View source for 230/Wish Upon A Falling Star

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2015/07/30
|Location=Mitakihara/Pikarigaoka - King Penguin Park
|Synopsis=A star falls, and the magical people of Tokyo clash over what it contained.
|Cast of Characters=5, 27, 29, 38, 46, 47, 57, 78, 83, 86
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:27|Hannah Sharpe (27)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> It's a little bit past nine o'clock. Most people are in bed, but it's a prime time for magical girls of various stripes to be patrolling or hunting in Tokyo! After filing /far/ too many insurance forms due to the escape of a certain puella magi, Miss White has decided to go on a stroll to cool her heels. King Penguin Park is her current target, the woman waltzing past the playground when a bright light and flare of magic that could be sensed for /miles/ comes slamming down from the sky straight into the play area. <br /><br /> The resulting explosion has Miss White not only cursing, but leaping away at the last moment to avoid being turned to dust by the impact. Where once there was a playground, there's now a massive crater in the ground. The remains of a slide is tilted over, with Hannah half-hanging off of it upside down. Her 'vision' swims. She actually blacks out for a minute or two. <br /><br /> Then, while trying to pick herself out of the wreckage, she calls a familiar number. <br /><br /> "H...Hey. Black-san. Did you get those readings? Fraking magical.../thing/ almost killed me! Oh god my head. Bring aspriin, something to contain a magical artifact, and get down to King Penguin Park! No way other people missed that!" <br /><br /> "Raging Tempest, set-up!" With a burst of wind, she blows away the last bits of slide, and gets on her feet in a wobbly manner. Not a good start.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Damn right that nobody within a 10 mile radius could have missed that little meteor-esque impact. Kyouko Sakura is within 10 miles. She was just about to begin her first Witch Hunt since regaining her freedom- Hannah having stolen her stockpile of Grief Seeds. She needs to start up a new one.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She can tell right away that that impact is /not/ the result of a Grief Seed. Witches generally do not come careening out of the sky in a massive fireball, at least to her experience. But that doesn't mean it isn't worth at least checking out. This is why the redheaded Puella Magi finds herself perched on a branch in a tree in the park, some thirty feet at least above the ground, peering down towards the impact zone. "Is that.. Miss White?" She murmurs to herself, squinting. Part of her wants to dash down there right now and have at her tormenter. The larger part, however, still hasn't fully recovered and recommends that she not do anything stupid. For once, this part wins.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:83|Utau Hoshina (83)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> A flare of magic, and Utau's phone pretty much immediately blows up from her associates in Eclipse, including a warning from her manager to be careful. She glances over her shoulder for a few minutes, registering the fact she's fairly close, nearby in the Botanical Gardens. With a sigh, she reaches out her hand to the sky. <br /> <br /> "Il." <br /> <br /> "Is it time?" The little Guardian Character asks, shadowboxing the air. "Come on, let's do it! You know you want too." Utau can't help but smile - <br /> <br /> "My heart! Unlock! Lunatic Charm!" Taking to the air once transformed, she zips over towards the park, hovering there as her bat-like wings flap behind her, her stare cool as she gazes at the destruction.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:46|Signum (46)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span><span class=" bold_fg_m bg_n ++ hm">&lt;&gt;Magical signature detected.&lt;&gt;</span><br /><br />Signum was out... walking? Patrolling? Or just by chance? Either way, she's quick to react. It's a simple matter to duck into a relatively secluded area, pulling Laevatein out in its amulet form... and it's a simple mental command to effect the change, a flare of pink-white energy surrounding her for a brief moment before she becomes a pink streak up into the sky--and then orienting on the park.<br /><br />"Let's go, Laevatein," she says, in her trademarked 'cool pilot' voice, and the Armed Device merely pulses in response, as she settles the scabbard on her left hip and alters her trajectory for the park. She'll arrive high up, observing for the moment. There's no need to be hasty, after all...<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:29|Runealy Waldia (29)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Patrolling is one word for it. It occurs to Runealy that the parks around Tokyo really have proven to be reliable leads. Leads for distasteful, awful, traumatizing experiences... but that is nonetheless better than 'no clue how to proceed.' And so she asked Gaofele and Hinote to accompany her on tonight's 'patrol.'<br /> <br />It's more like a hunt for potential victims. A hunt that quickly takes a backseat on her priority list as they can all see the obvious; a huge cloud of dust just got kicked up in the distance and the terrain up ahead is now visibly different. Even from afar, with no way to make out precise details, that is eye-catching. "What was that!? We... we should go find out?" She sounds unsure.<br /> <br />Yet Rune ducks behind the Natt's House shop, hiding to transform. "Summoning Princess' Tiara! The Line of Succession..." The jeweled headwear appears in hand, passed to the other hand and placed upon her forehead with a shout, "Transform!" A flash of red light engulfs her, and when it fades she's in magical garb with wand in hand.<br /> <br />She'll wait for her friends to prepare themselves as well, then cautiously begins heading toward the impact site to see who or what can be found.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Tuxedo Kamen (38)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Mamoru, in the library, with the lead pipe-- er, the book on gemology-- absolutely does not miss that. Even inside, the flare of intense magic is strong enough to hurt. Seconds later, not even reshelving the book, he's on his way to the roof at a dead run (after so many incidents at or near the library, you'd better believe he counterfeited a key to the door to the roof.)<br /><br />It's Tuxedo Kamen that emerges topside to see what he can see -- and he sees a flaming crater instead of a playground. ...and Miss White. ...and the feel of that magic and the sparkle of it, bright and pure in that crater, it's still there. His lips thin, but he hangs back and sees who else is going to show up, no way in HELL other people missed that.<br /><br />The first other arrival on the scene seems to also be hanging back, and that's some damned familiar red that just landed in that tree--<br /><br />--one improbable superjump later, and Kyouko's tree shakes. A half-second later, the med-evac boy in the tuxedo from her fight with Miss White lands on her branch, light enough that he doesn't even shake it, and promptly sits down. "Hey, I thought that was you," he says in a low voice, "glad you're okay. Did you actually see what fell?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:5|Fate Testarossa (5)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&lt;Sir, Lost Logia detected&gt;<br /><br />"Is it a Jewel Seed, Bardiche?"<br /><br />&lt;Unknown&gt;<br /><br />Nearby, Fate Testarossa stands on the edge of a tall building. Her device speaks, telling her of a surge of magical power nearby. Arf, her faithful familiar, in the form of a large dog, is perched nearby. Arf's eyes narrow as she peers into the distance.<br /><br />"Fate-sama, I don't think we're going to be alone."<br /><br />&lt;Confirmed&gt;<br /><br />Fate quietly nods. She knows there will be risks. But she's a Testarossa. Her mother wouldn't accept anything less than victory, and niether should Fate. Those who are capable of more should produce more, and Fate should be capable of anything.<br /><br />"We're going," affirms Fate.<br /><br />"You're sure?" asks Arf. "Alright, let's go."<br /><br />&lt;Get Set&gt;<br /><br />Fate's entrance isn't hard to notice. She's flying in fast, /really/ fast, coming in light a lightning bolt. She takes note of the other magical persons on the scene, the ones that aren't hiding anyways, but most of her attention is focused on the crater, and the artifact in the middle of it.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Takashi is on the way before the phone in his pocket even buzzes; he doesn't need his network of equipment within the city to detect /this/ magical surge. "Yeah, I couldn't NOT notice. And I was already in the air. So I'll be there soon. There are probably non-magicals that felt this one." he says, holding tight onto the phone as the wind whips around it. Once he's off the phone with Hannah, he's on the phone with Ayana. "Hey. Whatever you're doing, finish it. There was a power burst near here that probably woke the magical girl dead. And whatever made it, I want it. I want you here to help. Not as a magical girl this time. You're my backup." he says, not waiting to hear any protestations or commentary.<br /><br />He does a corkscrew in the air, picking up speed. It's not too long after that he lands next to Hannah, in a new henshin - one that has dropped the shadowy mask from his face, though still hides his true identity by the nature of the magic. The semisolid shadows that swirl around him making up a cloak, and her practically radiates negative energy - if Ms. White wasn't exposed to this sort of thing in her work, being so near that source of dark energy might have very well made her sick. "What do you think it is?" is all he asks as he lands.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Moriko (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ayana isn't too far away; the sense of the magical explosion reached even the familiar's ears. "I'm already on my way," she tells Takashi on the phone. She's already taken to the rooftops, running, transforming from the adorable little middleschooler into the feral fox-girl hybrid that is her preferred form. The fox-girl leaps from rooftop to rooftop, moving with agility and speed that nearly rivals the fliers. "Holy," she breathes into the phone as she spots the crater. Mentally, she speaks to her master, ~That is a /big crater/, Taka. We might want a barrier.~<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:57|Lena Reiniger (57)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>It's something she just can't ignore. As much as she would like to ignore it, this is Lost Logia levels of magic getting thrown out of the sky and much as she would like to turn a blind eye and continue her calm life away from duty and magic, she can't ignore that it's something that can potentially cause a lot of damage. &lt;Magische Reaktions befindet!&gt; Her bracelet chimes in and with a nod, she looks toward the direction Ascalon shows her. A deep frown of unease settles on her face. "Alright..." Looking around, Lena finds a place she can easily duck away and get ready. "Ascalon, release!"<br /><br />&lt;Jawohl! Ritterrstung engagieren!&gt;<br /><br />A flash of violet light fills the street she'd ducked down and then without a moment wasted, that light shoots into the air and takes off in the direction of the park. A fist clenches tight as she moves forward for the first time in almost two years to fulfill her duty.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyouko is normally pretty aware of her surroundings, a consummate predator with the instincts to match. Only.. she's just gotten out of a pretty harrowing ordeal and is nowhere near 100%. Plus, she's focused on Miss White with a pretty scary intensity- do you feel an itching between your shoulder blades, Hannah? Somebody is staring daggers at you from this tree.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Anyway, these factors combine to make Kyouko less aware than she would be, which allows Tuxedo Kamen to quite literally get the drop on her. "HOLY SH-T!" she shout, spinning around, spear coming up into a defensive stance as the censors handwave away her I. She hesitates, upon seeing who it is, and how casually he sits down while greeting her.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Uh.. yeah. I mean.. I'm fine. And no.. I didn't see." She says after a moment, slowly lowering her speartip.. glancing at Tuxedo Kamen, then away again, a slight flush on her cheeks. A magical /boy/! Such things are beyond her experience, and she's not sure how to react.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:27|Hannah Sharpe (27)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> Her compatriots arrive! There's a sigh of relief. By the time they get there, she's managed to bandage up her bleeding forehead. Sudden magical impacts /suck/. <br /><br /> She looks Takashi up and down. "Nice! It suits you, Black-san!" She compliments, a little deliriously before swallowing down some water and pills. Indeed, his darkness is only briefly registered. A moment later, and she seems a little better. <br /><br /> The fox-eared girl is reached for, and there's a brief scritch to Ayana's big fuzzy ear! "Glad you made it, I think we will need the backup! Stay alert, okay?" <br /><br /> The object itself floats in the crater, a five-by-five inch rotating box seemingly made of something close to silver. Scans by nearby Devices turn up errors. <br /><br /> "No clue! Raging Tempest has no idea, and it does not feel like any Lost Logia I have seen, not that it means much." Shrug. She dramatically waves one hand towards Takashi. <br /><br /> "This is your show, Lab Partner." The thing's still steaming from the impact. <br /><br /> And then there's a vague shout in the area, and in the distance, magical folk are incoming! <br /><br /> "Good point Fox-chan, on it!" <br /><br /> With another burst of magic, a barrier forms in the area, emerald green on the outside and having that odd grey-ish consistency within like all barriers! It blunts the magical signature a little, but the barrier itself should be more than a lead. <br /><br /> Then, she gets in a guarding position near the crater, extending out an Area Search as she waits for others to pierce her barrier, body tense and ready.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Tuxedo Kamen (38)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>To be fair to Kyouko, Tuxedo Kamen is generally pretty batman in his approaches; with all those qualifiers, it's really no wonder he basically appeared out of nowhere on her. He tips his hat at her spear, then vanishes the hat into hammerspace with even more improbable sleight-of-hand-- and gives her a crooked little smile. "I'm glad. I saw what happened, it wasn't entirely your fault she got hurt. She's okay, by the way."<br /><br />In case Kyouko cared. The overdressed boy in the cape and mask looks out over the gathering crowd and blinks. "Wow. Hell if I'm getting involved in THAT mess." He leans a little, as if squinting and leaning six inches will let him see the floating object better, then fishes in his cape and comes up with a pair of honest to god opera glasses. Of course. With a white tie and tails, regular binoculars would never do. "Well. I see it now." He holds the opera glasses up, offering them to Kyouko. "Do you know what it is?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Takashi looks over. He's registering his allies, and he's also registering a lot of other signatures through his Device. "We're already not alone. Little signatures all over the rooftops around here, and more coming. If it wasn't for the interference from this thing I could tell you how many and where." he adds. "Cover me, both of you." he adds.<br /><br />And now, he's walking up to the artifact, moving slowly, so that his device can keep ready for incoming distant threats - to defend them rapidly. All the while, the area around him darkens as his shadows seep out, spreading into the floor - giving him a rapid position to counter any charges. Today, Riventon has come with his mind in the game and he's playing for keeps.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:46|Signum (46)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span><span class=" bold_fg_m bg_n ++ hm">&lt;&gt; Barrier constructed. &lt;&gt;</span><br /><br />Laevatein keeps Signum updated, though of course she can -see- what's going on. "Query, ID scan within barrier."<br /><br />The Device &lt;&gt; Detecting Devices. Central object indicates extreme level of power. Barrier prevents scan accuracy. &lt;&gt;</span><br /><br />"I see," replies Signum. Drawing the blade, she holds it up before her, the razor-sharp single edge gleaming, then Signum plunges down into the barrier, Laevatein aimed point-first to lead the way through the magical shielding.<br /><br />As she hits the barrier, Signum says, to her Device, "Prepare for exercise of force."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Yeah.. yeah I know." Kyouko replies after a moment, to comment about Ao-chan being okay. It's good to know though, even if it hadnt' exactly been at the forefront of her mind recently. She still doesn't seem to know quite what to make of this masked man- in her world, there are people who are her 'friends' (not that she has many of those at the moment) and her (much more numerous) enemies. The idea of a neutral party is almost as hard for her to parse as a magical non-girl.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After a moment though, she crouches down on the branch, resting her elbows on her knees, spear held back over one shoulder with her arm looped over the haft as she looks back down to the rapidly growing incident below. She doesn't notice the opera glasses at first because she's staring down at the crater, at Miss White and her buddies. Adding pictures to her mental 'to kill' list, probably.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But when she does look back, to answer Tuxedo's question, she blinks at the opera glasses. "Those are some glasses, son. You outta get your eyes checked. Yeah I see it.. no idea what it is though." She shrugs. "Nothing that interests me, that's for sure."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:5|Fate Testarossa (5)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Fate watches the Lost Logia from above, while Arf stays by her side and closely watches the magical forces nearby. Bardiche runs several scans on the strange artifact.<br /><br />"Bardiche?" quietly asks Fate. Bardich pings in response. "Is it what we're looking for?"<br /><br />&lt;Inconclusive, but unlikely. Unknown Configuration.&gt;<br /><br />"Fate-sama..." Arf speaks up. "Can we risk it? There's a lot of powerful fighters here."<br /><br />The barrier goes up. Fate isn't quite inside it yet. She furrows her brows in thought. "I don't think we can afford to pass it up, just in case. We might have to seal it, in either case."<br /><br />Arf hesitates, but Fate doesn't. She rushes into the barrier, pushing her way inside, and lowering herself closer to the ground. Riventon is already going for it? Well, Fate will have to get in the way, then.<br /><br />"Bardiche. Sealing Mode."<br /><br />Bardiche pings, and the axe-head spins 180 degrees. Fate aims Bardiche downward at the Lost Logia, as large yellow wings spread out from the axehead. A massive amount of energy is being gathered in her device. She hasn't fired yet, but her magical power would be easy to detect. Also the bright growing yellow ball in the sky would be noticable too.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Moriko (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Big flashy magic is Hannah's thing. Ayana, on the other hand, uses far more subtle magic. As Rivington steps forward towards the object, the familiar immediatel takes a step back and draws on his mana to create a much more localized effect: to all outward appearances, Mr. Black and his fox-eared familiar are standing quite still, just talking near the crater. It's a thin illusion, easily pierced, but the point is to sew confusion and misdirection, not to completely conceal everything he's doing.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:83|Utau Hoshina (83)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> Utau gets locked out via the barrier, and she huffs sharply. <br /> <br /> The magical singing devil idol summons a deadly looking black trident as she flies back down to the barrier. She hangs around outside it, peering inside, before she experimentally gives it a strike. Utau, you're supposed to be helping the barrier, but it's possible you're just cluelesss...<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:57|Lena Reiniger (57)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&lt;Mehrere magische Signaturen erkannt.&gt; She's not sure why she'd thought something like this would go unnoticed. Still, it's pretty impressive that so many people seem to have gotten here so quickly. When she finally does show up, there's no doubt she's been beaten to the punch given the barrier that's sitting there waiting for her. "Ascalon, barrier strength?" For a moment there is nothing while her device executes the task that's been given to it and then it pings back to her. &lt;Barrier nur stark genug ist, um Schaeden an den realen Raum zu verhindern.&gt;<br /><br />Lena takes a deep breath, steeling herself. "Alright, we're going in. Prepare to seize the target by force if necessary." Her device pings, almost as if eager to finally be used for what it was meant to be used for. With that order issued, the cartridge chambers on her wrists cycle once and she's moving down toward the barrier. "Time to do our duty, Ascalon." The device chimes back, &lt;Verstanden!&gt;<br /><br />She collides fist-first with the barrier.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:29|Runealy Waldia (29)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Runealy stops when confronted by a big green energy shield, commenting to herself: "I wonder how they do that? If we could figure it out, or maybe take it, that would help with a few things. For now... I guess it's pretty weird that I'm going to be bashing /down/ a ward like this, but..."<br /> <br />The grip on her wand tightens as she looks around, seeing others - some familiar, some not also begin to assault the forcefield. And so she backs up a step, watching Signum strike at it. The alien princess begins firing thin red energy rays in sync with these efforts, careful to aim so that she does not hit Signum. Instead, Runealy is hoping to help open up a way in and follow inside.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:27|Hannah Sharpe (27)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> Miss White has yet to notice Tuxedo Kamen and Kyouko, though that shout /did/ sound familiar. She's heard it a lot recently, after all. <br /><br /> Takashi asks for cover, and the kickboxer-mage is right near him, covering his back literally. "You got it!" She says with a grin, licking her lips as she anticipates a /real/ fight! <br /><br /> Signum and Fate slam into the barrier, and thanks to their efforts, there's enough of a hole to let people in. Hannah's fairly good at Barriers, but two highly skilled veteran mages is too much for such a wide thing. It quickly regenerates however, Miss White squinting as she shoves magic back into it. There's no time to be slow about things. <br /><br /> Utau's strike is similarly helped by Lena's punch and the peppering of laser beams into the barrier! Miss White lets out a curse, scowling, as another hole is blown into it and in comes Lena with Runealy too having a way in! She doesn't have time to seal this one, as Fate is on the way! <br /><br /> "INCOMING!" Calls out Miss White as she feels the young Fate's form displace the air, and she /definitely/ feels that powerful magic being drawn into Fate's Device. Drawing in a breath of air, focusing her magic, she leaps backwards closer to the Lost Logia! <br /><br /> "Sorry kiddo, if you want this thing, you need to go through me! Miss White, at your service!" She introduces with an almost friendly, yet fight-eager grin! <br /><br /> Then, swinging her leg around, she offers an arc burst of wind straight towards the flying Fate! A minor tornado aimed less to actually hurt her, and more send her aim all askitter as it kicks up dust, small bits of debris, and makes flying questionable! <br /><br /> But it does leave her slightly open to any rushing attacks the more melee oriented members might make! <br /><br /> "COME ON! SHOW ME WHAT YOU ARE MADE OF!" Calls out the girl, laughing in joy as adrenaline begins to pump in her veins.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Riventon notices Hannah getting into combat form, and suddenly he moves faster. He can feel everyone piercing the barrier, too. So he goes for the Lost Logia, reaching out to take it, to snatch it up and dash off with it rapidly, like a thief (though not in a tuxedo).<br /><br />And that's when an arcing current of energy leaps off the box, and has the effect of zapping the hell out of Riventon. His device lets out a mangled group of consonants in the machine version of anguish, and practically has to re-boot itself.<br /><br />"NGH! I think it's some sort of lockbox or carrying case. And I think it's trapped to prevent the wrong person from touching it!" he deduces quickly. Too dangerous to try to grab it now. He thrusts his left hand out, and some of those shadows at his feet wrap around the box, sealing it - one chest for a bigger chest! - and keeping anyone but HIM from touching HIS protective seal.<br /><br />"Looks like getting it out of here is going to take quite some time and effort." he says, as another burst of its magical energy lashes out towards him when he tries to teleport this whole matroska-like set of boxes.<br /><br />So instead, he takes up a fighting pose too - assuming, as he usually does, that Miss White can handle the little girl on her own merits for a bit. "I was looking for an excuse to do some experimentation, anyways."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:46|Signum (46)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Runealy doesn't know she's helping the wrong person. But Signum isn't going to correct her. Her aim isn't, of course, to shatter the barrier, just to pierce through it; for one thing, she doesn't want to be causing any undue harm to the area, and secondly, maintaining the barrier is going to mean reduced levels of power for whoever is maintaining it.<br /><br />There's a -wealth- of targets, and best believe Signum is categorizing them all by mana signature, just something she does kind of well, automatically. There's no chance to absorb any Linker Cores here--too many people. It's a process that takes time and is best done without any witnesses. But that box...<br /><br />"Laevatein. Cartridge Load."<br /><br /><span class=" bold_fg_m bg_n ++ hm">&lt;&gt; JAWOHL! &lt;&gt;</span><br /><br />The Device responds admirably and instantly, the perforated purple housing at the hilt of the blade racking back and forth like the sound of a shotgun being charged, a red-cased shell popping out of the back--a shell she catches and pockets. "Hiryu... ISSEN!" commands the Belkan knight, and again Laevatein responds, blanketing that blade in a swirling sheath of fiery mana.<br /><br />Then she lunges for Takashi, Laevatein drawn back for a flying horizontal slash.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Tuxedo Kamen (38)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>As neutral as Doctors Without Borders, yo. (Except when it comes to little kids, and Sailor Moon's safety, and the wellbeing of small fluffy animals.) Tuxedo Mask slowly withdraws the opera glasses, giving Kyouko some epic side-eye through his paltry (but very aesthetically pleasing in shape; style style style) excuse for an identity-hider (that nonetheless works). "Details," he insists, "Like etchings maybe."<br /><br />There's a pause, and then he says grumpily, "It's not like I can wear my glasses under the mask, shut up."<br /><br />Back into his cape they go, and he shifts to watching the people trying to break into the barrier. Now he looks actually super interested. "This," he observes, "is going to end up in a twenty-car pile--" And then they break through, and people start pouring in. "--no, it's going to be an internal combustion engine."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:5|Fate Testarossa (5)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Fate Testarossa doesn't introduce herself, even as Hannah does, but her eyes shift to the side to study her strange new attacker. "Arf-san," she mutters.<br /><br />"Got it!" shouts Arf, rushing towards Hannah. The doggie familiar isn't quite quick enough to interrupt Hannah's attack, and Arf is blown off to the side, landing on the ground in a roll that ends on all fours.<br /><br />Fate herself doesn't move. "Fire."<br /><br />Bardiche shines, focusing its magic into the point, but the wind knocks into Fate just as Bardiche fires. The aim is thrown off, and the sealing beam harmlessly hits a nearby tree.<br /><br />Seeing her shot thrown off, Fate frowns slightly. This isn't going to be easy. This Miss White will clearly be standing in her way, and she's not alone either. She quickly drops down out of the air, flying inches above the blades of grass, and leans forward as she races towards Hannah with blinding speed.<br /><br />&lt;Scythe Mode&gt;<br /><br />Bardiche's head turns sideways, and two energy blades extend from the core, making a very distinct scythe shape. Exactly what it says on the tin.<br /><br />As Fate reaches Hannah, she swings Scythe Bardiche diagonally downwards at her.<br /><br />Arf stays off by the side, watching Fate carefully. There's no telling when Fate will need a quick binding spell or barrier.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Moriko (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ayana's illusion doesn't hold against the sudden backlash of magical energy from the box. Instead, it merely pops, revealing the Truth of Takashi's actions. His dark-energy box becomes plainly visible. The fox-girl, however, isn't conecerned for the loss of her illusion; she's more concerned by the incoming attack. "Riventon!" she yells a warning, and then jumps into action, putting herself between Signum and her master. The fox-girl shoulder-tackles the flying Knight, engulfing Signum in the will-sapping cloud of dark energy that surrounds the familiar.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:83|Utau Hoshina (83)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> Utau hangs out there in the air, twirling her trident around lazily. <br /> <br /> A grimace crosses her face but she sort of just hangs out there, watching the crowds. She really hasn't ... been around of a lot of other magical girls, so this is kind of new and exciting for her! She does start humming, her tone rich and warm.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:29|Runealy Waldia (29)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Once within, Runealy pauses as she sees Miss White ahead. Wind swirls around, rustling the princess' hair a little... and when some of the dust clears, she sees Mr. Black further beyond. This situation is looking pretty bad in her estimation; both of them have good reason to seriously hurt her - Miss White's and Ao's calls for vengeance replay in the princess' head - or possibly worse... consequences here could be fatal in the long run.<br /> <br />'Cartridge Load.' That draws a questioning noise from Rune, as she watches what Signum just did. Interesting. And Signum is using this to go after Mr. Black? Encouraging. Given the choice to go after White or Black, she opts for the one she likes far, /far/ less.<br /> <br />And so even as Ayana moves to go for Signum, Runealy interprets this as a chance to take on Black. This is a match-up that does not favor her. She does not like this. But the opportunity is here, and she calls out to him: "I don't know what you want with that thing, but I can't just let you have it. Anything that helps you probably hurts a lot of others in the end, doesn't it?" Then her wand launches its green gem-tip at him, aiming to explode into emerald sparkles if it manages to connect!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:78|Kyouko Sakura (78)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyouko snorts a bit in amusement at Mask Guy's response. Puella don't need glasses of course. (just ask Homu!) "It's not a Grief Seed, so I don't really care what it is." She says, with a careless shrug. No dreams of great and terrible power here, no sir. Just survival.. and revenge. But as more and more magical girls pile into the barrier, it doesn't look like either would be very forthcoming if she went down there.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Yeaaah.." Kyouko agrees with Kamen's assesment of the situation. "I don't think I'm going to gain anything here. Sorry, Hat Man. It's been real, but I've got better things to do tonight than watch this cluster-eff. You have fun though." She stands on the branch, whirling her spear around to rest on the other shoulder as she glances down at him. "And uh.. thanks for saving that girl that time. I never meant to hurt her. See ya around." And then she leaps off the branch, out of the tree, in the opposite direction of the kerfuffle down below.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:57|Lena Reiniger (57)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>As she presses in, Lena does -not- immediately engage in combat. Instead she takes position some couple of dozen meters above the ground, looking at the object of interest. "Status, Ascalon?" She asks while watching with some interest the goings on happening around her. She'll just stay out until she has a good feel for who, if anyone, to support in this venture.<br /><br />Her device, however, is busy giving that box a very long look. &lt;Es ist schwierig zu sagen, dass die Behlter nicht das Ziel. Vielleicht liegt es als Abdichtung wirkt. Es ist nicht von Belka.&gt; It makes her frown to hear that news. So this container is something that someone else added? What's in it then? "Does the mana signature match previous incarnations of the Book?" Once more her device goes to work and very quickly it pings again, &lt;Es ist unwahrscheinlich, dass dies das Buch.&gt; She nods, arms crossing. So, a Jewel Seed... or something new? And then Mr. Black approaches and gets rejected by the box. Definitely a seal to keep people away from whatever's in. Watching him put that seal around the box, she takes stock of everyone around. Two people she has never seen and... Miss White? Well, well, seems she might be getting that rematch a little sooner than she thought.<br /><br />And then the sound of a cartridge loading draws her attention. There's Signum engaging and she's shocked to see another Belkan device. Was there another Belkan on the Asura with her? She can't recall, but it makes her frown. Finally she decides on a course of action.<br /><br />Moving down, she'll land some meters away from the combat unfolding before her and begin to slowly approach Miss White. "Ascalon, be prepared." A chime in the affermative sounds.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:27|Hannah Sharpe (27)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> Miss White's a bit busy between Arf and Fate, but she still manages to quip to her partner as he GETS SHOCKED by the thing and then creates his own lockbox. <br /><br /> "Nothing is /ever/ bloody easy, is it? Oh well, keep on your toes boys and girls! We take it home once we pound down the opposition! Ooh, nice tackle fox-chan! You should try out for football!" Typical american here. <br /><br /> And then in comes Fate, her shot deflected, only for her Device to turn to a scythe! She outright /laughs/. <br /><br /> "Whoa! Now we are talking!" Encourages Miss White as that big, heavy magical weapon comes down at her. Magical shielding flares up around her arms, and she catches the edge of the blade along one of her twin spiked knuckles of a Device! Despite her own considerable strength, the blow still shoves her back, and leaves a narrow slice in her Barrier Jacket! <br /><br /> Her lovely tie falls to the ground, and shifting aside a step to move with the blow, she catches part of that long handle! <br /><br /> "Hey! That was my favorite tie! Should have gone for the arm or something! I swear, kids these days, no respect for their sempais!" Complains Hannah, even as she feels familiar magic in the air. <br /><br /> It's little Bandit-chan. And Utau's singing. That alone keeps her from going into a murderous rage, and so she merely grins. <br /><br /> Then reaches out with her other hand to grab at poor Fate's collar. Wind gathers in her fists, and soon she's trying to fling the light young girl around her. Wind kicks up again, and with a gust-boosted toss, she'll try to throw Fate bodily into the air! <br /><br /> Likely in a lovely little arc right for the good Princess. <br /><br /> "Go say hit to the thieving little wench for me! No worries, that one DESERVES a good beating!" <br /><br /> Then her focus switches momentarily to Lena. <br /><br /> "Well well well! If it is not my friend the luchadore-lady!" Wrong type of throwing, Hannah. <br /><br /> "You here for that thing too? We can pay if you help us out in getting it." She's defensive, but doesn't immediately attack.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:46|Signum (46)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>As they say, plans never survive first contact with the enemy. Or, in this case, with the familiar of the enemy. Signum pulls back quickly, not quite avoiding the shoulder charge but certainly not taking the full brunt of it; the manuever forms a quick little spinning dance, a streak of pink twisting around a cloud of black, with the orange flame spreading and dissipating all around.<br /><br />Signum is not a boastful Knight, so there's no boast in her voice when she takes measure of the fox familiar. "You'll be hurt if you oppose me," she says. The Knight takes up a floating stance, left hand forward, right back, aiming the point of Laevatein for Ayana. It's a warning but Signum doesn't believe in warning shots (and anyway they're hard to deliver with a sword), so she follows up that warning with a lunging slash, whipping the edge of the blade around in a right-to-left mid-body cut. Her aim is not to cut the familiar in half, but if Ayana doesn't dodge she'll find that Belkan steel bites a swift as an Arctic wind and just as cold as well.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>This isn't Takashi's first huge melee, and now he's got more advantages than he did before. Like a much more personalized device, a lot more practice, and, as he raises up his hand to defend himself from Signum...<br /><br />...a familiar! Right! "Good job, Aya..." he's cut off by the sight of Rune's attack coming at him, and he follows through with his previous plan to defend, but with a twist. &lt;&lt;PANZERSCHILD!&gt;&gt; announces his device, in a harsh male Belkan voice, and a spell that's familiar to many here takes shape, a triangular barrier that pulses out from his hand. Then, the change, &lt;&lt;RANGE!&gt;&gt; Announces the device, in a female Mid-Childan tone. The shield pushes outward, colliding with Rune's attack at a fair distance, sheilding him from any magical sparkle-shrapnel. And, if Rune doesn't move, the rememnant magical energy from the shield will collide with her!<br /><br />"You know, you barely got out last time we met. And I'm a lot stronger now. So I appreciate your donation of that little rod of yours." he says, likely as fate goes soaring towards her.<br /><br />And then he opens up his own little attack - channeling dark energy in his hand rapidly, thrusting it forward. &lt;SCHATTENSCHLAG!&gt; the device calls out, as it has many times before, and a massive burst of negative energy pulses out from his hand, a shattering surge of power, that is big enough to engulf both magical girls, depending on where Fate landed.<br /><br />"Don't make me look bad!" he shouts, over his shoulder to his familiar - not coldly, but to remind her of the importance he places on her performance - and what it means to be his Familiar.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Moriko (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Some familiars are built for brute strength. Ayana is not one of those familiars. The kitsune moves with speed and grace, dodging aside from Signum's slash quickly. "I am the familiar of Mr. Black," she informs Signum in a low, passioned voice, "and his magic far exceeds your own. I am not afraid of you, magical girl; walk away and you will not be harmed. Continue to oppose my master, and I will do everything in my power to defeat you." Unlike Signum, the fox familiar has no problem with verbal posturing all day long, all the while pouring more and more energy into the black miasma that hangs around her: a veritable pall of dark energy that draws against the energies of those nearby, empowering Ayana's magic and weakening her opponents.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:5|Fate Testarossa (5)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Fate's strike digs in, costing Hannah her precious tie. Fate doesn't respond, her eyes locking with Hannah's in silent determination. She pushes the scythe harder, eyes glancing down as Hannah grabs the handle. Finally she says something, "That's mine. Don't touch it."<br /><br />As Fate is grabbed by the scruff of her neck and lauched, there's very little she can do but go flying. She races towards Runealy, tumbling end over end.<br /><br />Arf watches as this happens, shouting "Fate-chan!" The orange familiar turns towards Hannah and growls, a yellow magic circle appearing beneath her feet, and another magical circle appearing in front of her, hovering in the air and facing Miss White. "Chain Bind!"<br /><br />As Arf speaks, magical chains emerge from the magic circle and try to wrap around Hannahs arms and legs. If Hannah doesn't escape, her movement's going to be restricted quite a bit!<br /><br />Fate is still quietly tumbling, not sure how to respond. Bardiche's only comment on the situation is &lt;Impact Imminent&gt;.<br /><br />This is not going the way Fate thought it would. There's too many other magical girls, and they've been very good about keeping people off of the Lost Logia.<br /><br />All the more reason she needs it. It must be powerful.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:38|Tuxedo Kamen (38)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Tuxedo Kamen huffs out a little breath which might be a laugh, and the slight smile that follows Kyouko away is amused. Then his gaze turns once more to the barrier, and he frowns. Right, there are *little* girls in there, fighting, and that's Riventon. And he's not going to make it inside that barrier, or be able to keep from getting hit if he did manage, so he can only hope that if the littlest ones were determined enough to get in there and pick a fight for a shiny object, they can handle it -- and stick around to mop up afterwards.<br /><br />While he's watching, he gets out his phone and starts texting.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mr. Mask TXT: Doctor Shelby, you may have a<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;fair amount of business in King<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Penguin Park in maybe twenty minutes.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I'll give you a hand if you need it.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:83|Utau Hoshina (83)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> Il wriggles around grumpily. <br /> <br /> Then another little figure appears, a white one with a little halo. <br /> <br /> "Hello, El." Utau greets her second Guardian Character. <br /> <br /> "Sing them a song, Utau-chan!" The little angel cheers. "Sing it with me!" <br /> <br /> Utau considers. "Oh, alright." <br /> <br /> There's another golden glimmer and the next time, Utau is floating around as Seraphic charm, her angel wings flaring over the crowd as she sings a calming sort of song.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:57|Lena Reiniger (57)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Even as Fate goes flying, Lena's approach doesn't falter. It's a slow, methodical approach, almost like something right out of The Terminator. An imposing, towering figure in gunmetal gray knight armor. She stops only two meters from her, in what Miss White would know is well within striking range for a magic-capable person. So close, her device should be able to tell her there's a lot of mana being pooled into her body, enhancing it. She briefly regards Mr. Black and that strange, strange device he's using. There's a tick in her eye, twitching just a little. She's not sure what happened, but something about that device just sits wrong with her. Something about that man just sits wrong with her.<br /><br />Turning back to Miss White, Lena takes a deep breath. "Step aside so that I can properly seal and contain that Lost Logia. This evening I am a Knight and a TSAB agent before I am a school girl and if you bar me from my duty..." she brings a fist up, a small orb of violet forming before her. A quick thrust forward, her hand striking it, sends a beam of light surging out past Miss White's cheek. A warning shot. Some tree behind Miss White is not so lucky and takes the full force of it. A flash of light followed by the sound of a big boom somewhere behind them, but there's enough force that the wind kicked up can easily be felt. "I will use extreme force this time." It seems money is not going to get her on your side, Hannah.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:27|Hannah Sharpe (27)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> "Cute Device, but not really my kind of weapon. Keep it! And ENJOY THE IN-FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT ON WHITE-SAN AIRLINES!" Comes Miss White, just as she chucks poor Fate, and Utau starts singing. <br /><br /> It's a little distracting. She can't help but dance a little to the angelic beat, only for magic to form under her! <br /><br /> "Bloody useful Familiars!" She quips as that dance becomes a leap to narrowly avoid her legs being caught! But her arms are soon nice and chained up by Arf's magic! Frown. <br /><br /> "...Alright, I have to admit, that was pretty good." She mutters in annoyance. <br /><br /> Only to then be met by Lena. She ducks aside, her cheek grazed. She can feel the magic and power, and it only has her laughing. <br /><br /> "Do I actually look like the kind of coward who just runs away when someone says something like 'step aside and turn yourself in'? You have power, but, frankly I do not know what this 'TSAB' is, nor do I particularly care. So shove off with the authority, and if you want to take that thing, then do it with your own strength and ambitions!" Counters the woman, before aiming a sweeping kick at the bulky Balkan Knight's legs. She pivots, and then launches another, before bringing up her arms! Should Lena try to strike, she'll try to use it to break ARf's chains!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:29|Runealy Waldia (29)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>'Thieving'? Runealy has a pretty good idea who's being talked about. 'Go say hi to her'? "Hn?" A questioning noise as she looks behind herself, unable to immediately retort to Riventon's remarks because she now has to deal with a flying Fate! The alien princess gets about a quarter-second to recognize Fate and realize she has no real problem with Bardiche's wielder... so she decides to be nice.<br /> <br />Runealy creates a red forcefield bubble around herself, and intentionally times it such that she dismisses the shield /right/ as Fate impacts against it. This has a two-fold effect.<br /> <br />For Fate, it provides something solid to land against that is quickly softening itself. Runealy is doing her best to give Fate a gentle landing. "We might be enemies later. My own fault, if we do. But for right now, I... uhn!"<br /> <br />The second result is that she is struck cleanly in the back by what's left of Black's shield. Runealy drops to a knee, hurt but picking herself up.<br /> <br />"The only way I'm giving this to you is one shot at a time," she snaps back to him. "You'll s... huh!?" She's cut off by his next assault. "Move!" A warning to Fate, perhaps unnecessary, then Runealy's boot wings light up. Silver energy glow around them hurtles her into the air, sailing over the dark energy. As she descends, Rune retaliates with a pair of wand-orbs. One is aimed short, meant to kick up dirt in front of Riventon. The other is aimed in hopes of landing a direct hit on him!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:46|Signum (46)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Words don't really affect Signum much. The black miasma... Signum certainly recognizes it for what it is, but she's strong enough to withstand it for now. Certainly she doesn't look particularly impressed at Ayana's declaration of Takashi's power, nor does she look like she particularly believes it. But, again, such declarations are not her thing, so to speak.<br /><br />The fire on the blade of Laevatein disperses, Signum following up her attack on the familiar--using a combination of her blade and bursts of relatively short-ranged fire, flung from her free hand. Her speed and accuracy have rarely been paralleled, and she intends to take Ayana on a swift ride--at the speeds Signum is going she'll be aught but a pink streak to someone observing from a distance, interrupted by bright bursts of swirling orange.<br /><br />She isn't exactly working in concert with the other magical girls opposing the others, but she isn't working against them either. Taking the familiar away from Takashi might help Runealy out a bit. And if Ayana breaks off, then Signum can also. Stopping on a dime, as the saying goes, is something she's entirely familiar with.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Moriko (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>When Signum returns to her attacks, Ayana is ready for it. The familiar may not be quite as fast, but she is /nearly/ so. As the magical girl and her device turn into a blur, the fox familiar struggles to keep up. But she gives nearly as good as she gets: for every singe to her fur, the fox girl delivers a kick or strikes with her paws in return. To the outside world, they are but a blur of pink, orange, and black, caught in an elegant and deadly dance of attack, riposte, defend, attack again.<br /><br />Nevertheless, Signum has a device, and her own mana to draw on, and Ayana is but a shadow of Takashi's magic. After only a few moments, the familiar breaks away, jumping backwards out of Signum's immediate attack range. Her fur and flesh are scored and hissing, by now; her sapphire eyes are glow with angry energy. "You're good," is all the honor she gives her opponent, before rushing back into the fight once again. With a howl of, "Gloom Blades!" she turns Signum's absorbed magic back upon her: the cloud that surrounds Ayana coalesces into nearly a dozen blades of dark energy, all seeking to assault Signum simultaneously.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:5|Fate Testarossa (5)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Fate hits Runealy's barrier, softly landing on the ground. She brushes herself off. Did this lady just help her? Why? Fate's eyes look up towards Runealy's. Hasn't she seen her before? Yeah... with the giant cat.<br /><br />Fate is speechless. Bardiche speaks up instead. &lt;Thanks&gt;<br /><br />Takashi attacks. Bardiche pings a warning. Runealy's warning comes a moment after. Fate's speed works to her advantage here, rushing out of the way before the dark blast can catch her in it. Her speed really is something else.<br /><br />Fate looks between Runealy and Riventon. Between the two of them, Riventon is attacking her, and is also close to sealing away the device. Fate can't let this continue.<br /><br />Runealy is a strange one. Should Fate trust her? She might very well become an enemy, she even said as much, but at this point the only person on Fate's side is Arf, and her chances of winning in this FFA are low unless she has some help.<br /><br />For the moment, at least, she'll side with Runealy.<br /><br />"Device Mode."<br /><br />*Ping*<br /><br />"Photon Lancer."<br /><br />The blades of the scythe vanish, and the device's head rotates back into an axehead.<br /><br />&lt;Photon Lancer Ready.&gt;<br /><br />"Fire."<br /><br />A series of magical yellow electrically charged spheres rush towards Riventon, their flight pattern curving outwards before coming back in to strike at him from multiple angles.<br /><br />Telepathically, Fate orders Arf, ~Don't waste energy on her. Focus on my target.~ Arf dutifully obeys, and the binds around Hannah vanish as the Midchildian wolf starts rushing towards Fate's new position.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Riventon is charging another blast when Runealy's counterattacks come in - he shields against the dust cloud, and dismisses his shield right before he gets slammed by the second bolt! A tactical error! It staggers him, and he takes a couple steps back, - but he still holds that charge in his hand. He is hiding the injuries Rune has caused him, though the tears in his Barrier Jacket still tell the tale.<br /><br />Not that he's going to let her know, anyways. "One tiny, weak, ineffectual little blast at a time? I'm going to take your staff long before the heat death of the universe, which is how long it would take you to defeat me with your strength."<br /><br />&lt;&lt;EINGEHEND!&gt;&gt; shouts his device suddenly, and Riventon quickly takes to the air - which is what causes him to be further singed by Fate's blasts as they rush past him and impact where he JUST was, rather than knocked back or out by the tremendous force! While he doesn't outwardly acknowledge it, inwardly he shows some degree of concern. That wasn't a small attack. She's much more dangerous than she looks.<br /><br />"I'm sure it'll be good research to study your little scythe there too, girl, after I carry it off this battlefield!" he sneers. Then, he raises his hand, and instead of one big blast of energy, he shoots out a small shotgun-like blast of dark orbs; they're unguided, but there's SO MANY of them they're still liable to endanger them both with their raw explosive force and negative energy bursts.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:83|Utau Hoshina (83)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> Utau retreats somewhere to watch. This is a tree. This tree may have someone else in it. <br /> <br /> Her song is still going, though, in flight entertainment does not end, courtesy of magical girl pop idols.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:57|Lena Reiniger (57)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>A bind? Well, that makes things a little easier on her, or so Lena would like to think, but it seems Miss White has a good deal of fighting spirit in her after all! The first kick is expected and easily stepped back from. The second one, however, is not expected--even when past experience with this woman should tell Lena that she should always expect a follow up--and she has to quickly bring her arm up to take the kick. The blow impacts the vambrace of her armor, dulling the force behind it, but she still gets sent back a decent ways, coming to a stop some meters away, one knee on the ground. She remains there for a moment, body shaking visibly. A ping comes from her device, followed by a low but somewhat concerned voice &lt;Master?&gt;<br /><br />Her hand clenches, a fistful of dirt in it before she slams it back into the ground, cratering it just a little and sending enough force through it that it can at least weakly be felt by Miss White. "I'm fine, Ascalon," she says as she stands, looking up to Miss White. "I'm still in control." Her device pings once more and Lena rushes forward, speed increasing to cover the distance between them in little time. A violet triangular magic sigil forms under her, a sphere of mana forming behind her before detonating. Already moving fast, Lena rides the shockfront of the explosion to pick up even more speed. Hannah might be broken out of the binding, but she's got a kick coming with such force behind it. A blow aimed at the side with enough force to send Miss White flying toward her partner.<br /><br />Negotiations have failed. Beginning aggressive negotiations.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:27|Hannah Sharpe (27)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> Just as Hannah impacts Lena, the attention of Arf is drawn away! Those chains go away! And none too soon, as in comes Lena! The magical girl's legs glow green, and she meets Lena's charge! The two melee mahou send the ground shattering beneath them as they charge at each other, and both kicks connect! <br /><br /> "VIOLENT RAGING ARC KICK!" Comes Miss White's wild strike, pouring a vast majority of her magic into it! The slashing winds might be enough to carry Lena aloft as the green tornado of force flies around them both! <br /><br /> Unfortunately, it also works on Miss White herself as she's aimed as a projectile! Even /she/ can't stop herself from being tossed away by the blast like a bullet from a railgun towards Takashi! <br /><br /> And that powerful magical tornado, sent off-kilter by Lena's own strike, might just carry her towards the Log Logia! <br /><br /> "GET DOWN BLACK-SAN! AHHH INCOMING WHITE-SAN!" Seems today is the day for mahous as projectile attacks.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:46|Signum (46)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ayana's return strikes are impacting on Signum's armor, some on her blade; it's certainly not an equal exchange but the Wolkenritter General isn't ignoring her opponent either. The pink-haired Wolkenritter half-slides backwards, sheathing Laevatein in the scabbard she's steadying with her left hand, then calmly raises a hand. A pink-colored, triangular magic field forms under her feet, accompanied by a surge of mana from the Knight.<br /><br />"PANZERSCHILD!" is her call, strong, urgent, but not hurried.<br /><br />Mana flares around her in a thick, multi-faceted barrier. Those dark energy swords slam into the barrier, some exploding against it, and one manages to penetrate partway. Despite not being a full-on hit, the use of Panzerschild, as well as the energy used in absorbing that incoming damage, does effect Signum.<br /><br />She accepts Ayana's praise in the only way that is proper: she nods to the familiar. "You have skill as well. Laevatein," she continues, and the Device replies with a single word.<br /><br /><span class=" bold_fg_m bg_n ++ hm">&lt;&gt; EXPLOSION! &lt;&gt;</span><br /><br />Once again that housing racks back and forth, twice this time, spitting out two more shells--shells that she again catches in midair.<br /><br />"SCHLANGEFORM!" The weapon respondes with a series of metallic clacks--and it separates from a sword into a whip, a whip made of up razor-edged fragments connected through their center, impossibly long and twisting, responding to the slightest twitch of the hilt. That extra cartridge's worth of mana goes into lighting the sections aflame again; Signum snaps the hilt up above her head and the swordwhip responds by forming a tight flaming cocoon around her--until she whips it down, and then it responds to her intent--lashing out at the fox and the space around her in a fiery chain of long-ranged attacks, the blade hissing just like the snake it now represents.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:29|Runealy Waldia (29)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>'Thanks', the mechanical Bardiche voice had said to her. Runealy expects she won't be hearing that sort of remark much for a long time... but this is a thought that gets interrupted by Riventon talking about things she doesn't understand. "The heat death of... how does that even work?" Modern science is largely beyond her, it seems.<br /> <br />She won't have time to get a lesson on that, however. Not when Riventon is firing a spread of dark energy pellets like that! She tries to counter it with a spread-shot of her own, wand orb launching and splitting into a spray of emerald sparkles! Some of them work... they cancel out parts of his attack, but many more get through and hit Runealy cleanly, driving her down to her knees, then on her back!<br /> <br />Runealy twitches for a few seconds, then begins to pick herself up. "'Study it', you say? She probably needs it. If you took it, I wonder what would happen? Would she be able to fight back against Witches or conquerors or anyone else?" White goes flying, giving Runealy some cover to reach into her dress' bow. She's fishing for something specific. "Probably not. She'd probably be in really big trouble, one of those might even kill her. You don't care about that though, do you? All of this must sound really fun to you. Take this, study that, use whatever it takes to get ahead. Well..."<br /> <br />She pulls out a diamond-shaped crystal, black and purple with jagged edges. It fits fine in the palm of her hand, which is trembling right now. "L... let me tell you something about 'whatever it takes.'" Rune stares at it, hesitating. She looks at Fate, then Miss White and Mr. Black... and at the crystal again. She ponders what it would be like if she lost her /own/ wand to him.<br /> <br />Her gaze hardens, and Rune slams the crystal against the side of her neck! It dissolves into a sickly looking dark mist, which seeps in to her even as she screams in pain and her eyes are blocked by yellow energy slits forming over them.<br /> <br />Likewise, her wand's gem is now a mix of half-black, half-green instead of its normal color. Runealy has no more words at this immediate moment. Instead, she screams again; this time in raw aggression as she repeats her 'spread shot' from seconds ago. When this orb flies out and splits apart in mid-air, its sparkles are about twice as big as before and have the same 'dual color' to them as the original projectile did! Its main target is Riventon, but she's not too worried about whether she catches Miss White in the spread or not.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:5|Fate Testarossa (5)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Arf reaches Fate just in time, a yellow circle appearing around her feet. "Circle Protection!" A magical yellow hemisphere appears around Fate and Arf, moments before the dark orbs reach her.<br /><br />One orb impacts, then another, then a ton, each one exploding against Arf's barrier as the familiar struggles to keep up with the raw force being levied against them. The combined force creates such a series of explosions that neither Fate nor her familiar can even see beyond the limits of their shield. It's more than Arf expected. A crack forms, then spreads.<br /><br />Bardiche pings, and Fate orders, "Fire!" As Arf's barrier breaks, Fate summons a new one, a magical wall shaking with each strike.<br /><br />~Sorry, Fate-chan~<br /><br />~Don't worry about it. Stay back from now on.~<br /><br />~But! ... okay...~<br /><br />As the smoke clears and settles, Fate lets the barrier drop. Arf is already flying back, staying away from the rest of the fight. Her only response to Takashi is to say, "As a Testarossa, I won't lose to you." That's the closest thing to an introduction she's given so far. What the heck is a Testarossa anyways?<br /><br />&lt;Scythe Mode&gt;<br /><br />Bardiche changes back into a scythe, and Fate aims the top of it towards Riventon.<br /><br />&lt;Arc Saber&gt;<br /><br />A yellow crecent of eletrical energy flies from her scythe at Mr. Black.<br /><br />Whoever this person is, he's no slouch. He obviously has both experience and power. He was enough to overpower Arf-chan with a single strike, hard enough to effectively take her out of the fight. Fate herself might have to run soon. It's not something she wants to do.<br /><br />She glances towards Runealy as the princess asks what would happen if Fate lost Bardiche. She understands roughly half of it, but the other half? What the heck is a Witch?<br /><br />Fate's eyes go wider as Runealy smashes something into her neck. "Ma'am, that looks really dangerous," is all she says.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Moriko (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ayana scowls as her attacks barely manage to pierce Signum's barrier. ~I cannot hold her off forever, Master. She is stronger than me.~ Ayana's voice mentally reaches Takashi's mind, although with as focused as he is it wouldn't be terribly surprising if he missed it.<br /><br />"Oh sh--" Ayana exclaims, as she senses the magic in the oncoming attack. "Gloom Bind!" she declares. The miasmatic swords twist into ribbons, which hastily reach out to bind the oncoming weapon, holding it taught in place. Eyes wide, beading sweat, Ayana backs away from Signum, clearly seeking retreat.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:46|Signum (46)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Signum's blade is held, if only for a moment--but it's long enough for Ayana to find a path through the attack. "HMPH!" snorts the Knight as she snaps her right hand to her side, recalling the blade, the irresistible pull shattering the bind as the blade returns to its single-edged form. Ceremonially, Signum points the tip of Laevatein at Ayana, a clear warning--and then she turns towards the Lost Logia, clearly intent on claiming it for the Wolkenritter. That is, until...<br /><br /><span style="color:xterm118">&gt;&gt; Signum! Hayate is... you've got to return! &lt;&lt;</span><br /><br />Signum tch'es, and without a word for her opponent or a second thought about the Lost Logia, she heads up from the barrier. Whatever is in that box, Hayate is highest priority all the time.<br /><br /><span class=" bold_fg_m bg_n ++ hm">&gt;&gt; I'm on my way, Shamal. &lt;&lt;</span><br> <br>

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>You might actually be surprised at how often people-as-projectiles happens in the Three Wards these days. Riventon certainly is. But he (with the help of his Device) thinks very fast in combat now. His hand suddenly grows aflame with dark energy, becoming an overlarge, clawed hand. But instead of being a weapon, the purpose of this is simply sudden strength - and he uses it to catch Hannah one-shadow-boosted-armed, spinning the both of them around with the force of the impact - but keeping them both on their feet, albeit a bit dizzy. At least they didn't end up piled up! It's a pretty agile move.<br /><br />And unfortunantly, poorly timed. Rune's powered attack finds its home while Riventon's strength is so used, and while his mind is trying to make sense of the strange energy signature from Rune's crystal (and performing a move somewhat out of his usual skillset.) he's unable to muster an approriate defense. The two orbs slam into him, strengthed by Rune's anger and her dark energy. He's really barely on his feet, pain coursing through him, overcome only by pride.<br /><br />And that's when the Arc Saber slams into him, and the force of the energy, barely stopped from cleaving him in twain, overcomes his barrier. There's blood under his weakened barrier jacket now. The energy that makes it up begins slipping away - it's almost like there's a sudden surge of dark energy being released into the air, and his Device is doing its best to follow two orders: renegerate his armor and keep storing away data.<br /><br />And that's why Riventon is on one knee, face full of anger, trying to get himself together. And even still, his shadow-jacket is reforming - if anybody is going to try to put him down for the count, this is the chance!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:57|Lena Reiniger (57)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>It sounds through the barrier like the crack of thunder when they impact one another, and Lena can't avoid taking the hit. She can't even really afford the best of defense against it, but Ascalon does his best to dull what he can. Green energy from that tornado and Miss White's kick clashing against a hastily constructed violet shield, &lt;PANZERSCHILD!&gt; But it isn't enough to keep all of it out and Lena is sent flying back as her protection shatters. Tumbling through the air, she tucks and rolls the best she can when she hits the ground. One bounce, a second bounce, and finally a third bounce, she slows enough to right herself and plant her feet on solid earth. One hand slams down, digging a trench in the dirt as she slides to a halt. The rerebrace of her armor shows more than a few cracks from the impact.<br /><br />Standing, Lena wavers, shaking her head and trying to steady her vision, still swimming from the impact and the tumbling she's done. Some seconds pass before she can finally see straight. Looking to where she launched her foe, Lena is already taking off in a full sprint to close the gap between them. "Ascalon..." she begins, voice a low growl, quickly growing in volume. "Load cartridge!"<br /><br />Her device pings loud, responding to her order. &lt;JAWOHL!&gt; The cylinder on her right arm rotating as it draws back. It slams down, a large spark shooting from her hand, and suddenly the mana surging from her increases. Stopping about midway from where she started and where Miss White landed. A Belkan triangle lights up under her, a large ball of light forming in front of her, the speed of its formation fueled by the cartridge gifted mana. &lt;PANZERMOERDER!&gt; comes the mechanical voice of her device as she slams her fist hard into the sphere.<br /><br />The sphere of concentrated mana quivers at the impact before it seems like a ripple runs through the air around it and in a deafening clap, it explodes out in a searing beam of violet energy. The magical equivalent of anti-armor ordnance crackles through the air, sparks flying off as it travels, tearing a groove into the ground under it as it passes on its screaming course right for Miss White and Mr. Black. Well, she did say she would use extreme force, didn't she?<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:27|Hannah Sharpe (27)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> As she flies, Runealy's enhanced shots pepper her body! She hisses in pain, rage growing in her face! <br /><br /> "ALWAYS RELYING ON THAT CRUTCH OF YOURS! YOU REALLY /ARE/ WEAK! ATTAIN SOMETHING WITH THE FRUITS OF YOUR OWN LABORS FOR ONCE, /BANDIT/!" Howls Hannah hatefully to Runealy, and offering a wind-gust-kick her way vindictively. It likely wouldn't hit, given she's been tossed around, but it's the thought that counts. <br /><br /> And then she's caught by the dark-hand of one Riventon. Miss White tumbles off of it, dizzily, and slowly gets to her feet. <br /><br /> And another Belkan Device loads a cartridge. By now, Hannah's gotten something of an idea of what it does after so many uses! A massive sphere is punched towards her, and Miss White realizes she both can't avoid it, and that her partner /and/ the Lost Logia is in danger. <br /><br /> So she summons eight layers of her magical shields, merely buying her time to set up her spells. Two teleport spells flare into life. The first envelopes her just as that punched sphere slams into her body. Her eyes go wide as all of those shields shatter like glass, and her spell goes off. <br /><br /> She's teleported away...right above the Lost Logia. She's sent careening with a scream of agony towards the object, in the front slammed by the power of Lena's attack. From the back, the dual shocks of both the Lost Logia's defenses and Riventon's own attempts at protecting the thing drill into her back. She's stuck in an entirely new level of suffering as she's pinned by the two forces, her barrier jacket quickly shredding as she spits up blood and phlem, and pours the last bit of her magic into getting /away/. <br /><br /> Her second teleport spell goes off, devouring both herself, the artifact, /and/ more dirt as time and space shift. <br /><br /> She lands in her own equally battered medical ward with the thing, mouth wide open in suffering, eyes bulging, and generally only conscious due to a supreme amount of willpower. <br /><br /> Judging by the horrific screams of pain, she'd rather be unconscious right now as karma catches right up to her.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:29|Runealy Waldia (29)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>'That looks really dangerous.' "It is," Runealy confirms to Fate in a voice that now has a bit of an echo to it. "But maybe it's worth it to make sure he doesn't hurt you or me or anyone else." Those would normally be kind words, but they're spoken through grit teeth. Maybe it is worth it, as Riventon is now vulnerable. Vulnerable, but momentarily covered by Miss White. The wind-gust is mostly dodged, but glances a shoulder and draws a hurt hiss; she did feel it. "You're right, but..." Runealy isn't sure what to say to White, who seems to be... /quite busy/ right now. And departing. There is still Riventon, however.<br /> <br />She walks up toward him, having just used dark energy to strike a dark energy wielder. "You know, you probably have gotten stronger. You're probably still better than me. If I didn't have this cheap crutch, you'd probably have taken me down just fine. But I'm not going to let you just walk away from this. You've hurt my friends, scared me, and treated everyone like something to just... study and use! Blame yourself for things coming to this!"<br /> <br />Her hand shakes despite those bold words, unsteadily taking aim at Riventon. Can she really carry this out? A dark voice in her mind shouts at her to do it. To stop hesitating and just finish it. She does hesitate, but not for very long; in this case, the idea makes some very real sense. The wand produces a white, somewhat clear energy dome. "Wardliiiighhhht..." A chant as it expands to become large enough to contain Riventon within.<br /> <br />"EPILO---GGGHHH!!!" The dome launches all of a few feet before suddenly vanishing, having gotten nowhere near hitting its intended target.<br /> <br />Runealy falls to her knees, her free hand clutching at her neck! "Gh...! H...hhh! H... ca... can't!" Her words are incoherent, raspy. "C... br... h.. help... c..." She finally manages to get the words out, for anyone nearby who can hear them: "Can't breathe!"<br /> <br />All that talk of ending Mr. Black's threat to the people of Tokyo, to her friends, to herself... at the moment, as she gasps for oxygen, it's sounding like talk is cheap.<br /> <br />The princess has managed to largely oust herself from this fight; it may well be up to Fate. Fate, it turns out, was right. That was dangerous, and Rune's plan has backfired on her in a choking, sputtering way.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:86|Ayana Moriko (86)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ayana stumbles back a step as her opponent leaves. "What ...?" she starts to ask, but then she senses--more than observes--Riventon's pain as Fate's Arc Saber slams into him.<br /><br />"RIVENTON!"<br /><br />The fox-girls' scream pierces the air in a way only foxes can manage. Ignoring the scorchmarks and pain of her own flesh; ignoring the weakened state she is in; ignoring all reason and sanity ... Ayana turns and dashes towards Riventon's side. Her eyes widen as she spots Runealy's binding magic forming.<br /><br />"NO!"<br /><br />Once more, the fox's scream splits the air, as she rushes forward. Too late. Too slow. But perhaps, just perhaps, Riventon's choice of a lucky fox for a familiar has paid off. Runealy's magic falters, and Ayana reaches her master's side. Scooping him up into her arms, she glowers at the magical girl.<br /><br />"Choke on your own failure."<br /><br />This time it's just harshly spoken words, uttered in the near deafening silence of the aftermath of Hannah's retreat. Dark energy engulfs the fox-girl and her master and then the dark energy collapses in on itself, taking Riventon and his fox with it.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:5|Fate Testarossa (5)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Fate looks down at Riventon, vulnerable and weak. She rushes up to him, placing the edge of her scythe next to his neck. She looks down at him not in cruelty, but in warning. There is a threat in her eyes and posture. It's pretty clear: If he moves, she strikes. "The Lost Logia. Surrender it to me."<br /><br />Runealy starts to move, and Fate considers trying to get out of the way... Such a blast might very well kill Riventon, which isn't what she intends, but Fate couldn't really stop it...<br /><br />Fortunately for Riventon, and perhaps unfortunately for most everyone else, the attack falls short. Runealy falls over. "... It really was dangerous."<br /><br />Rune's fall pulls Fate's attention away from the Lost Logia long enough to ensure that Hannah has plenty of time to perform her teleporting magic. Fate looks back, wide-eyed, to see the Lost Logia gone.<br /><br />Arf contacts Fate. ~Forget it. It's not what we wanted anyways.~<br /><br />~Right...~<br /><br />Ayana takes Riventon away, but Fate doesn't even care at this point. She's flying up and away, Arf joining her side. She looks back at the fallen Runealy, but... she barely knew her, and Fate sure as heck couldn't trust her.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"You can't fight fire with fire." Riventon says to Runealy as her attack fizzles and the Shadow Fox appears beside him, hurling an insult of her own. "I hope not. I hope she lives, so she can remmeber this failure." he hisses, his voice full of a special and new brand of vile anger. "I got what I came for. I still won. You weakling." he hisses, as the two of them take the now well-worn shortcut through the Dusk Zone, back to the labs they call home.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:57|Lena Reiniger (57)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>She stands there, steam pouring from her device as it cools down. Finally the cylinder slams back and the spent cartridge is ejected, disappearing in a flash of light as it's teleported away to storage. &lt;Lost Logia wird nicht mehr erkannt.&gt; Lena rolls her eyes and stands, wincing a bit at some pain running through her. "Thanks for that, Ascalon." Looking over the area, she sees the downed Runealy and begins a slow jog over to her.<br /><br />She slows as she approaches, and finally takes to a knee beside her. She's not sure what's wrong; she isn't a doctor after all. Still she stays there, a hand coming to rest on the girl's back. It's all she can really offer. "I'm not sure what's wrong, but I swear that you will not be alone until you can stand on your own," she says, the helm of her armor fading away in a stream of mana particles, to reveal a somehow haggered redhead, but one that nonetheless has enough energy to keep a concerned look on her face. She might not know this person, but she can hardly not offer aid. She does, after all, remember the man that offered her a helping hand when she most needed it those years ago.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:29|Runealy Waldia (29)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Runealy is indeed choking on her own failure at the moment. Her eyes revert to normal, no longer covered by yellow energy as she stares up at Ayana, unable to mount any kind of retort to her or Riventon. "Hh...!" is not exactly witty, defiant, or insightful. In fact, it sounds frightened. For every insult Riventon hurls at her, what's left of her coherent thoughts lashes out with even harsher ones upon herself.<br /> <br />She stares as Fate starts to fly away, reaching out with a hand as if this could somehow pull Bardiche's user back to her for help. "Ghkk! Nhh...!"<br /> <br />And eventually that desperately outreaching hand is met by... armor? Gray armor, and little way to directly identify who's hidden underneath it. "Khhk! Br... h... hh!" Having just done something very stupid, one of the very people preying on Tokyo's protectors is now begging for help with wide, terrified eyes. She has to hope the armored figure doesn't know of her misdeeds... or it occurs to her that it's very possible that this mistake could be the last thing Runealy ever does. It would certainly be easy to finish her off, to make sure Tokyo is safe from her.<br /> <br />Yet it seems either Lena does not know, or is not choosing that course of action if she does. She doesn't know what's wrong? Rune gasping at her own throat might be some clue, but... interestingly enough, Lena's hand seems to be helping.<br /> <br />What started out as shouted choking noises is losing volume quickly, and bits of black-purple energy can be seen fading out of Rune's neck. Still having severe trouble breathing, as evidenced by coughs and sputters, but... she can manage a few more words now. "Th... thank... th... you."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:57|Lena Reiniger (57)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Lena nods, offering that hand, the support in a time of need. It's clad in magical armor, but even so she gently rubs Runealy's back while she begins to slowly get over whatever's wrong. She does show a mild bit of concern when she sees that energy starting to leak out of the girl. That definitely can't be good, and she's not entirely sure what she could do to help speed up whatever's happening that appears to be making the girl recover. "It's the least I can do. I couldn't sleep knowing I ignored someone in front of me that needed help," she admits. Ascalon, in the meantime, is sure to scan the girl his master is overseeing both to see what is wrong with her, and also to gather information on what is definitely not magic as they are use to seeing it used. He'll be sure to relay anything to Lena if it might help in speeding up Runealy's recovery.<br /><br />"Do you want me to take you anywhere, or... should we stay here?" She'd think they would be better off going to a hospital, but then she's pretty sure that a) they wouldn't be able to help the girl, and b) they'd freak out seeing what's coming out of her. So for the time, Lena remains a stoic presence watching over until she's recovered enough to make conversation beyond a gasping thank you.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:29|Runealy Waldia (29)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The least Lena could do seems to be enough. The mist slows, and eventually stops. Runealy is still left very short of breath, but no longer actively choking. Interestingly, Ascalon will pick up low amounts of dark energy - similar but not identical to that used by Riventon - in the princess' body. It is spread out all over, not confined to any one place nor is the concentration of it particularly thick. It's there, but not heavily so. The rest of her checks out as pretty normal for a human, however.<br /> <br />The offer to take her somewhere is met with wide-eyed, immediate fear. Rune knows where she would /like/ to go, but knows exactly what terrible consequences await if she does that. "Here is... fine. You... you sound incredible. Amazing, that you'd think about whether you could sleep right or not, when it would have been really easy to walk away. I..."<br /> <br />She starts to push herself up, stowing her wand behind her back; it sticks to the side of her dress' bow as if magnetized to it. Rune faces Lena, head low as tears continue to pour. Slower than they were while she was about to die, but still there. "I'm sorry. You really are amazing, and history is going to know that. You're going to regret helping me, but... thank you. You've probably saved someone I care about. Not just me, but them too. I won't forget this."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:57|Lena Reiniger (57)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ascalon confirms that what is coming out of her is not anything good, but what can they do about it? It's apparently leaving on its own without their help, but still. It's something to be recorded so they can think about it later, though Lena has a hard time suppressing a shudder at the thought of what that would do to someone over the longterm, if it's anything like the malignant forms of magic the TSAB is familiar with. When Ascalon gives the otherwise all clear for her, though, Lena seems to relax a good deal, the concern leaving her face.<br /><br />Not sure how to react to such a compliment, Lena looks away, suddenly finding the ground very interesting. When Runealy begins standing, she's right there to steady her while she finds her feet. Though she can't hold back wincing as pressure is placed on her arm. That crack in her armor, she's realizing, did enough damage to reduce its ability to protect her from her own cartridge-enhanced magic fully. Probably some strained tendons at the least, maybe a fracture? But her sudden charge is more important than her right now. Always time to heal herself up once someone else is alright.<br /><br />"I'm hardly amazing," she begins, finally looking Runealy in the eyes. It's a distant look, filled with pain. It's the kind of look someone has when they're reflecting on the past in some way. "I've gone a lot of things I regret--terrible things." Once she's sure Runealy can stand on her own, she lets the princess go and shrugs. "But I can't imagine I'll ever regret helping someone when they need it." Looking her over, Lena seems satisfied that there's little else she can do. "Are you alright now?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:29|Runealy Waldia (29)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"No, you're..." Runealy starts to protest Lena's self-description, but catches that look. It's familiar enough to cut off any immediate words. Gaze still low, it takes several seconds for her to answer. "We'll see. I'm... alright enough. I'll be okay. I need to go home, but..."<br /> <br />Words pause once again. It's possible Rune would have survived on her own. The magic might have faded on its own in time for her to regain breathing. Maybe it wouldn't have, though. Maybe Lena was the catalyst for it releasing in time, even through uncertain gestures made more of intent than any sort of 'magical medical know-how.' Runealy has no way to know. It's a 50-50 shot that Lena possibly saved her life.<br /> <br />And a 100 percent shot that Lena at least tried. That gives form to what Rune wants to say. "I probably did need it, and... I know that tone, I know those words and that look in your eyes. Forgive me for walking off like this, but I need to. I..." She looks off to the side, unable to look Lena eye to eye any more, ashamed. "I hope you sleep well tonight. The next time we meet, it /won't/ be as enemies." That's an odd thing to say. "I'll... want to ask about you. To know how history should remember you. It's alright if you don't want to tell me, but you're someone people ought to know about. You've done something great today, even if you look down on yourself. So... thank you. ...Good bye." She turns and begins to walk off.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:57|Lena Reiniger (57)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Maybe there's still a little concern! After all, she did just recover from what was probably something really horrible. Can never be too sure about these things! But Runealy thinks she's okay enough to make it home, so there's little reason in arguing the point. Nobody knows your body like yourself, right?<br /><br />Those words though, she's not sure how to take them and Lena looks down to Ascalon for a moment, but the device is strangely quiet on the matter. What is she suppose to say to something like that? She's not sure, and the other girl is just walking off. Lena decides it might be best to take her leave to and see to her arm. Her helm returns to her head and, after a brief flash of violet light, she begins lifting into the air. She stops soon after though and looks back at the retreating Runealy. No, there's nothing more to say. Eyes close as she turns back to the sky and begins heading off. She's a servant without a lord, a weapon with no one to use her. Just a knight that was unable to protect anything. Certainly not anyone worth remembering.<br> <br>
}}