with a long and satisfying crunching noise as she stretches, washing out her mug and setting it upside down to dry on the draining board. When everything is in place, she turns to the two of you, apparently shaking off some lingering thoughts as she nods at the kitchen door. "I guess I should show you around then."

You nod, stepping out of the way as she moves towards the door, closing a curtain as she goes. "This is the Kitchen, there is a storage room attached through there" She points to a door in the corner of the room, the door nearly hidden by a Liquor cabinet on it's left and the fridge to it's right. "I've emptied it already, so there's only a small bit of food there, I'll go shopping soon." She steps backwards, into the corridor, doing a little spin. "Hallway, a couple of old paintings, the shoebox and the cupboard under the stairs."

A pointed finger directs you towards a door on the backside of the stairs, you'd missed it on the way in, half hidden behind a coat rack as it was. "Nothing really in there, might be some old things of mine, but I doubt it." She takes a few steps to the right, through an open doorway and into a sitting room, several large glass walls showing a view of the garden outside. The carpet is thick and soft, as is the arm chair you passed. There is a large book-shelf against the wall and you can see Una's fingers twitch forwards for a moment before she restrains herself. Mmm? Normally she would already have run past you to dive through the books.

Karen interrupts your thoughts as she stops by a plant, nudging a leaf out of the way of the window. "Garden is a little overgrown, I've kind of let it overgrow lately I guess." She looks a little sad as she says that, but she lets the leaf move back to it's previous position as she turns around, moving back into the hall. She waves a hand at the living room as you pass it. "Living room is here, not much else." Moving past it, she guides you up the stairs and onto the top floor.

"Master bedroom to the right." She points at a large wooden door set into a slight indent. "Bathroom next to it and two guest rooms on the left, feel free to pick whichever one you want. They have bedding setup, otherwise they are empty." You look into the guest room facing the back of the house, it's fairly standard. There is a large double bed against the middle of the wall, with bedside cabinets on either side. A large, ornate wardrobe rests in the corner alongside a chest of draws. A small beige rug sits at the end of the bed.

The wallpaper has little sheep along it in rows, when you turn an eye to Karen, she looks a little sheepish as she scratches her hand. "My parents had that put up, I could never bring myself to cover them up." Her parents? You look back at the wallpaper. How old is this place? Karen claps, bringing you out of your thoughts as you turn to look at her. "Well, what do you think?" She looks a little anxious as she waits for you to say something, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. The way her hair shifts to cover one of her eyes is almost cute, but you know better than to fall into her little traps.

Your sister is apparently not so well learnt. "It's comfy." Ignoring the occasional spot of dust. "I like it! I think sis would have picked this place as a stop too!" She looks up at you with eager eyes, pushing you into praising Karen in the strangest way you've seen in a while.

"It's homely, you obviously love it." The way she looks away, a little guilty as she runs a hand along the bannister tells you that there is probably a longer story behind that, but you don't pry. Nothing to do with me.

She pats the bannister, looking up to you with a more honest smile. "Yes, thank you." She lets the silence sit for a second before she pushes off of the bannister, looking over at the two of you with a question. "Anything else?"

You remember Una's aborted attempt earlier, reaching for the books. "Do you mind if we could look at the bookshelf downstairs?" She hums for a second, nodding and hopping down the first step of the stairs. You stop by the bookshelf, kneeling down at the bottom and leaning closer to Karen. "Is there anything I need to keep her away from?"

She thinks about it for a second before shaking her head. "I never kept anything of particular note here, mostly just curio or interesting books I've collected over time."

You nod, leaning back over to your sister and tapping her on the head to get her attention. "See anything you like?" She looks back at the shelves and you can almost see her intense desire to start picking through the available books, but she restrains herself, shaking her head. "What, you don't want to read anything?" She shakes her head again, still not saying anything. You are seriously worried now, this is completely out of character for her, you were expecting to have to pry her from a book with a crowbar later.

"Is something wrong?" She shakes her head. "You just don't want to read?" She shakes her head again. What. Try a different approach. "Why don't you pick a book then?" She leans into you a little, mumbling her answer once below your hearing. "What?" She presses herself closer to you, but speaks loud enough for you to hear.

"'M not allowed."

What. "Why not?"

"Broke my promise."

You wrack your mind for any promises she could have broken or words she could have misinterpreted. You stroke her hair, gently letting a bit of heat seep into her and calm her down as you think.

A flash of memory comes to mind, a very similar situation in the past, your sister resting against you and basking in your warmth as you think about your failures. Don't touch me while I'm using magic. The ship, fuuck. You pull her closer, resting her head against your chest as you sit back against the shelf behind you. It's a little tricky, keeping the heat off of the books behind you while making sure the magic you'd been giving her was stable. But the way she burrows into your arms and lets out little mumbles both soothes and hurts your heart.

You sit there for a while, Karen silently stepping out of the room as you hug your sister. Eventually, you poke her until she peeks an eye open at you. "What happened there wasn't your fault."

She looks away from your face, curling a little tighter. "Was." The sadness and guilt in her voice hurts because fuck it was my fault. "Shouldn't have touched, broke promise." The way she tries to both isolate herself and bury herself deeper into your arms is enough to trip every flag in your head. "Punishment for being bad." She's punishing herself for my mistakes?!

The feeling of guilt churning in your gut is heavy, but you don't let any of it show in your face as you smile down at her, shifting a long bang out of the way of her eye as she tries to hide beneath it. "No no no, you didn't do anything wrong there, no-one knew that could happen." If they did and didn't fucking tell me... You keep your thoughts to yourself as you gently rub circles in her back, making soothing noises as she makes little hiccuping noises, on the verge of crying.

You lean back, gently shifting her head from your chest to your shoulder as you reach behind you, snagging the first book you can feel. You glance at the title, Eurasian Myths and Legends - Discovering The Truth, Perfect. You flip the book open in your hand, shifting your other to curl up around your sisters shoulder and hold her in place comfortably. She looks up as she hears the pages ruffling, looking up to you a little lost as you smile. "If you aren't going to read, then I'll take responsibility for my mistake and read for you."

She doesn't say anything as she rests her head back on your shoulder, looking down at the book in your hand as you open to the introduction page. "In this section we will cover areas closer to home, confirmed legends from the European area..."

/LINE BREAK\​

Karen pressed a hand to her mouth to muffle the scream of ohmygodthatistooadorable.

She just barely managed to keep the sound from echoing out through the house, through judicious use of the throw pillow on the sofa. A soft smile and warmth in her chest staying with her for the rest of the night.

POV
[] Sisters
[] Daiyu
[] Sabina

 

[Rukia]

Sabina POV

It was somewhat unusual to be up so late, normally you'd be in bed by now, otherwise father would be displeased.

You take a quick breath, halting your routine as that familiar pain starts throbbing in your heart. You take a long breath before starting again, swinging your sword in time to the pulsing agony coming from within. Your sword moves as a blur, harsh cracking noises echoing throughout the training room at the end of every swing, carving slits into the ground without even touching it. So lost in your melancholy, you don't even notice the hand that reaches past you, snagging your sword in a familiar armoured gauntlet and stopping it dead.

You jump in surprise, heart-rate skyrocketing for a moment as you desperately tug your sword for a moment, before you realise the futility of your attempts. Daiyu lets your blade go a moment later, more and more of her armour beginning to fade into existence along her body as she steps back from you.

"What do you want." Your words are curt, but not rude, you know better than to make her angry at you. If that was even possible, but she could squish you like a bug, you liked living.

She stares at you with slightly glowing eyes before sighing, stepping back and taking a stance. "Come, fight with me."

You lower your sword a little in surprise and a little nervousness. "You mean like... properly?"

She shakes her head again. "No, spar. Is good for letting off stress, want to see how you do anyway."

You don't even try to repress the grin that comes to your face as you step back, sliding into an opening stance that comes to you as naturally as breathing. She gives you several seconds to brace yourself, not bothering to summon her own weapon as you feel her magic roil inside her, the ground around her cracking slightly as she shifts. I think I might have been a little-

(Fist: +30 Base Damage, +8 Dice = 38 Total Damage
Sabina: +10 Base Resilience, +10 Dice = 20 Total Reduction

Sabina Health: 150 - 18 = 132)

She pushes forwards incredibly quickly, slapping your sword aside with her other hand as she lands a solid punch right in your stomach. You feel your breath forcibly escape your mouth as you slump to the ground, desperately wheezing for air as you try not to throw up. She doesn't continue her attack, waiting for you to slowly make your way to your feet, not looking apologetic at all. "Should transform, won't go easy on you."

You still can't make anything other than long wheezing noises, but you manage to choke out your transformation phrase clear as day. "Nothing is beyond the reach of my blade! Magical Girl Endless Soul!"

The feeling of your... armour cutting it's way into existence soothes your pain, letting you stand up properly as your opponent examines you for a moment before nodding. When she takes a stance, you immediately dash forwards, your sword crossing the distance between the two of you almost instantly.

(Soul Edge: +100 Base Damage, +10 Dice = 110 Total Damage
Ebony Knight: +580 Base Resilience, +23 Dice = 603 Total Reduction

Ebony Knight Health: 1700 - 0 = 1700)

There is a loud screeching noise as your sword meets her arm, the blade skittering along the silver plate before sliding off of your target. You desperately dive backwards as her hand rushes forwards, grabbing your blade and wrenching it from your hands. You abandon it with reluctance, but take the chance to jump backwards. You bite your lip as you land, glancing around for anything you can use, but the room is completely barren. Just you, your opponent and your sword. Which you don't have. Fuck

Daiyu holds your sword up to her face rather than attack you, running an armoured finger along the edge as she inspects it. The action makes something inside you shudder, and you aren't sure if it's in a good way or a bad one.

Your opponent flips the sword into her hand, testing the weight as she cuts a neat trench through the floor, looking back up to you when she's done. "Is very good sword." She plants it into the ground, point first. "But is no good if not in hand." She steps in-between it and you, taking a stance again. "If you want to learn with battlesister, must impress me." Wait what

"Hey, she said she'd teach me!" You crouch down as you look for a way around her.

"Keep her promises, she will." You see a frown pull her face. "But if you are weak, you not deserve place at her side, become liability." The ground cracks as she takes a deep breath. "Show me strength."

Oh I'll show you bitch. You run forwards, well aware that she is more than capable of demolishing you without your sword. Probably even with it. Your magic gathers in your hand, folding and folding to be sharper and sharper as you reach her. She punches against your charge, too fast for you to dodge. That's fine, neither can she.

(Sever: +200 Base Damage, +11 Dice, +35 Direct Hit = 246 Total Damage
Ebony Knight: +580 Base Resilience, +33 Dice, -25 Stationary, -147 Armour Pierce = 441 Total Reduction

Ebony Knight Heath: 1700 - 0 = 1700)

The orange wave of magic lashes out, sliding past her fist and hitting her directly in the chest. She rocks back slightly, but doesn't even flinch at your attack, her hand still on it's path to your face. Fuuuuuuck

(Fist: +30 Base Damage, +100 Dice = 130 Total Damage
Endless Soul: +60 Base Resilience, +13 Dice = 73 Total Reduction

Endless Soul Health: 132 - 57 = 75)

The armoured gauntlet hit you hard enough to throw you off of your feet, your back tearing up the ground as you roll across the dirt. When you finally come to a stop, you flip back to your feet in a learned movement you didn't learn, panting as your face throbs in pain from the skull rattling punch. You pitch forwards, catching yourself with the handle of your blade, planted into the ground before you.

It takes you a moment to realise what you are holding, eyes confusedly moving down to the familiar handle in your grip. You look back to Daiyu, who is looking at the empty space next to her with confusion. The fuck. When you pull your sword out of the ground, you feel like it has always been in your hand, even when it was across the room from you. I guess I can just make it come to me or something? No, that feels wrong. You spin your blade, raising it to strike as you think. I always had it, even when I didn't?

(Sever: +200 Base Damage +20 Dice = 220 Total Damage
Ebony Knight: +580 Base Resilience, +52 Dice, -147 Armour Pierce = 485 Total Reduction

Ebony Knight Heath: 1700 - 0 = 1700)

The wave of magic crosses the distance between you fast enough that Daiyu only manages to lean out of the way of half of it, not that the part that hit did anything, the magic washing over her form harmlessly even as it tears a deep trench in the ground between you as it travels.

Close or far, I cant do shit to her? You frown a little as memories of your first battle come to mind. Fucking useless, again. You let out a harsh breath as you stare down your opponent, watching her slowly move towards you. "What the fuck do you want from me? I can't hurt you."

Daiyu clicks her tongue at your words. "Never said this was spar to defeat. Said to impress me, show me your strength."

It takes you a minute to grasp her meaning. I'm not supposed to beat her, just show her how strong I am? You feel a little stupid at your mistake, but at the same time it's a little, relieving? You let the grin fall onto your face again, muscles in your legs pulling taut you crouch down, sword held firmly in both hands. Lets fucking do this

You rush forwards, taking great bounding leaps as you close the distance, swinging your sword at her wrist when she tries to grab your blade. It skitters off harmlessly as it did before, but it knocks her hand back. She tries it again and you nail her on the side of a knuckle. She smiles at you a little as she pulls her hand back and changes her stance, magic pulsing. "You are learning." You see her blade flash into existence in her hands. "Good." Fuck my life

She lashes out, slower than you know she can. That slowness is what gives you a chance to thrust your blade forwards, the point sliding past the blade and catching the pommel.

(Ebon Heart: +290 Base Damage, -190 Not really trying, +60 Dice = 160 Total Damage

Intercept!

Soul Edge: +100 Base Damage, +3 Dice = 103 Total Damage
57 Damage Difference, Ebon Heart Wins

Ebon Heart: +57 Intercept Damage, +2 dice = 59 Total Damage
Endless Soul: +60 Base Resilience, +14 Dice = 74 Total Reduction

Endless Soul Heath: 75 - 0 = 75)

Despite your best effort, you only manage to slow her blade down, it still bulls straight through your block and hits you across the chest. Surprisingly, it only shoves you back, there is only a slight stinging sensation where the sharp edge hit you. You spin with the momentum, using it to swing your sword in a backhand motion, right at her unarmoured face.

(Soul Edge: +100 Base Damage, +9 Dice, +20 Momentum = 129 Total Damage

Intercept!

Ebon Heart: +290 Base Damage, -60 Holding back, +9 Dice = 239 Total Damage
110 Damage Difference, Ebon Heart Wins

Ebon Heart: +110 Intercept Damage, +4 Dice = 114 Total Damage
Endless Soul: +60 Base Resilience, +9 Dice = 74 Total Reduction

Endless Soul Heath: 75 - 40 = 35)

Her sword jolts from it's previous out-stretched position, slapping your sword away hard enough to spin you around, the blade following through with it's path, nailing you in the ribs hard enough to force the air from your chest. You take several wheezing steps backwards as you desperately try to breathe while keeping your sword ready. You fail, planting your sword in the ground and leaning against it as you desperately try and breathe, the lack of air forcing tears from your eyes.

You feel a hand on your back, gently rubbing circles as Daiyu takes some of your weight. "Deep breaths, force body to obey." You feel more tears of pain force themselves through your eyes as you force your lungs to expand, gulping down blessed air before you start coughing. "Good, ignore pain, is just body." You take several more long breaths, despite the sharp pain coming from your chest as you do so. Daiyu steps back, letting you slowly stand up as you catch your breath.

"Fuuu-" a cough interrupts you"uuck, that hurt."

She nods at you, dismissing her sword. "This is combat, pain is close friend, you will be very familiar with her." She lets the rest of her armour fade away and you only just notice now that your own has done so as well. "You did well, will not object to lessons." She smiles brightly, her previous harsh demeanour gone. "I like you, have much promise."

You force yourself upright, sheathing your sword even while your lungs protest mightily to the battering they had been given. "I guess you're alright." Her smile is practically blinding and she sweeps forwards, picking you up in a princess carry as she sets off towards your rooms. "Hey!" Your try your best, but you can't wriggle out of her iron grip. "Put me down you crazy bitch!"

She just smiles down at you, a tiny bit of smugness leaking from the corner of her grin. "Injured Junior, must take responsibility." She starts skipping down the hallways, doing something with magic to make sure she doesn't jolt you.

The hallways are filled with your loud protests as you try to escape, slipping into French as you raise your voice at your captor. Many eyes are drawn your way and try as you might, you fail to hide the bright blush that is burning on your face, torn between burying your face in Daiyu's shoulder to hide it and hitting her for carrying you in such an embarrassing way.

But, I guess I don't mind that much.

POV
[] Sisters
[] Morgan

 

[Rukia]

Cerys POV

"...in the jungles of Africa." You look down as you finish the sentence. Una looks like she's asleep, but you know better. After a moment of staring, she cautiously peeks an eye open, looking up at you curious as to why you'd stopped. The book closes with a quiet rasp as you set it down on your lap, stretching your legs and arms, your sister barely even shifting at the movement as she clings to you. She makes a few grumbles, resting her back against your chest as you chuckle, bouncing her entire body slightly. "That's the end of the last chapter." That was a pretty good book, I'll have to see if there are more by the same guy.

You slide the book back into its place as you stand, scooping up your sister with your other hand and setting her on your hip as you walk into the corridor. "Bath time, we smell." A small smile comes to her face as she helps balance herself against your side. Honestly, she was getting a little too big to be doing this, you had to use a little bit of magic to carry her so effortlessly. Still, you make it up the stairs with a bit of a bounce in each step, taking them two at a time. You really did smell, the saltwater and blood from earlier in the day clung to you heavily. Una had probably noticed but not said anything.

Not that she was much better, her hair needed a good brush and a wash, otherwise she was going to have one hell of a tangle in the morning. Well, later in the morning, a wall clock informs you that it is currently four hours past midnight. You briefly think about being quiet, seeing that Karen is probably asleep, before you catch sight of her in the Master bedroom, working away at a small pile of paperwork. You knock on her door with your free hand and wait for her to turn around. "Bath time." You tilt your head towards your sister and she nods at you.

"Don't turn the hot all the way, it'll come out scalding." The heat doesn't really bother you, but it would be bad if Una got burnt, no matter how much love she seems to have for fire these days. You nod back in thanks and set off for the bathroom, setting Una down once you are inside and turning the hot on most of the way. There is a moment of nothing before hot water suddenly bursts from the tap in a torrent. You just barely manage to move your hand and keep it from spraying all over the bathroom.

You shuck off your clothes and drop them into a pile as the tub fills when you see your sister, despite her best efforts, she doesn't seem to be able to lift her left arm above her shoulder to remove her t-shirt. You move over to her quickly, pulling up her shirt so you can see her shoulder, it's a little red and covered in wavy patterns. You almost panic before remembering that she had just been lying on it for several hours, the pattern was just her shirt. "Roll your shoulder."

She complies and does so with a little difficulty, her movements becoming smoother as she continues. Haaa, nothing wrong, just a dead arm. You help her remove her shirt and let her finish getting undressed, glancing back to the tub when your sense lets you know it's three-quarters full. You lower the temperature a little for Una as you slide into the water, letting out a deep sigh as you sink in up to your neck. Your sister climbs in a moment later, squeezing in between your legs and sinking down until only her eyes are above the water.

The two of you lie there in silence for a while, broken only by your sister shifting upwards to breath. Eventually you tap her shoulder as you sit up, water sloshing off of you a she looks up. "Pass the soap." She nods, carefully picking up the little blue bar and passing it to you. When you are done you do her back, swapping to let her do yours before you get her to dunk her hair, smoothing your fingers through the matted bunches. Her face scrunches in a little pain up as you carefully pick through the biggest knots, but she lets out an almost purring noise when you start rubbing the shampoo in.

When you are washing the shampoo out, you you see a tiny little spark bouncing through her hair. You snatch it up with your hand, watching it dance along your arm, leaving tingling lines in it's wake before it returns to your sister. Thats... my magic? But not my magic? The feeling is so familiar, but it's not yours. You shift the magic you are emitting into your sister and notice something on the other end for the first time. It was just a void before, accepting your magic without issue, almost like it was her own.

Now, there was a tiny spark of that magic. It was difficult to distinguish from your own and it only sometimes followed your directions, but it was there. My sister's, this is her magic. You press your lips together at the thought, re-starting your washing at a questioning hum from your sister. You continue absent-mindedly examining it when you feel it prod back at you.

The sensation surprises you, making you jump as you spike your own magic in return. Your sister giggles at the feeling and you look down at her. "Did you do that on purpose?" Her giggles continue and she tilts her head backwards to look at you with innocent eyes, the look enhanced by the fact they were literally twinkling with a mixture of your and her own magic. A smile comes to your face as you prod back at her, running your fingers through the last unwashed section of her hair as she jumps, her giggles only growing stronger.

You turn around, dunking your hair as your sister shifts to help you wash yourself. Your little poke war continues through the rest of the bath, a breathless laugh echoing out as you finish washing. You used your superior control to negate her pokes while admitting your own, letting you achieve total dominance.

Lifting yourself out of the bath, you set Una down on one leg as you sit on the edge, a bit of magic running through your leg to help prop her up. You dry her hair, stopping her from shaking it out in your face as you dry the rest of her. When you are done she hops off of your leg, the little bit of magic the only thing stopping you from falling over as she spins on the spot, wet hair slapping you in the face. Goddamit.

The badly hidden smile on her face tells you everything you need to know about the little spin and instead of handing her the towel you gently throw it at her, the blob of fabric landing in her face with a satisfying thwump. You let out a little chuckle as she struggles to free herself, one eye peeking out of the towel, glaring at you cutely. You bow your head when she frees herself, letting her quickly rub your hair dry. Everything done, you pull on your underwear and leave your dirty clothes in the clothesbin.

The two of you pad your way into the closest guest bedroom, the one looking out the back. Una flops down onto the bed, letting out a long sigh as steam rises from her skin as you search through the drawers, coming across a hairbrush in the second one down. You sit down against the bed's headboard, patting the space between your legs. Una crawls over, and sits in-between your legs as you brush her hair, picking out long strands of white-blue hair as you go.

She almost sags in place, needing you to clench your legs together a little to stop her from slumping over. Honestly, you are such a cat. When you are done, you give her a moment to see if she'll fall asleep, but she shakes her head and looks back at you. You hand over the brush when she reaches for it, letting her climb over your legs and settle on the pillow behind you as she starts brushing your hair. Aaahhhh... You let out a quiet mumbling noise as you half close your eyes, a barely audible rumbling in your chest.

You open your eyes some point later, your sister poking you as she sets the hairbrush down. You blink your bleary eyes, shifting your numb legs from underneath you as you fall sideways onto the bed. Una crawls up alongside you, picking up one of your arms and curling it over her as she snuggles up against your chest. You giggle a little as her hair tickles your bare skin, but she settles down eventually, her breathing falling into an even rhythm. Is she actually asleep?

You wait a little longer, but her breathing is steady and so is her heart, beating slowly against your chest. Huh, I guess she was more tired than I though. You turn your attention to the other room, your sense tells you that Karen is settling down into bed herself. I should probably go to bed too. You close your eyes, extending your thermal range to cover a bit beyond the house and the grounds as you feel the weight of the day pulling down at you.

You feel a smile pull at your face as you take a deep breath, the familiar comforting scent of your sister filling your senses. She's safe here.

POV
[] Sisters
[] Cuifen
[] Starburn

 

[Rukia]

"Mmmhmhhmm." You turn one eye far to the south, a subtle whisper of the earth clearing the clouds from your view as you peer through a window. "Ah." The glare across the window from the rising sun fades at your request, the sleeping occupants revealed to you. "Thank you." They burn brightly to your sight, the elder of the two incredibly more so. "Yes, yes. Mmhpf, nagging female." Your path of vision is obstructed as your statement rumbles through the earth.

You let out a long sigh as you wait, your path opened up shortly with a rough gust tipping over one of your piles of gold in retaliation. "Oh, come on." You gently shove the pile with your tail as you roll your eyes. "I'm doing you a favour." The lack of more things falling over prompts you to turn your head back to observing Gaia's newest children. You focus on the one who had drawn your attention yesterday, a curious mixture of infinite energy and nothingness swirling around her like a cloak.

Mmm, playing with dangerous things there, woman. "Taking a hell of a risk mmm?" A gentle cooling breeze slides along your scales. Ahhhhh... "Don't think I'll help just because you give a wonderful massage." You snort, shaking a loose pile of rubble off of your nose. "Only because I live here, she was different." The Magical Girl shifts uneasily, some sense tickled by your gaze. Her little bud doesn't seem to react beyond moving closer. My, my, been poking through her already? The Knight's gaze turns towards you, a confused frown on her face. You've gotten awfully invested in this one haven't you, such a bother.

You close your eyes, letting out a long hum that shakes the ground as you think, internally sighing as part of the roof of your cave falls onto your tail. Bugger. "Hah, like she would. She probably left a gift for her successor somewhere in that vault of yours." An amused chuckle shakes your cave. "You call those weak things that came after her successors? Weak in heart, mind and body. One of your worst generations to date." The lack of protest to your words speaks volumes about her own thoughts.

Thinking about one of the only beings you have ever had the honour to call a friend is always a little bittersweet. You don't blame her for letting herself pass on as she did, humans just weren't made to live forever, nothing really was.

You let out a tired sigh as you peel open a single eyelid, debris falling from your scales as you stare through a hole in the roof, your guest helpfully clearing the sky so you could have a perfect view. You grunt in thanks, shifting a numb limb from under your bulk. "Leave me be, your problems are your own unless they involve me." Her presence leaves you, but you know she's still watching; she's always watching.

"Haaaaaa." Thankfully she keeps the sky open for you, a welling of nostalgia as memories come back, your human lying on your nose as you gaze at the stars. "Those were the days..."

POV
[] Cerys
[] Una
[] Karen

Spoiler: Starburn