Apparently I'm dumb and Homura was still on the roof, talking to herself like a weirdo so I've edited out Evil Eye's interaction with her.
She could still do the extremely creepy "I am going to stare right at you from a distance that would be normally impossible for me to notice you" thing. (Is there a shorter description of that? Sounds very elaborate for such a common trope.)
Hm, can probably imagine things getting real messy real fast, with the amount of characters that'll be together soon.
Time to traumatise Homura by "killing" Shatterscape... and then she just shows up in a brand new body!
@VillamviharEyo, it was my understanding that Nonsuch and Kaeru were a fair distance away from the chaos that's actually occurring at the big ol' Miseria Summoning Party, and the only reason Nonsuch spotted the Detention Club in the first place was because of Nyxia's rainbow vomit.
Like, in terms of proximity, I had figured it was...
Nonsuch and Kaeru (vibing on a rooftop) > Lycoris (hiding on a distant rooftop) > Detention Club (mostly on the ground)
Less of an issue if Shatterscape's stance is something like "muh territory is the entirety of Hibusa" though.
The way I read @Emeth's post is that Kiyu spread her familiars all over the city, sharing her sight with Shatterscape. I also read as though Lycoris approached the girls relatively closely. The way I imagined it is that she was within speaking distance or a block or two of the others. I can edit my post if needed, but I am going to bed in a couple of minutes so it will be in a few hours.
Hibusa Town slept. Shadows stretched long, reaching towards each other inch by inch as the Sun cast its last rays from above the horizon. Its radiance shifted from clear white to dangerous read as the minutes passed by, windows along with lights on the streets trying to replace its influence. Trying to bring light into the world of shadows. And yet, as Shuuko knew very well, the shadows would triumph eventually, just as light would at dawn, the two forever engaged in an endless contest. Just like her kind and the magical girls of light... the bastards who never reached out to Chiaki.
"Why are you always thinking of them, Sylvia?" Ember asked, her voice quiet even though nobody could hear her like this. "You're in a much better place now. I've made sure of it." Wrapping her hands around Sylvia's shoulders, reaching towards her shoulderblades as much as possible, she drew the other girl into a tight hug.
"You're right... but I wish I could let Chiaki out more often. She doesn't deserve this." Sylvia carried a heavy burden as she spoke, averting her eyes and not returning Ember's gesture. The red-head did not seem bothered by it. She merely drew her embrace tighter before she let go, wearing a genuine smile on her face.
"For whatever it's worth, I'm proud of you. All of you. I hate that we have to do this, but we can't let her get hurt."
"She is right." Hotaru too, spoke up, joining in on the hug. "Chiaki can play in the light. But night is our time... my time."
Indeed. Evil - and not the kind that Shuuko represented - stirred within the city. Eyes started to appear within shadows, invisible to those without the gift of magic, yet so obvious to her. They grew on every available surface as grotesque grapes burdened with many, tiny vines that bulged and pulsed. It would not be long before the Miseria made their appearance, so Hotaru stepped forward. She called upon her experience, then nodded towards one of Kiyo's many hidden eyes. She would be accompanying her as usual.
Having grown used to being fashionably late, Shuuko rested her hands on Kiyo's shoulders as she kept a respectable distance between the two. She always rode on the motorcycle like that, their bodies just too far apart to touch, save for a sudden brake or turn from Kiyo, at least until she revealed her tattoo across her back.
Because for that, Hotaru leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to Kiyo's skin right where the tattoo lay.
"Thank you." From the bottom of her heart, she expessed gratitude for Kiyo's... no, Evil Eye's trust. Even if it was unclear, even if she never gave straight answers, Hotaru never left such things without acknowledging them. She knew the pain of being ignored all too well, the sheer agony of solitude eating away at a soul until the inevitable happened and so even as heavy gauntlets formed around her hands, she let her warmth speak for itself. She could only do it for a few seconds, but she always did it when Evil Eye made herself so vulnerable, just before her role was over for the night.
Hotaru stepped back. Sylvia stepped back. Ember stepped back.
Shatterscape stepped forward, smiling and holding onto Evil Eye just a little tighter than before.
"She is as free as she can be. Should we pick up Oros' slack? Or maybe we could teach a lesson to her." The steel nail of her gauntlet gestured towards Nyxia at the last sentence, seeing the magical girl wreak havoc regardless of her surroundings. True, Evil Eye's minions were not precious unlike her bodies, but the attitude did not sit well with her, for Nyxia behaved like a psychopath on the loose. What if those had been one of Shatterscape's precious Khir? Or even an Oss? It did not sit well with her, and besides, it had hurt Kiyo. One of the girls she protected. And so she would have a couple of unpleasant words for Nyxia when the night finished.
Or at least she would have, had not the light girls entered their territory again. The frown on Shatterscape's face grew more fierce as she saw them go about their duty. Especially that short-haired, blonde one. She seemed filled with contempt for the people she rescued - was that why her comrades never reached out to Chiaki? - behaving almost as though she were a dark girl instead of a light one. Shatterscape's teeth ground against each other with a high, metallic keen before she nodded to Kiyu's suggestion.
"But before that, you are correct. We do have to teach these sparkle-eyed do-gooders a lesson. Evil Eye, please watch me from the skies."
And with that, the body behind Evil Eye lost its strength. Its gauntlets along with its Emblem vanished as though it were never in place, travelling across a complex chain of bodies to end near their meeting spot. Covering several hundred metres in but a blink of an eye, Shatterscape plopped beside a Miseria so she could rip it to shreds, then she sprinted into a position she got from Mogall. She angled herself to emerge from within the shadows from Homura's perspective and when she got close enough, she deliberately slammed her foot against the ground.
The asphalt cracked. Huge, metal gauntlets that dripped with the material of Miseria revealed themselves first, followed by a splattered dress. A cold, distant sneer and a pair of piercing, red eyes were the last to be revealed as Shatterscape made her presence known.
"This shrine had not been fashioned for your kind. Leave."
<Snipped quote by Villamvihar> I was definitely thinking either Earthshaker or Shatterscape. Girl needs a meat shield that isn't made of eyeballs.
Pairing up with Suki is hilarious, but probably not very effective. Should happen at least once though for the memes.
Excellent, let's...
<Snipped quote by Villamvihar> Yep I'd be cool with that! Kriegspiel needs someone to guard her while she's summoning, and while she's spying with a rook.
... Oh. Well. To be honest I did not expect both of you to accept, so how should we do this? I do not know if I have a preference since it sounds like Shuuko could probably get along with both of them based on profiles.
Also I really should not be writing posts on my phone because my original post is a spelling and grammar disaster.
Given that we are supposed to work in teams, I was thinking that Shatterscape would go well together either with Kriegspiel or Evil Eye. She could protect Kriegspiel while she summons her minions and protect her, allowing Homes to use the pieces exactly as she wished. As for Kiyo, frankly, their powers are made for each other - Kiyo observes the battlefield from above and Shatterscape keeps on switching bodies, diving into shadows and unexpected angles.
• 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 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: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 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, she could create and shape barriers into both defensive and offensive constructs.
• 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.
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