@CamiCat Seems to me that if the Miseria are just "amalgamations of pure negative emotions," magic that is designed to play on negative emotions should have some sort of effect on them. I'm not saying that they have to go heart eyes for Suki, but maybe it can inhibit them in some other way, sort of like brief muscle paralysis? Can the vitality sapping kisses be allowed to work? I just like the idea of Suki being so out of her mind that she might try to snuggle up to a Miseria.
BrokenPromise With Rightious Hands
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28 min ago
GM
TheWendil The Wendil-Sama™ / ಠ_ಠ
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4 days ago
@BrokenPromise
I like the idea that her magic would stun the Miseria in some way. Not entirely destroy and not entirely purify them, but probably confuse them enough for an open attack; so that's fine. As for the vitality kisses, would she be sucking the life out of a Miseria? From the CS, it seems like it'd only enhance the "geas" and stun them more.
I like the idea that her magic would stun the Miseria in some way. Not entirely destroy and not entirely purify them, but probably confuse them enough for an open attack; so that's fine. As for the vitality kisses, would she be sucking the life out of a Miseria? From the CS, it seems like it'd only enhance the "geas" and stun them more.
The World A Thoroughly Unlikable Person
Member
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2 hrs ago
Alright, here we go. Glad I waited until now because while it might have been post-ready last night, now it's much better and I added a caveat about Miseria interaction to her magic, since that was just brought up.
Of course, let me know what needs changed and I'll get on it~
Of course, let me know what needs changed and I'll get on it~
• Appearance:
• Name:
Tsubomi Kana
• Title:
Acid Drop
• Age:
16
• Emblem:
A small rainbow colored star tattoo on her left wrist.
• Devil Arm:
Originally a simple scalpel, representing the small but effective change she could bring to the world, it has become larger and serrated with her loss of light. Now with a blade the size of a pocketknife's it is no longer an instrument of healing, but rather entirely one of harming.
• Magic:
Ironic for a girl who has lost her innate ability to empathize with others, her magic can best be described as "Empathy." Specifically the ESP version, in that she has a grasp on what others are feeling at most times. Despite this being magical in nature, she has picked up some tricks from using it that allow her to notice ticks and subtle changes that broadcast a person's emotional state even without magic. With her magic, stronger emotions are more strongly felt, making surprise attacks against her difficult, but leading to the potential of hiding more dangerous feelings with stronger positive ones, if one were to be skilled enough at manipulating their own emotions.
Much more useful, in her opinion, is the ability to influence the emotions of others. Originally this came from her own, in which she could transfer her own feelings to another person to keep everyone happy and on the same page. With effort, she could enhance them as well, leading to her now infamous "Miracles" water. Now though, she is more of a taker than a giver. Her influence works by stealing the emotions from one entity, storing them, and transferring them to a new target at a later time. Inverse to her original magic of making others feel like she does by pouring out, she now makes them feel like she does by drawing in, leading to apathy and lack of goodwill in her targets in most cases. These stolen emotions fuel her magic further, allowing for her to enter a state similar to adrenaline at the cost of burning through her stores of emotion. This state raises her combat abilities and mental processing speed greatly, but like adrenaline it comes with a drain on her when it stops, though this drain is emotional rather than physical. As such, after rather intense battles with Miseria she will often spend the next day in a state of complete apathy, usually choosing to sleep the day away rather than put effort into anything.
For some reason, Miseria seem only mildly affected by her influence over emotions. Perhaps because they are emotions, rather than a being that produces them...
• Background:
Some say that curiosity killed the cat, and fewer still say that satisfaction brought it back. Neither of these held true for young Tsubomi Kana, a girl whose mind is almost as troubled as her past. Yes, some say that curiosity killed the cat, but in fact the cat in question didn't seem to be much of a cat at all...
The strange creature, or perhaps machine, with the body of a housecat and the face of a television lay on its side in a pool of blood that bore the texture of static in the middle of the alleyway. Its head had been broken into pieces and a chunk had been taken out of its right side. Just inside the door that led to the alley were several drunken teenagers, clearly too young to be legally imbibing and without a care for that thought. Further inside were the flashing lights of a party where the youth of the town gathered. There were few rules here, and among them were none that prohibited the use of so-called "party favors." A few drinks of liquid fire, a few drops of illicit compounds, even a few needles were all available. Granted, the only ones that were supposed to be in the party were those old enough to drink, so why should they not be allowed the even finer pleasures of life that altered the mind?
Tsubomi was not the youngest at the event, though at fifteen she was still far too young to be there. Nonetheless she was accepted among the others... Of course, it helped that she was the equivalent of a walking drug, though only a scant few there knew her secret. With a few drinks of colored water from a bottle with "Miracles" written on the side in marker, a person could feel ecstasy without having to take a tab of it. This "drug" was highly sought after by the ravers, and they knew that only one person supplied it, and that its use was heavily regulated by that person. Even so, it tended to be a gateway drug to more dangerous things. Unfortunate, as Tsubomi made it with the genuine desire of getting people off of those more dangerous habits. After all, a magical girl was supposed to help people.
Eventually though, curiosity kicked in. What was so great about the drugs that people turned to when they ran out of their "miracles" allowance? She was bored, had sold all of her supply of her product, and was already high off the emotions of the party. Why shouldn't she do what they all did, and reach for even greater heights of pleasure? So she did. She took a hit of the next best thing to her own magical "drug," and one thing led to another. Soon she was over the moon and barely conscious. Stumbling out of the alley door, she came across the dead Mascot. The smell of blood was overwhelming, and- ...Blood? Did Mascots bleed? Whether or not they did was irrelevant, as it turned out, because the smell came from behind her, towards the nearby dumpster. The drunken teens lay mangled and broken behind it, and the sight almost shocked her back down to earth. Almost. And when the Miseria dropped from the roof above her, she almost managed to dodge. Almost.
Before she could react she was set upon and quickly subdued by the monster. Her life would have flashed before her eyes if she could properly experience the fear that she should have felt. Just before the creature was able to finish her off another Magical Girl who had been passing by slew the Miseria, freeing Tsubomi from the jaws of death. That girl walked away from the night disturbed by the bodies that she had seen but ultimately unharmed. Tsubomi was not so lucky. In her addled state, she had lost her reason and her hope of survival. Later, when she finally processed the events of the night, she came to find that she had lost her empathy. Not in a philosophical sense but in a literal one. She found that she could no longer relate to or care about other people. Soon her social standing at school fell to nothing, followed by her grades, and then her home life. She was eventually kicked out of her home, sent by her loving but unable to coexist parents to live with her less loving but more financially stable aunt and uncle. Doing so broke her parents' hearts but they couldn't manage to raise her alongside her siblings when she was like this.
Now, her new family unit was moving to Hibusa Town, and she was on a path to meet those who were more like her than she would have thought. Curiosity had not killed this cat, but it had tried, and it had irrevocably altered it nonetheless. It's just too bad that satisfaction wasn't there to bring it back.
• Sample Post:
• Other:
Tsubomi has only just finished moving to Hibusa Town, and is about to start her first day at Hibusa High. Even though she has been mostly corrupted, she's still in the process of finalizing that corruption, and so there is still a spark of light in her soul.
• Name:
Tsubomi Kana
• Title:
Acid Drop
• Age:
16
• Emblem:
A small rainbow colored star tattoo on her left wrist.
• Devil Arm:
Originally a simple scalpel, representing the small but effective change she could bring to the world, it has become larger and serrated with her loss of light. Now with a blade the size of a pocketknife's it is no longer an instrument of healing, but rather entirely one of harming.
• Magic:
Ironic for a girl who has lost her innate ability to empathize with others, her magic can best be described as "Empathy." Specifically the ESP version, in that she has a grasp on what others are feeling at most times. Despite this being magical in nature, she has picked up some tricks from using it that allow her to notice ticks and subtle changes that broadcast a person's emotional state even without magic. With her magic, stronger emotions are more strongly felt, making surprise attacks against her difficult, but leading to the potential of hiding more dangerous feelings with stronger positive ones, if one were to be skilled enough at manipulating their own emotions.
Much more useful, in her opinion, is the ability to influence the emotions of others. Originally this came from her own, in which she could transfer her own feelings to another person to keep everyone happy and on the same page. With effort, she could enhance them as well, leading to her now infamous "Miracles" water. Now though, she is more of a taker than a giver. Her influence works by stealing the emotions from one entity, storing them, and transferring them to a new target at a later time. Inverse to her original magic of making others feel like she does by pouring out, she now makes them feel like she does by drawing in, leading to apathy and lack of goodwill in her targets in most cases. These stolen emotions fuel her magic further, allowing for her to enter a state similar to adrenaline at the cost of burning through her stores of emotion. This state raises her combat abilities and mental processing speed greatly, but like adrenaline it comes with a drain on her when it stops, though this drain is emotional rather than physical. As such, after rather intense battles with Miseria she will often spend the next day in a state of complete apathy, usually choosing to sleep the day away rather than put effort into anything.
For some reason, Miseria seem only mildly affected by her influence over emotions. Perhaps because they are emotions, rather than a being that produces them...
• Background:
Some say that curiosity killed the cat, and fewer still say that satisfaction brought it back. Neither of these held true for young Tsubomi Kana, a girl whose mind is almost as troubled as her past. Yes, some say that curiosity killed the cat, but in fact the cat in question didn't seem to be much of a cat at all...
The strange creature, or perhaps machine, with the body of a housecat and the face of a television lay on its side in a pool of blood that bore the texture of static in the middle of the alleyway. Its head had been broken into pieces and a chunk had been taken out of its right side. Just inside the door that led to the alley were several drunken teenagers, clearly too young to be legally imbibing and without a care for that thought. Further inside were the flashing lights of a party where the youth of the town gathered. There were few rules here, and among them were none that prohibited the use of so-called "party favors." A few drinks of liquid fire, a few drops of illicit compounds, even a few needles were all available. Granted, the only ones that were supposed to be in the party were those old enough to drink, so why should they not be allowed the even finer pleasures of life that altered the mind?
Tsubomi was not the youngest at the event, though at fifteen she was still far too young to be there. Nonetheless she was accepted among the others... Of course, it helped that she was the equivalent of a walking drug, though only a scant few there knew her secret. With a few drinks of colored water from a bottle with "Miracles" written on the side in marker, a person could feel ecstasy without having to take a tab of it. This "drug" was highly sought after by the ravers, and they knew that only one person supplied it, and that its use was heavily regulated by that person. Even so, it tended to be a gateway drug to more dangerous things. Unfortunate, as Tsubomi made it with the genuine desire of getting people off of those more dangerous habits. After all, a magical girl was supposed to help people.
Eventually though, curiosity kicked in. What was so great about the drugs that people turned to when they ran out of their "miracles" allowance? She was bored, had sold all of her supply of her product, and was already high off the emotions of the party. Why shouldn't she do what they all did, and reach for even greater heights of pleasure? So she did. She took a hit of the next best thing to her own magical "drug," and one thing led to another. Soon she was over the moon and barely conscious. Stumbling out of the alley door, she came across the dead Mascot. The smell of blood was overwhelming, and- ...Blood? Did Mascots bleed? Whether or not they did was irrelevant, as it turned out, because the smell came from behind her, towards the nearby dumpster. The drunken teens lay mangled and broken behind it, and the sight almost shocked her back down to earth. Almost. And when the Miseria dropped from the roof above her, she almost managed to dodge. Almost.
Before she could react she was set upon and quickly subdued by the monster. Her life would have flashed before her eyes if she could properly experience the fear that she should have felt. Just before the creature was able to finish her off another Magical Girl who had been passing by slew the Miseria, freeing Tsubomi from the jaws of death. That girl walked away from the night disturbed by the bodies that she had seen but ultimately unharmed. Tsubomi was not so lucky. In her addled state, she had lost her reason and her hope of survival. Later, when she finally processed the events of the night, she came to find that she had lost her empathy. Not in a philosophical sense but in a literal one. She found that she could no longer relate to or care about other people. Soon her social standing at school fell to nothing, followed by her grades, and then her home life. She was eventually kicked out of her home, sent by her loving but unable to coexist parents to live with her less loving but more financially stable aunt and uncle. Doing so broke her parents' hearts but they couldn't manage to raise her alongside her siblings when she was like this.
Now, her new family unit was moving to Hibusa Town, and she was on a path to meet those who were more like her than she would have thought. Curiosity had not killed this cat, but it had tried, and it had irrevocably altered it nonetheless. It's just too bad that satisfaction wasn't there to bring it back.
• Sample Post:
Tsubomi only wanted the world to be peaceful and happy. That, and personal contentment. And to live forever. And to- Well, you get the point. She had a lot of wishes, so when she was confronted by a cat wearing a television on its head, asking what she truly desired, she was unsure how to respond. She spent days thinking it over, until she finally decided that she wanted to wish that people could be happy. If more people were happy, more people would care for others, and more people would help others be happy, right? Her wish wasn't granted in the way she expected, but it was technically granted. In exchange for becoming a magical girl, she would be able to hunt Miseria, the source of much unhappiness and general negativity. She was even granted magic that dealt in emotions directly, so if she worked hard enough, she could make many people very happy with her own power. The fact that she used this power to make money wasn't a bad thing, right? She had a skillset, and just like any skillset it was something that could be capitalized on, so why not get a little back for her efforts? Still, she stayed on the up and up, hunting Miseria and using her magic to put people in better mental states along the way. It really is too bad that she started getting envious of the people she helped...
---
Tsubomi walked down the alleyways she knew and hated from her school towards her home. Winter break was about to start, so it was cold, and the hoodie she was wearing was only helping so much, causing her to have ducked into the alley behind the liquor store to help keep the wind at bay. That was where she saw it. A creature of some sort with a television screen for a head jumped out from behind the garbage can and into her view. But Tsumbomi was more entranced than scared. She stopped in her tracks and the feline, for it appeared to be one on closer inspection, turned its static filled screen towards her. It took some time, but the creature(?) managed to convey its question: What do you wish for most? Whatever it is, the feline(?) was willing to grant it. To be honest with herself, Tsubomi didn't know. She asked if she could spend some time mulling over the question, and the cat(?) acquiesced. So she returned home, throwing off her backpack and hoodie after saying hello to her mother and sat in her room, mulling over the cat(?)'s question.
Eventually she decided that what she wanted most was to make the world a better place. But how could she do that? Would a wish for a better world really be possible? She doubted it. So after days of agonizing over the problem she decided to wish to be able to make people happy. She ventured back to the alleyway through the throngs of students now taking advantage of their break from school and found the television-headed cat once more. She took a deep breath, and gave her answer.
---
Tsubomi needed money. Her father had to take time off work and was out of PTO, so it was, in her mind, up to her as the oldest child to help out the family finances. She knew that there was quite a bit of... unsavory conduct in her town, and being relatively well liked at school had opened doors that wouldn't normally open for someone so young. A friend of a friend's sister's boyfriend's older brother was the chain that she pulled to get to a position where she could meet an honest to goodness drug dealer. And like a good dealer, Tsubomi gave out free samples. Not in her usual form, of course. She wasn't stupid, so once she knew the name and usual hangouts of her target she approached in her magical girl form. Luckily she already looked the part of a druggie, but she was the hunter here. Having approached the young man in a secluded area, she offered him a sample of a new drug she claimed to have developed. In all honesty it was just filtered water with some blue and red food coloring in it, but the lack of significant taste and the bright colors made it perfect. A bit of magic later and she had successfully altered the dealer's mental state enough to convince him that the "drug" worked as advertised. He offered a lot of money for a lot of product but she knew she couldn't do that. No, she had to make sure to regulate the use, not for safety concerns like she claimed, but because it only worked when she knew someone was using it.
She managed to convince the man and went home with an agreement to produce and distribute more in exchange for an up-front payment of more money than she had ever personally held before. She slipped it into her mother's purse unnoticed, and though her mother was an upstanding person who questioned the source of the bills, she also knew that her family needed the money at the moment. So she didn't pry too hard into where it came from, and Tsubomi never came forward to admit to being the one who put it there. She also never admitted to being the reason her siblings stopped fighting as often as they previously had, or why her parents' were so much less worried about the stresses of their day-to-day.
---
Now that Tsubomi has been brought into her extended family, she mostly uses her magic to keep them off her case. This made moving in with them and with them to Hibusa Town much more bearable.
---
Tsubomi walked down the alleyways she knew and hated from her school towards her home. Winter break was about to start, so it was cold, and the hoodie she was wearing was only helping so much, causing her to have ducked into the alley behind the liquor store to help keep the wind at bay. That was where she saw it. A creature of some sort with a television screen for a head jumped out from behind the garbage can and into her view. But Tsumbomi was more entranced than scared. She stopped in her tracks and the feline, for it appeared to be one on closer inspection, turned its static filled screen towards her. It took some time, but the creature(?) managed to convey its question: What do you wish for most? Whatever it is, the feline(?) was willing to grant it. To be honest with herself, Tsubomi didn't know. She asked if she could spend some time mulling over the question, and the cat(?) acquiesced. So she returned home, throwing off her backpack and hoodie after saying hello to her mother and sat in her room, mulling over the cat(?)'s question.
Eventually she decided that what she wanted most was to make the world a better place. But how could she do that? Would a wish for a better world really be possible? She doubted it. So after days of agonizing over the problem she decided to wish to be able to make people happy. She ventured back to the alleyway through the throngs of students now taking advantage of their break from school and found the television-headed cat once more. She took a deep breath, and gave her answer.
---
Tsubomi needed money. Her father had to take time off work and was out of PTO, so it was, in her mind, up to her as the oldest child to help out the family finances. She knew that there was quite a bit of... unsavory conduct in her town, and being relatively well liked at school had opened doors that wouldn't normally open for someone so young. A friend of a friend's sister's boyfriend's older brother was the chain that she pulled to get to a position where she could meet an honest to goodness drug dealer. And like a good dealer, Tsubomi gave out free samples. Not in her usual form, of course. She wasn't stupid, so once she knew the name and usual hangouts of her target she approached in her magical girl form. Luckily she already looked the part of a druggie, but she was the hunter here. Having approached the young man in a secluded area, she offered him a sample of a new drug she claimed to have developed. In all honesty it was just filtered water with some blue and red food coloring in it, but the lack of significant taste and the bright colors made it perfect. A bit of magic later and she had successfully altered the dealer's mental state enough to convince him that the "drug" worked as advertised. He offered a lot of money for a lot of product but she knew she couldn't do that. No, she had to make sure to regulate the use, not for safety concerns like she claimed, but because it only worked when she knew someone was using it.
She managed to convince the man and went home with an agreement to produce and distribute more in exchange for an up-front payment of more money than she had ever personally held before. She slipped it into her mother's purse unnoticed, and though her mother was an upstanding person who questioned the source of the bills, she also knew that her family needed the money at the moment. So she didn't pry too hard into where it came from, and Tsubomi never came forward to admit to being the one who put it there. She also never admitted to being the reason her siblings stopped fighting as often as they previously had, or why her parents' were so much less worried about the stresses of their day-to-day.
---
Now that Tsubomi has been brought into her extended family, she mostly uses her magic to keep them off her case. This made moving in with them and with them to Hibusa Town much more bearable.
• Other:
Tsubomi has only just finished moving to Hibusa Town, and is about to start her first day at Hibusa High. Even though she has been mostly corrupted, she's still in the process of finalizing that corruption, and so there is still a spark of light in her soul.
BrokenPromise With Rightious Hands
Member
Seen
28 min ago
@TheWendil I edited her magic/weapon combo way too many times, and I may have over simplified it in the final version.
So I wrote this:
Her kisses sap vitality. Additionally, kissing a "sweet spot" greatly accelerates the geas, which is sustained just by touching her target.
My original idea was that Suki was going to have a close range/grappler sort of fighting style. She can fight in close weapon range with her blood magic, but that's just to weaken targets enough for her to close the distance and use her more potent abilities. Not every fight is going to play out that way, but I'd like it to be an option.
Given how close Suki has to be to a target to harm it, I figured that she'd be getting beaten up a lot. It's not especially important to me that Suki can recover gobs of HP from her kisses, but I thought it was a nice way to handwave Suki getting beat up like a loony toon character during certain encounters. But I'm up for hearing your thoughts and concerns regarding that.
So I wrote this:
She also has vitality sapping kisses, and kissing someone on the lips or neck greatly accelerates the geas, provided they have those features.
Her kisses sap vitality. Additionally, kissing a "sweet spot" greatly accelerates the geas, which is sustained just by touching her target.
My original idea was that Suki was going to have a close range/grappler sort of fighting style. She can fight in close weapon range with her blood magic, but that's just to weaken targets enough for her to close the distance and use her more potent abilities. Not every fight is going to play out that way, but I'd like it to be an option.
Given how close Suki has to be to a target to harm it, I figured that she'd be getting beaten up a lot. It's not especially important to me that Suki can recover gobs of HP from her kisses, but I thought it was a nice way to handwave Suki getting beat up like a loony toon character during certain encounters. But I'm up for hearing your thoughts and concerns regarding that.
GM
TheWendil The Wendil-Sama™ / ಠ_ಠ
Member
Seen
4 days ago
@The World
Just to clarify some things to me, her magic basically buffs her via stolen emotions; am I understanding that correctly? Was she corrupted because she became addicted to her own Miracle "water"? Furthermore, I'd prefer if she started out already in the Detention Club. Given she's new and very corrupted, perhaps she heard about them and was contacted by someone on her first day? She could even be the person @BrokenPromise's character fancied that got her into the club for some connections. With how similar their powers are, I figure the two could be partners.
Speaking of which.
Yeah that's fine. I doubt she'd be able to kill or harm a Miseria in that way but the option is there for her. Just so we're on the same page, by vitality do you mean someone's life force or literally just their vitality?
Just to clarify some things to me, her magic basically buffs her via stolen emotions; am I understanding that correctly? Was she corrupted because she became addicted to her own Miracle "water"? Furthermore, I'd prefer if she started out already in the Detention Club. Given she's new and very corrupted, perhaps she heard about them and was contacted by someone on her first day? She could even be the person @BrokenPromise's character fancied that got her into the club for some connections. With how similar their powers are, I figure the two could be partners.
Speaking of which.
My original idea was that Suki was going to have a close range/grappler sort of fighting style. She can fight in close weapon range with her blood magic, but that's just to weaken targets enough for her to close the distance and use her more potent abilities. Not every fight is going to play out that way, but I'd like it to be an option.
Given how close Suki has to be to a target to harm it, I figured that she'd be getting beaten up a lot. It's not especially important to me that Suki can recover gobs of HP from her kisses, but I thought it was a nice way to handwave Suki getting beat up like a loony toon character during certain encounters. But I'm up for hearing your thoughts and concerns regarding that.
Yeah that's fine. I doubt she'd be able to kill or harm a Miseria in that way but the option is there for her. Just so we're on the same page, by vitality do you mean someone's life force or literally just their vitality?
Villamvihar Shocking Developments
Member
Seen
2 days ago
All right. I am not completely satisfied with my sheet yet, but perfection is the enemy of the good, yes? I will likely tighten up some sections later, but unless there is a problem with her powers or otherwise, this is the final form of my character.
• Appearance:
• Name: Hiramatsu Sylvia Chiaki Takae Shuuko
• Title: Kintsugi Shatterscape
• Age: 17
• Emblem: A shattered, oval mirror encased in a wooden frame. The mirror is split into four pieces - three of which are of roughly equivalent size, covering about five sixths of its reflective surface. These fragments are irregular and reflect the world in distorted colours. The remaining, triangle-shaped fragment is the only one that can still be used properly.
• Devil Arm: Hakushu Herculean Gauntlets: A pair of massive gauntlets nearly the size of Shatterscape's torso. They are a little unwieldy, but their destructive potential is quite impressive.
Before their transformation, they were a pair of ornate gloves that could conjure a wave of force by clapping.
• Magic: Hekatonkhiric Argonaut: Where once was one, there is now many. With considerable effort, Shatterscape may create copies of herself. The process takes at least twelve days, one for each step involved. As the last step of the process, she may choose how she wishes to use the copy: as an Oss or as a Khir. Oss are semi-autonomous flesh puppets without the ability to use magic or her Devil Arm. Khir, however, are true copies that are just as capable as the original host.
Up to twelve copies may be created like this, but only three Oss and one Khir may be active at once at any given time. Furthermore, the last step of the creation process may be performed on a copy as many times as desired, which means Shatterscape can gradually shift the ratio of copies to suit her purposes. She can also choose to directly control any Oss and Khir if she wishes, transferring her Emblem along with her consciousness between them in a split second, as long as they are within four hundred metres of each other.
Last but not least, these copies need not be identical to Shatterscape's original body, a possibility which intrigues her immensely. While the process itself is still in its infancy, she can already change the colour of the copies' hair, eyes and make subtle shifts to their body structure.
• Name: Hiramatsu Sylvia Chiaki Takae Shuuko
• Title: Kintsugi Shatterscape
• Age: 17
• Emblem: A shattered, oval mirror encased in a wooden frame. The mirror is split into four pieces - three of which are of roughly equivalent size, covering about five sixths of its reflective surface. These fragments are irregular and reflect the world in distorted colours. The remaining, triangle-shaped fragment is the only one that can still be used properly.
• Devil Arm: Hakushu Herculean Gauntlets: A pair of massive gauntlets nearly the size of Shatterscape's torso. They are a little unwieldy, but their destructive potential is quite impressive.
Before their transformation, they were a pair of ornate gloves that could conjure a wave of force by clapping.
• Magic: Hekatonkhiric Argonaut: Where once was one, there is now many. With considerable effort, Shatterscape may create copies of herself. The process takes at least twelve days, one for each step involved. As the last step of the process, she may choose how she wishes to use the copy: as an Oss or as a Khir. Oss are semi-autonomous flesh puppets without the ability to use magic or her Devil Arm. Khir, however, are true copies that are just as capable as the original host.
Up to twelve copies may be created like this, but only three Oss and one Khir may be active at once at any given time. Furthermore, the last step of the creation process may be performed on a copy as many times as desired, which means Shatterscape can gradually shift the ratio of copies to suit her purposes. She can also choose to directly control any Oss and Khir if she wishes, transferring her Emblem along with her consciousness between them in a split second, as long as they are within four hundred metres of each other.
Last but not least, these copies need not be identical to Shatterscape's original body, a possibility which intrigues her immensely. While the process itself is still in its infancy, she can already change the colour of the copies' hair, eyes and make subtle shifts to their body structure.
• Background: Hiramatsu Sylvia Chiaki's story started before her life as her mother, stifled by her family's expectations, fled. Finding happiness and love in the arms of a foreigner, she distanced herself from her elders... Until her boyfriend abandoned her shortly after she gave birth to their daughter. Much too inexperienced and lacking everything to care for her newborn, she tried going back to her family. They seemed to accept her with open arms.
She died within months. And then Sylvia learned just why it was her mother tried to escape Chiaki discovered that maybe her mother had been wrong after all. Yes, her grandparents were strict, abusing Sylvia for even the smallest of her miatakes but it was for her own good. Whenever she followed their advice, they did not raise their hands against Sylvia her life turned out for the better of it. As such, she soon found herself deep within the world of Shinto, leaning into her role as an apprentice shrine maiden so she could continue on with the family tradition.
Out of all the old practices taught by her family, Chiaki grew to be fascinated with Kintsugi, the art of repairing a precious object with gold. While no longer practiced in its original form, the idea of it lived on in the form of repairing precious things and making them more beautiful in the process. She did not know why she was drawn to it, but Sylvia did and wished Chiaki would become aware of it. After all, she felt lonely and cold. Her skin ached. She could not even stand tall like Chiaki. But maybe that was all right, because Chiaki's smile was precius to her. So much that she could shoulder all of Chiaki's pain.
As the years went by, the abuse became less severe Chiaki turned into a fine young lady. She kept her grades up, because she lived in terror of what would happen if she did not socialized well, or at least as well as she was permitted becoming one of the more popular shrine maidens in the community. She performed prayers daily, swept the grounds and was allowed to even participate in the sacred ceremonies. She felt happier than ever, whole-heartedly opening herself to her precious friends.
As such, when a strange cat appeared in the middle of the night and asked her to become a warrior of justice, she readily agreed. When she saw this, Sylvia felt proud of Chiaki... But she also feared the thing. Somehow, it appeared unnatural to her. Almost as though it had a plan of some sorts. Or maybe she was just seeing things? Either way, she knew they had to be careful; the family could not possibly find out about it. If they did, there would be hell to pay and Sylvia did not know if she could shield Chiaki from all of it.
Chiaki thought this as an extension of her shrine maiden duties. After all, what could be more important than to fight against evil and purify it? Unfortunately for her, not only did her family disagree with her logic, the strain of fighting the Miseria started to wear away at Chiaki.
It started small. An argument here, an argument there. Breaking curfew, but with a good reason. A Miseria that left a nasty bruise on her. A fight that left her so exhausted she could not study for the upcoming test. Shouting. Huddling up in her room, wishing that grandma and grandpa would understand. Waking up in the middle of the night in cold sweat, the warped forms of Miseria seeming as though they were beside her bed.
She could barely take it. Sylvia could not take on this burden either. But fortunately, a good friend called Hotaru could do it. After all, she fought the Miseria hundreds upon hundreds of times. She knew their tricks inside and out, not to mention she was much more athletic than Chiaki. She also knew how to sneak out without being noticed, a skill essential to fighting the monsters at night. She enjoyed it so much she wished she could share the feelings with Chiaki. But unfortunately for Hotaru, the monsters scared Chiaki immensely. She did not want to go near them, never mind fight them.
Sylvia was much more amenable to the suggestion, however, and with the support of Hotaru, she too, started to learn what it was to face danger. And so she decided to not go out as often; it hurt her heart, but Chiaki would do everything for her family. Besides, her friends had the situation well in hand, or at least so she thought until a nasty encounter landed her in the hospital. Her grandparents were furious. They nearly disowned her right then, but Sylvia talked them down somehow. However, it soon became clear that they could not protect Chiaki like this. Not anymore.
As Sylvia and Hotaru tried to figure out what to do, another one of their comrades appeared, seemingly without rhyme or reason. Calling herself Ember, she spoke well as she argued for two things: One, the only way they could protect Chiaki was to restrict her freedom for her own sake. Two, they too, deserved some joy in their lives. Have they not sacrificed enough for Chiaki? No one would begrudge them for enjoying what the world had to offer. Needless to say, it did not take long to convince the other two of her point.
Choosing to take on a new name as the ultimate gesture of distancing themselves from their "families" and the world at large, the three created Takae Shuuko, a gesture which shattered and changed Hiramatsu Chiaki's already strained magic. From then on, the old magical girl was no more. Into her place stepped Shatterscape, who lived more for herself than the nebulous idea of helping others.
She died within months. And then Sylvia learned just why it was her mother tried to escape Chiaki discovered that maybe her mother had been wrong after all. Yes, her grandparents were strict, abusing Sylvia for even the smallest of her miatakes but it was for her own good. Whenever she followed their advice, they did not raise their hands against Sylvia her life turned out for the better of it. As such, she soon found herself deep within the world of Shinto, leaning into her role as an apprentice shrine maiden so she could continue on with the family tradition.
Out of all the old practices taught by her family, Chiaki grew to be fascinated with Kintsugi, the art of repairing a precious object with gold. While no longer practiced in its original form, the idea of it lived on in the form of repairing precious things and making them more beautiful in the process. She did not know why she was drawn to it, but Sylvia did and wished Chiaki would become aware of it. After all, she felt lonely and cold. Her skin ached. She could not even stand tall like Chiaki. But maybe that was all right, because Chiaki's smile was precius to her. So much that she could shoulder all of Chiaki's pain.
As the years went by, the abuse became less severe Chiaki turned into a fine young lady. She kept her grades up, because she lived in terror of what would happen if she did not socialized well, or at least as well as she was permitted becoming one of the more popular shrine maidens in the community. She performed prayers daily, swept the grounds and was allowed to even participate in the sacred ceremonies. She felt happier than ever, whole-heartedly opening herself to her precious friends.
As such, when a strange cat appeared in the middle of the night and asked her to become a warrior of justice, she readily agreed. When she saw this, Sylvia felt proud of Chiaki... But she also feared the thing. Somehow, it appeared unnatural to her. Almost as though it had a plan of some sorts. Or maybe she was just seeing things? Either way, she knew they had to be careful; the family could not possibly find out about it. If they did, there would be hell to pay and Sylvia did not know if she could shield Chiaki from all of it.
Chiaki thought this as an extension of her shrine maiden duties. After all, what could be more important than to fight against evil and purify it? Unfortunately for her, not only did her family disagree with her logic, the strain of fighting the Miseria started to wear away at Chiaki.
It started small. An argument here, an argument there. Breaking curfew, but with a good reason. A Miseria that left a nasty bruise on her. A fight that left her so exhausted she could not study for the upcoming test. Shouting. Huddling up in her room, wishing that grandma and grandpa would understand. Waking up in the middle of the night in cold sweat, the warped forms of Miseria seeming as though they were beside her bed.
She could barely take it. Sylvia could not take on this burden either. But fortunately, a good friend called Hotaru could do it. After all, she fought the Miseria hundreds upon hundreds of times. She knew their tricks inside and out, not to mention she was much more athletic than Chiaki. She also knew how to sneak out without being noticed, a skill essential to fighting the monsters at night. She enjoyed it so much she wished she could share the feelings with Chiaki. But unfortunately for Hotaru, the monsters scared Chiaki immensely. She did not want to go near them, never mind fight them.
Sylvia was much more amenable to the suggestion, however, and with the support of Hotaru, she too, started to learn what it was to face danger. And so she decided to not go out as often; it hurt her heart, but Chiaki would do everything for her family. Besides, her friends had the situation well in hand, or at least so she thought until a nasty encounter landed her in the hospital. Her grandparents were furious. They nearly disowned her right then, but Sylvia talked them down somehow. However, it soon became clear that they could not protect Chiaki like this. Not anymore.
As Sylvia and Hotaru tried to figure out what to do, another one of their comrades appeared, seemingly without rhyme or reason. Calling herself Ember, she spoke well as she argued for two things: One, the only way they could protect Chiaki was to restrict her freedom for her own sake. Two, they too, deserved some joy in their lives. Have they not sacrificed enough for Chiaki? No one would begrudge them for enjoying what the world had to offer. Needless to say, it did not take long to convince the other two of her point.
Choosing to take on a new name as the ultimate gesture of distancing themselves from their "families" and the world at large, the three created Takae Shuuko, a gesture which shattered and changed Hiramatsu Chiaki's already strained magic. From then on, the old magical girl was no more. Into her place stepped Shatterscape, who lived more for herself than the nebulous idea of helping others.
• Sample Post: When Chiaki made her wish, it had been the happiest day of Sylvia's life.
After countless years of cowering and hiding, Chiaki had made a decision not influenced by her grandparents. She did not go against their word, however, as suspicious as the cat had been, it gave them an opportunity. Because surely, if it approached them, it had approached others before. There were more like them. There were more like them! Chiaki could finally find friends, enemies, true peers... she could maybe even start wriggling out of the grasp of the old crones. Then perhaps Sylvia could reveal herself. She could make friends with Chiaki.
What a worthless dream.
Sylvia's tears stained Chiaki's bruised hands. They travelled down Chiaki's injured cheeks, touching the busted lips, then falling in front of her injured ribs. And yet the only thing she could think of was how these wounds were nothing compared to what she had suffered at the hands of Chiaki's grandparents. Her supposed family.
Because Chiaki did not do any of what Sylvia hoped Chiaki would do. She tried to bear it all herself. But she could not. No one could and Sylvia knew it. So why had not Chiaki listened? Sylvia tried to talk to her so many, many, many, many times, but Chiaki... Why?!
Without warning, it felt as though a pair of warm hands embraced her from behind. Carefully navigating around her wounds, Hotaru wrapped her arms around Sylvia's stomach, then applied just a little bit of force to let the other girl know of her presence. She remained silent, for there were no words, nor thoughts in either of their heads. They only knew that something had to happen or else they were the ones who would break. Chiaki? She could never take on their burden. Not even one percent of it. She was a precious thing to be protected, but she always, always wandered into danger by herself. And in the end it would be them who paid the price.
Kami, if only Chiaki had found some friends! But she never dared to approach the other girls. Not even when they extended their hands towards her, openly inviting her to join them.
More tears. Sylvia's vision blurred as Chiaki's hands bunched up, but there was so little power in them that they could barely move. She felt little hics escape her throat, a lump building deep inside of her, body becoming heavier by the second, almost as though someone kept attaching weights to her while she swum on top of the ocean. And she was so, so tired of swimming.
"Then why not discard those weights and swim towards the shore?" She flinched at the voice she never heard before. It was a little low for a woman, but it was steady, confident and full of emotion. "I... we... we all deserve better than this, Sylvia." Concern. The woman was actually concerned for her.
"Who are you?" Sylvia asked, trying to get a look at the woman.
"I'm Ember. And... it breaks my heart to see you like this." The woman seemed to step closer, her image becoming clear despite the tears. Tall. Short, red hair. Blue eyes. An adult both in body and soul. "You... I don't even have words. Hotaru, Sylvia... I'm so sorry for you. And I'm sorry for Chiaki, too."
Sylvia let out an anguished cry and sobbed into the already stained sheets even as Hotaru hugged her tight, making soft, cooing noises. But no matter how much the other girl tried, the sobbing would not stop. It flowed relentlessly, almost completely dominating Sylvia. Her face became ugly and swollen with countless tears, so much that the others could not help themselves and joined her. Hotaru cried silent tears as was her custom while Ember tried her best to keep it together - not that she succeeded.
"Sylvi," Hotaru voiced after some time. Her eyes were red and poofed up, just like everyone else's. "I can still fight. But you can't."
"Chiaki can't fight either. And I don't want to." Ember. "And I don't want any of you to fight. Children... they... Fuck this whole thing inside out!" Her voice cracked like a whip when she let her anger out. "I'm the one who should be in this bed! You're barely sixteen; what are you doing getting injured like that? Fuck... I'm sorry for swearing, but fuck. Listen. Both of you. When Chiaki wakes up, it is time to run. I know a place."
"Will we be safe?" asked Hotaru.
"Yeah. Those fu... err... your "family" won't be able to hurt you there. And you won't have to fight those things all the time anymore. You won't be alone either. Just don't let those bastards see you on the way to Hibusa and we'll talk more there, all right?" Ember gave the address to the two as she stood up. "I'll be waiting for you with icecream." She winked her puffed up-eyes before she left Sylvia and Hotaru alone once again, having left the number of a taxi and a place they could visit.
It did not take long for Sylvia to call.
After countless years of cowering and hiding, Chiaki had made a decision not influenced by her grandparents. She did not go against their word, however, as suspicious as the cat had been, it gave them an opportunity. Because surely, if it approached them, it had approached others before. There were more like them. There were more like them! Chiaki could finally find friends, enemies, true peers... she could maybe even start wriggling out of the grasp of the old crones. Then perhaps Sylvia could reveal herself. She could make friends with Chiaki.
What a worthless dream.
Sylvia's tears stained Chiaki's bruised hands. They travelled down Chiaki's injured cheeks, touching the busted lips, then falling in front of her injured ribs. And yet the only thing she could think of was how these wounds were nothing compared to what she had suffered at the hands of Chiaki's grandparents. Her supposed family.
Because Chiaki did not do any of what Sylvia hoped Chiaki would do. She tried to bear it all herself. But she could not. No one could and Sylvia knew it. So why had not Chiaki listened? Sylvia tried to talk to her so many, many, many, many times, but Chiaki... Why?!
Without warning, it felt as though a pair of warm hands embraced her from behind. Carefully navigating around her wounds, Hotaru wrapped her arms around Sylvia's stomach, then applied just a little bit of force to let the other girl know of her presence. She remained silent, for there were no words, nor thoughts in either of their heads. They only knew that something had to happen or else they were the ones who would break. Chiaki? She could never take on their burden. Not even one percent of it. She was a precious thing to be protected, but she always, always wandered into danger by herself. And in the end it would be them who paid the price.
Kami, if only Chiaki had found some friends! But she never dared to approach the other girls. Not even when they extended their hands towards her, openly inviting her to join them.
More tears. Sylvia's vision blurred as Chiaki's hands bunched up, but there was so little power in them that they could barely move. She felt little hics escape her throat, a lump building deep inside of her, body becoming heavier by the second, almost as though someone kept attaching weights to her while she swum on top of the ocean. And she was so, so tired of swimming.
"Then why not discard those weights and swim towards the shore?" She flinched at the voice she never heard before. It was a little low for a woman, but it was steady, confident and full of emotion. "I... we... we all deserve better than this, Sylvia." Concern. The woman was actually concerned for her.
"Who are you?" Sylvia asked, trying to get a look at the woman.
"I'm Ember. And... it breaks my heart to see you like this." The woman seemed to step closer, her image becoming clear despite the tears. Tall. Short, red hair. Blue eyes. An adult both in body and soul. "You... I don't even have words. Hotaru, Sylvia... I'm so sorry for you. And I'm sorry for Chiaki, too."
Sylvia let out an anguished cry and sobbed into the already stained sheets even as Hotaru hugged her tight, making soft, cooing noises. But no matter how much the other girl tried, the sobbing would not stop. It flowed relentlessly, almost completely dominating Sylvia. Her face became ugly and swollen with countless tears, so much that the others could not help themselves and joined her. Hotaru cried silent tears as was her custom while Ember tried her best to keep it together - not that she succeeded.
"Sylvi," Hotaru voiced after some time. Her eyes were red and poofed up, just like everyone else's. "I can still fight. But you can't."
"Chiaki can't fight either. And I don't want to." Ember. "And I don't want any of you to fight. Children... they... Fuck this whole thing inside out!" Her voice cracked like a whip when she let her anger out. "I'm the one who should be in this bed! You're barely sixteen; what are you doing getting injured like that? Fuck... I'm sorry for swearing, but fuck. Listen. Both of you. When Chiaki wakes up, it is time to run. I know a place."
"Will we be safe?" asked Hotaru.
"Yeah. Those fu... err... your "family" won't be able to hurt you there. And you won't have to fight those things all the time anymore. You won't be alone either. Just don't let those bastards see you on the way to Hibusa and we'll talk more there, all right?" Ember gave the address to the two as she stood up. "I'll be waiting for you with icecream." She winked her puffed up-eyes before she left Sylvia and Hotaru alone once again, having left the number of a taxi and a place they could visit.
It did not take long for Sylvia to call.
The World A Thoroughly Unlikable Person
Member
Seen
2 hrs ago
@TheWendil
Yeah, that's the main part. She can sort of give other people emotions based on what she's stolen, but that isn't super effective after she got corrupted.
The "Miracle" water is just water while she altered people's emotions manually, she got corrupted because she was on so many actually mind-altering substances that when she saw the dead bodies and was attacked, she sort of just snapped.
No worries on the club joining time, I can easily go with that, I just figured it would be better to show it on screen, but if it's better to have her have already joined then I'll go with that.
Yeah, that's the main part. She can sort of give other people emotions based on what she's stolen, but that isn't super effective after she got corrupted.
The "Miracle" water is just water while she altered people's emotions manually, she got corrupted because she was on so many actually mind-altering substances that when she saw the dead bodies and was attacked, she sort of just snapped.
No worries on the club joining time, I can easily go with that, I just figured it would be better to show it on screen, but if it's better to have her have already joined then I'll go with that.
@Ponn
Wanna be magical girl partners?
Sure!
Although I think it would be best to play their inital meeting out ICly, since the opening club meeting of the rp will be Nyxia's first (and thus first time meeting any of the other members, save for Wendil's girl).
BrokenPromise With Rightious Hands
Member
Seen
28 min ago
Yeah that's fine. I doubt she'd be able to kill or harm a Miseria in that way but the option is there for her.
Her geas? Yea, that's strictly to make her attacks harder to avoid and was never intended to cause harm.
Just so we're on the same page, by vitality do you mean someone's life force or literally just their vitality?
Yes.
I more think about how my character works in terms of mechanics, and Vitality and life force have been used interchangeably for so long I've forgotten the difference between the two. I was thinking that the target of her kisses take some of their "Hit points" and then said hit points are used to close her wounds. If you have a suggestion that most closely matches that, I'll use it when making edits.
If you wouldn't mind me asking, what is the difference between the two?
Lonewolf685 Inquisitive and Immortal
Member
Seen
6 days ago
@Ponn
Yeah I don’t think they will be amazing friends but Earthshaker would be the only one confidant enough to wrangle an outside element even if she would sympathize with her goals and intentions.
Yeah I don’t think they will be amazing friends but Earthshaker would be the only one confidant enough to wrangle an outside element even if she would sympathize with her goals and intentions.
coGM
@TheWendil
Yeah, that's the main part. She can sort of give other people emotions based on what she's stolen, but that isn't super effective after she got corrupted.
The "Miracle" water is just water while she altered people's emotions manually, she got corrupted because she was on so many actually mind-altering substances that when she saw the dead bodies and was attacked, she sort of just snapped.
No worries on the club joining time, I can easily go with that, I just figured it would be better to show it on screen, but if it's better to have her have already joined then I'll go with that.
Yeah, that's chill. Go ahead and move your character on into the characters tab then ^^ Wendil will update it later.
GM
TheWendil The Wendil-Sama™ / ಠ_ಠ
Member
Seen
4 days ago
Yes.
I more think about how my character works in terms of mechanics, and Vitality and life force have been used interchangeably for so long I've forgotten the difference between the two. I was thinking that the target of her kisses take some of their "Hit points" and then said hit points are used to close her wounds. If you have a suggestion that most closely matches that, I'll use it when making edits.
Ah, I get it now; so it's indeed life force. In that case we're on the same page. As said, she probably wouldn't be able to suck the life force from a Miseria but there's nothing saying she can't try so that's fine. That should be everything clarified unless I missed something, so she's good to go in the Character Tab.
If you wouldn't mind me asking, what is the difference between the two?
I usually think of someone's energy when "vitality" is mentioned. So not life force per se but sucking their energy and leaving them lethargic.
GM
TheWendil The Wendil-Sama™ / ಠ_ಠ
Member
Seen
4 days ago
@Villamvihar
Her magic and weapon are fine but I have a few questions about her backstory. Just so I'm understanding this right, are Sylvia and Chiaki two personas for one girl? Were Hotaru and Ember real too or were they just figments in her mind?
Her magic and weapon are fine but I have a few questions about her backstory. Just so I'm understanding this right, are Sylvia and Chiaki two personas for one girl? Were Hotaru and Ember real too or were they just figments in her mind?
coGM
We've enough people at this point to begin creating teams, we're still open for more people to join on in but lets start getting people together!
Lone and Ponn are already figured out, so you can discuss amongst yourselves who you would like to team up with and you can then talk about character relations and whatnot. Oh and maybe you'll want to think of a team name, that would be cute and fun, perhaps.
Teams are pairs of two! Far more organised than those pesky light girls.
Lone and Ponn are already figured out, so you can discuss amongst yourselves who you would like to team up with and you can then talk about character relations and whatnot. Oh and maybe you'll want to think of a team name, that would be cute and fun, perhaps.
Teams are pairs of two! Far more organised than those pesky light girls.
Villamvihar Shocking Developments
Member
Seen
2 days ago
@Villamvihar
Her magic and weapon are fine but I have a few questions about her backstory. Just so I'm understanding this right, are Sylvia and Chiaki two personas for one girl? Were Hotaru and Ember real too or were they just figments in her mind?
All of them are personas / separate personalities that only exist in her head. However, she does see them as though they were real people.
GM
TheWendil The Wendil-Sama™ / ಠ_ಠ
Member
Seen
4 days ago
In that case she's good to go, @Villamvihar; just wanted to clarify that. You can place her in the Character Tab.
Villamvihar Shocking Developments
Member
Seen
2 days ago
Done and done!
GM
TheWendil The Wendil-Sama™ / ಠ_ಠ
Member
Seen
4 days ago
At max I'll accept 1 more Dark Girl (not including Broken and another whos's shown interest) and 1 more Light Girl if someone wants to play that. This makes a total of 10 Dark Girls (5 teams) and 3 Light Girls in the RP. I'll be starting us sometime this week.
Struck by a desire to cook, when I should've been asleep three hours ago.
Emblem
Sweet/Devil Arm
Magic
Emblem
A pair of color contacts, dying her dark eyes a brilliant, sparkling blue. Like the ocean on a sunny day. If she does not wear the complete set, she cannot transform. If one half is destroyed, her whole life is ended.
Sweet/Devil Arm
A child’s romanticized vision of what a war hammer ought to be. It is a metal stick the length of her body, ending with a hammerhead like a concrete block. Medals, like the sorts one would get pinned to their chest as a participation reward on Sports Day, are inexplicably stuck upon its surface. The number of medals grow, but what triggers the addition of more medals is unknown, except that it is not tied to the extermination of Miseria.
Magic
Attraction and Repulsion, centered upon Magical Girl and Armament.
Simply put, Nonsuch is able to pull herself towards or push herself away from her weapon or vice versa. The speed of the attraction is enough to be weaponized, and the force of the repulsion is enough to serve as transportation. As such, despite her propensity for wielding her weapon properly as a melee weapon, its true destructive potential is realized only when she treats it as a ranged weapon, to be thrown and pulled like a yoyo.
Simply put, Nonsuch is able to pull herself towards or push herself away from her weapon or vice versa. The speed of the attraction is enough to be weaponized, and the force of the repulsion is enough to serve as transportation. As such, despite her propensity for wielding her weapon properly as a melee weapon, its true destructive potential is realized only when she treats it as a ranged weapon, to be thrown and pulled like a yoyo.
What could be said, about a Magical Girl who has never fallen?
Suna’s family was reasonable. They were well off, her dad a chef specializing in Okinawan cuisine, her mother the branch manager of a high-end fashion outlet. She had a younger brother with the most adorably marshmallow-y cheeks there ever could be, and the family dog was big and fluffy, always cheerfully barking away.
Her household was always loud and hearty, exclaiming the things that Japanese people rarely did. What a wonderful it was, to wear one’s heart on their sleeve! Kindness and justice were things to glorify, and rightfully so! Her dad loved his tokusatsus, after all. Costumed warriors destroying evil with their fists, emblazoned with brilliant special effects and glorious theme songs. Her mother like her police dramas more, careful investigations and litigations showing just how far an intelligent villain could circumvent the broken justice system.
A cheerful, emphatic family life, contrasting to the tranquility, the platitudes, of the world beyond the walls. In her childhood, Suna decided that the world existed only in contrasts.
A Hero without a Villain was out of the job. A Villain without a Hero was just playing on Story Mode. The greater one was, the greater the other would be. Light and Shadow, each intensifying in response to the other!
What could be said, about a Magical Girl who has never fallen, other than how grateful she was for her Darker sisters?
After all, Hibusa Town was such a wonderful place for a runaway to be.
Suna’s family was reasonable. They were well off, her dad a chef specializing in Okinawan cuisine, her mother the branch manager of a high-end fashion outlet. She had a younger brother with the most adorably marshmallow-y cheeks there ever could be, and the family dog was big and fluffy, always cheerfully barking away.
Her household was always loud and hearty, exclaiming the things that Japanese people rarely did. What a wonderful it was, to wear one’s heart on their sleeve! Kindness and justice were things to glorify, and rightfully so! Her dad loved his tokusatsus, after all. Costumed warriors destroying evil with their fists, emblazoned with brilliant special effects and glorious theme songs. Her mother like her police dramas more, careful investigations and litigations showing just how far an intelligent villain could circumvent the broken justice system.
A cheerful, emphatic family life, contrasting to the tranquility, the platitudes, of the world beyond the walls. In her childhood, Suna decided that the world existed only in contrasts.
A Hero without a Villain was out of the job. A Villain without a Hero was just playing on Story Mode. The greater one was, the greater the other would be. Light and Shadow, each intensifying in response to the other!
What could be said, about a Magical Girl who has never fallen, other than how grateful she was for her Darker sisters?
After all, Hibusa Town was such a wonderful place for a runaway to be.
She can hear it.
The ringing in her ears, keeping herself awake at night. The sound of silence, of a city and home rendered to slumber, layered upon the ticking of a clock that would never need an alarm to be set. If she listened more carefully, she could reach deeper. Hear her heartbeat, her bloodflow, the grinding of bones and the gurgling of her stomach. Stillness had to be maintained though. Her mattress was cheap; the springs would creak if sh-
“Nyaa~”
She swung herself off her bed, turning to the source of the noise, even when she already knew it wasn’t what she thought it was. Just a scraggly stray, poking its head, then its body, through the boarded-up window. A torn ear, more skin than fur. Whiskers drooping like its head. A limp on the right side, as it scampered upon her bed, curling beside her. She had long stopped caring about the smell of cat piss that lingered on the sheets and moved to run her fingers down its back instead.
The clock ticked on. The cat fell asleep.
And Suna, who no longer could, peered through the gap that the cat had slipped in through, the light of the downtown core dazzling her dark eyes. A gem and the shadows it cast, even when light ought to have only been the domain of the sun's reflection. Artifice, found even in this little pocket of life carved pinned between mountain and ocean. Landslide or flooding. Oh, the perseverance!
The stray did not stir.
The stray did not stay.
The ringing in her ears, keeping herself awake at night. The sound of silence, of a city and home rendered to slumber, layered upon the ticking of a clock that would never need an alarm to be set. If she listened more carefully, she could reach deeper. Hear her heartbeat, her bloodflow, the grinding of bones and the gurgling of her stomach. Stillness had to be maintained though. Her mattress was cheap; the springs would creak if sh-
“Nyaa~”
She swung herself off her bed, turning to the source of the noise, even when she already knew it wasn’t what she thought it was. Just a scraggly stray, poking its head, then its body, through the boarded-up window. A torn ear, more skin than fur. Whiskers drooping like its head. A limp on the right side, as it scampered upon her bed, curling beside her. She had long stopped caring about the smell of cat piss that lingered on the sheets and moved to run her fingers down its back instead.
The clock ticked on. The cat fell asleep.
And Suna, who no longer could, peered through the gap that the cat had slipped in through, the light of the downtown core dazzling her dark eyes. A gem and the shadows it cast, even when light ought to have only been the domain of the sun's reflection. Artifice, found even in this little pocket of life carved pinned between mountain and ocean. Landslide or flooding. Oh, the perseverance!
The stray did not stir.
The stray did not stay.
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