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.
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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
Her emblem used to be a Japanese-style hand mirror that had been repaired with gold.
• Devil Arm:Hakushu Herculean Gauntlets: A pair of massive gauntlets nearly the size of Shatterscape's torso. They are unwieldy, but their destructive potential is quite impressive.
Before their transformation, they used to be a pair of ornate gloves that could conjure a wave of force by clapping.
• Magic:Kami No Kekkai 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 roughly 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.
Before her transformation, Shatterscape used to be able to create barriers of light that protected against attacks and if applied directly on a wound, would fill it with a golden substance that boosted the injured area's performance. For example, if a Magical Girl were to be injured on her arm, then if Kintsugi fixed their injury using her magic, she would be able to make sligthly stronger and faster punches. This effect was cumulative; thus the greater the injury, the greater benefit one got from receiving the healing.
Unfortunately, Kintsugi's magic was limited by two factors: Firstly, she could only use her barriers to fight indirectly. Secondly, her barriers also accelerated the natural healing of Magical Girls, resulting only in short boosts to their power.
• 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.
• 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.
• Author's Notes: As hinted at, Shatterscape houses four distinct personalities: Chiaki, the golden child. Sylvia, the protector. Hotaru, the warrior Ember, the schemer.
Sylvia, Hotaru and Ember can also speak as Shatterscape or Shuuko when they act as one, pooling their awareness and skills together. Chiaki, however, is not aware of their existence, nor that her magic changed.
Mmmm, Guess I have some reading to catch up on. A bit unfortunate that Izu isn't around anymore. Though with a devil girl around, that might be for the best, heh.
I am still around, somehow. I unfortunately took a major break from the roleplay due to writer burnout and now I have to deal with somehow inserting my character retroactively or something.
Why do actions have consequences?! It is completely unfair!
Lewas and Izurich are in a collab. We are waiting for @Villamvihar though but there's no rush on that front since it's a down period in the school.
I am really sorry about that. I have been struggling with writing recently and while I would not like to abandon the RP, I am not sure if I can make a post for this round. Here is to hoping I can get myself out of the funk.
The rifles of her sailors cracked, bullets biting into the Pageless before them, but Wilhelmina found her focus wandering despite her best efforts. Normally, she had no trouble with it, but that distant feeling kept brushing against her soul, almost as though it called out to her. Lurking within the clouds, twirling around her when the winds picked up their pace, it seemed intent on disrupting her no matter the cost, so she did the only thing that seemed logical: she closed her eyes to concentrate on it. Putting her trust in her allies, as well as the sailors arrayed around her, the golden girl tried her best to shut out the outside world and reach out to the sensation.
It did not come easy. She could tune out Olivia's chattering as Wilhelmina was used to blocking out similarly strong sounds, but the painful howl of the creautre almost sent her flying off Thyerg again, heart threatening to burst from her chest. The blood-curling sound had a shiver run down her spine then reach for her throat, but her light held strong as always. After all, the greater the storm, the greater the hope.
The Greater the Storm, the Greater the Hope.
The sentence repeated itself in Wilhemina's mind and she could tell that the mere thought altered the flow of wind around her. A subtle, almost silent thing that wrapped itself in countless layers of stealth, she barely noticed the shift, almost thinking it a natural consequence of them fighting up on high, but... no. It could not be, for she sensed that it moved along a pulse of her magic. Perhaps even Lumiére could feel it, attuned as she was to all things that bore light and hope. Her other team-mates would also be able to tell that something shifted, the steady stream of power from Wilhelmina becoming less potent.
Indeed, the Captain's magical senses honed in on the environment around her along with the light burning in her soul as she repeated the phrase, much more deliberate in her intent.
The Greater the Storm, the Greater the Hope.
A definite shift in the pattern around her. The wind howled differently all of a sudden, almost as though she had commanded it to be more fierce. Fortunately, Xolys held her strong, but the gale probably caught Olivia's dress or perhaps even buffeted Nessie aside on her broom. Wilhelmina would not know as she held her eyes closed, her sailors slowly fading out of existence. At the same time, the girls around her could sense a buildup of power that seemed to increase in ferocity exactly as the crack of gunfire faded from existence.
Her thoughts raced as she called upon her knowledge of her Grimoire, quickly identifying the chapter that most fit this situation: having had a safe travel so far, a proud captain's ship now nears the southern trip of Africa. However, instead of seeing land, the lookout can only spot the dark clouds in the distance, looking down upon the sailors with destructive contempt. The captain lowers his spyglass with a worried frown of his brows, then wisely calls out to alter the positions of the sails - but it is too late. The winds are far too strong and they buffet the ship towards their doom.
"The Cape of Storms," whispered Wilhelmina, barely audible over the gales around her. And yet...
Without warning, her Grimoire appeared in front of her, floating and enveloped in golden light. Shining with the brightness of the very heavens themselves, the tome's overwhelming display did not blind the magical girls around Wilhelmina, but it did deepen the Pageless' wails, the very idea of hope, of magic, too much for it to bear, however, this was not the end as it reached out a metaphorical hand to its owner, who accepted without hesitation.
The clouds roared in response and Captain Goodhope's face distorted, nearly all of her magic swept up into a grand gesture - she could barely keep the links towards her allies - in the blink of an eye as the winds picked up, all but ripping the Pageless into shreds. Such proved to be their force that they ripped into its non-existent flesh via sheer pressure, flaying it while throwing it off Lumiére and deep into the menacing clouds; whereupon the vile creature found itself assaulted once more as a thunder roared between the clouds.
This time, the flash of lightning did blind any who looked at it. Nature, after all, did not discriminate between the targets of its wrath, even when harnessed for a purpose as noble as fighting the devourers of stories.
That Pageless towered over all of them. It revealed its massive, gaunt form that seemed almost ephemeral as a wraith from humanity's many ghost stories, yet it clearly held a physical presence and it drove an icicle of a shiver deep into Wilhelmina's heart. For a second, she even forgot about the monstrosity beneath him or her circumstances as something primal and ancient in her reacted to the appearance of the thing, curling up into a tiny little ball and screaming into its invisible hands at the top of its lungs. But-
Light met that fear. Her grimoire pulsed once more as she saw Lumiére interpose herself between her and the attack, sparks flying as the long, gnarly claws met the golden forcefield and much like in the myth of the Flying Dutchman's Kindness, hope along with determination soared in the most unlikely of places. Despite the raging storm, despite the visceral repulsion she felt towards Thyerg along with the otherworldly grip of the Pageless' dark nature, Wilhelmina found a steady heart beating within her chest. The core of a true hero echoing within her. Giving her courage to go on and face the massive threat before her.
She swallowed. The world seemed to turn, but Wilhelmina reached out towards the trust she had in the people around her, reaffirming her connections to them and then giving them a pulse of magic through her link. Almost as though she were squeezing their hands in reassurance, letting them know she watched over them.
"W-we s-shouldn't get close!" The Captain's voice still trembled, but it felt more steady with the backing of her Grimoire. "I-I could summon my s-sailors but... there isn't enough space." She needed a platform of some sorts so they could stand on it and use their muskets unless she wanted them to fall into oblivion. Fortunately for her, Thyerg'Xolis acknowledged her request and her eyes went wide when the creature changed its shape. Flesh moulded itself as though it were hot metal poured into a receptacle, shifting in ways that made her want to squirm.
Pushing the urge down her throat, Wilhelmina let loose a loud, somewhat forceful 'thank you' before she shifted her focus and summoned three of her sailors, the finely dressed men immediately going for their muskets and aiming. The rifles exploded with small cracks of thunder, digging into the titanic Pageless' flesh. They would not cause much damage; offense never came easily to the Captain but... Why did she feel a nagging feeling in her mind, the mark of a possibility etching itself into her magical senses? And why did she feel it had to do with when she fell from Thyerg's back? Confused by the feeling, she kept her eyes on the battlefield while loosening a little bit of her focus to search for its source. It seemed too important to ignore.
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