2014-10-22 - A Rumble At The Harbor!

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Title: A Rumble At The Harbor!
Summary:

Jaren the Jerk strikes again! Lera, Ren, and Kuniko teach him a lesson.

Who:

Lera Camry, Ren Aizawa, Kuniko Saito, Endo Naoki as Jaren Zastava, and a brief cameo from Fate Testarossa

Where:

Yamanote High City - Near the Harbor

OOC - IC Date:

10/22/2014 - 30 March 2014 


<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.

It is the night. Whole some people in Tokyo have to run, many have found time to sleep. Especially down near the harbor, where the ferries running to and from Southern Cross have mostly ceased their sluggish crawl across the water, and only a few vessels still float out along the water. The sky is overcast, the moon occasionally glimpsed through wisps of clouds. Mostly, it's a peaceful night out on the water.

Mostly for now. That might change.

Ren receives the call on her cellphone at around 7:00 PM, the number listed as her brothers. He was supposed to be out near the harbor for the day, it wasn't that strange that he was out late. What was is that the voice that greeted her wasn't his. It was still easy to recognize, though. Jaren.

"There's a cargo ship in the harbor." He gave her a number, a name and designation. That was it.

Now the Mage waists. He stands in plain sight, atop a dull red shipping container, one of many stacked on the back of a large vessel in the harbor. As does Ren's brother, though he sits, feet dangling off the edge. The boy doesn't move, nor does he say anything, possibly because the man standing next to him is leaning against a warhammer-like device. His eyes are to the docks nearby, and the streets that run near them, occasionally the tiny ferries. 


<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

Ren is still enjoying spring break! She's done tons of things with her friends and has tons of pictures and other souvenirs to prove it. In fact, she's slotting a couple of the photos into a scrapbook when her phone rings. Peeking over at it reveals it to be her brother -- the newly graduated Yuu Aizawa. Smiling, she reaches over to flip it open, bringing it to her ear. "Ahh! Yuu! What's up?"

And in just an instant, her blood ran cold. Jaren's voice came from the other side, briefly giving her a location before hanging up. She sat there in utter shock and disbelief. But only for a few seconds. In the next instant she was up on her feet, shooting out of her room and down the stairs. After somehow managing to slide her shoes on without coming to a complete stop she was then out the door and racing down the street. She didn't even glance down on her cellphone as she hit a button and brought it to her ear again.

"Lera-san! It's Jaren! He has my brother! Meet me at the harbor!"

Click. Similar to Jaren she didn't wait for a reply before hanging up. Tucking her cellphone away she then reached for the ring dangling from her neck. "Souverain Heraut.... SORTIE!"

A ping. A flash of light. In the blink of an eye she's transformed, kicking off the ground to take flight like a fighter jet, leaving behind a golden trail as she heads for the harbor with all the speed she can muster. 


<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

Kuniko Saito got blown up with a bunch of Dark Energy previously, and one of her cronies, who scraped her off the ground, has decided to cheer her up and remove her worries about having been poked with too much needle to end up well by taking her to somewhere super authentic - a genuine working class diner!

The place is small and has a good view of the docks. Enka music is playing on the radio. Kuniko is eating a bowl of edomae soup. Nijimura is in the kitchen arguing with OH WHAT A SURPRISE HIS OLDER BROTHER IS THE OWNER.

"Finally," she says, "Peace and quie-"

Something sparkles behind her.

Kuniko slowly turns on her counterside stool, staring out and into the dockside mechanical forest. "Oh you have to be screwing with me." 


<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

"Oh, hello, Ren-san," Lera started, as she lifted her flat American style phone u -- and then her blood ran cold. Her eyes shot wide open. Her mother's former assistant, whole stole Broken Ground, was back. He found them before they found him. Her heart caught in her chest. She didn't have a chance to answer Ren.

She didn't begrudge her that, either.

Now, Lera Camry is sprinting down the waterfront, having already transformed; the green coattails of her Barrier Jacket are trailing after her while she runs hard, her hands gripping the hilts of her swords; she pumps her legs and arms. A text was fired off to Yukimi, but she can't say if she got it at this time of night.

She can hope.

Lera's red hair trails after, and she looks up at the red shipping container. She recognizes Jaren Zastava; she met him on Midchilda a few times, when he was her mother's assistant. They never quite got along -- she was the annoying brat who squabbled with him. But those arguments were different. She never thought he would do this.

<Keep calm. If you lose your temper...>

"How am I supposed to do that!?" she snaps back at Sky, heatedly. For once, he is quiet; Lera spots Ren, before she leaps into the air, both swords swung up over her head. She leaves two trails of red-orange light in the air. Then she shouts: "JAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAREN!" 

COMBAT: Ren Aizawa transforms into Barrier Jacket!
COMBAT: Lera Camry has fully healed herself.
COMBAT: Lera Camry transforms into Barrier Jacket - Dual Mode!
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has fully healed herself.
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has fully healed herself.
COMBAT: Endo Naoki has fully healed himself. He is now ready to take on 3 opponents!



<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.

"Do you think she'd be more or less motivated to get here if I drowned you? What if I only did it a little bit. No?" The man with the hammer is musing while he waits. He consults-briefly-with his device, Broken Ground, to estimate how long a human can stay underwater.

Until he spots the tell-tale marks of other Mages converging on him.

<MASTER. ENEMIES APPROACHING>. The machine notes. Which isn't necessary, what with the sparkling and yelling, but it does so regardless.

"There you are," He calls to Ren. "You left this stupid thing just lying around! It's like you don't even care about it, you should have known this was going to happen." While he brother looks thoroughly confused, the blue haired man is grinning brightly. "Now, give me back what you took!" He steps forward, onto the corner of the crate.

Except there's something else he needs to do. The other shape is really loud and familiar, but Lera isn't, however, the person he was looking to see. "Get out of here Camry, I already have one idiot to deal with." The Device in his hands turns, the man taking a grip on it with both hands and swinging it in a long, horizontal slash. Energy bursts from the tip of it, arcing to intercept the girl's flight path before she can make it too close to his perch. 


COMBAT: Endo Naoki has used Terra Fissure on Lera Camry.
COMBAT: Endo Naoki has used Still A Jerk! on Ren Aizawa.
COMBAT: Endo Naoki has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa narrowly braces Endo Naoki's Still A Jerk!, taking 0 Fatigue damage!  Ren Aizawa's Block ability activates!  Ren Aizawa's Parry ability activates!  Ren Aizawa is Taunted!



<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

'Please let him be ok, please let him be ok, please let him be ok...!'

This mantra is repeated in Ren's head the whole flight over. Once she arrives she slows, choosing to hover in midair as she casts a heated glance down at where Jaren has posted himself up. With Yuu just by his side. Lera's there too thank goodness. She's not sure she would have been able to do this without the other mage girl's support. Plus, Lera has an ax to grind with Jaren that's seemingly bigger than the one she has with him at the moment. Maybe... they could defeat him once and for all tonight?

It's wishful thinking.

<HE WILL NOT DEFEAT US THIS TIME, YOUR MAJESTY.> Heraut chimes. His confidence is reassuring. Ren tightens her grip on the shaft of the stately scepter, trying her best to burn holes into the opposing device-wielder. Who addresses her with a degree of casual smugness that makes her insides twist and turn.

"Leave him alone! He has nothing to do with this!" His words sting, though she tries not to show exactly how much. She wants to wail on him so much but... Yuu is too close. What if he gets hit by a stray attack that Jaren manages to deflect? "Stop using innocent people as a shield you coward! Come face us head on!" 


COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has used Declaration of Intent on Endo Naoki.
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Lera Camry perfectly dodges Endo Naoki's Terra Fissure, taking 0 Fatigue damage!  Critical Dodge!  Lera Camry's Fade ability activates!  Lera Camry's Flash ability activates!
COMBAT: Endo Naoki narrowly braces Ren Aizawa's Declaration of Intent, taking 3 Fatigue damage!  Critical Hit!  Endo Naoki is Quipped!  Endo Naoki's Block ability activates!



<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

"Like hell!" Lera spits back down at Jaren, as she sees the energy bursting from the tip of Broken Ground, and shooting into the sky. Her eyes widen -- and then she twists in midair -- and the blast of light fires right past her, slamming into a light pole that she passes. The bulb and glass casing shatter with a spray of glass, while the red-haired girl goes dropping down towards the man, swinging down the sword in her right hand to point towards Jaren.

Light crackles up the length of the energy sword, and she sizes the situation up for a moment. "Why--why are you even doing this?" she yells. "You were a jerk, not--not a thief and a kidnapper!"

She dives down -- but instead of slashing at Jaren, she drops one sword. It clatters to the top of the storage crate, rattling once, and then she grabs at Yuu's waist and tries to roll away from Jaren with the boy in one arm. 


COMBAT: Lera Camry has finished attacking.



<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

Someone's making a ruckus out there. "NIJIMURA I'M GOING OUT," Kuniko shouts towards the back.

"kay! hey hold on I'm gonna -"

Nijimura walks out, the door swinging dramatically shut behind her. 


<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.

"You know what I want. Just give it to me!" That is, it seems, a no. In the seconds that Jaren's head is turned toward Ren, Yuu lets out a cry of surprise when Lera snatches him up and carries him away from Jaren's grasping fingers. It makes the man snap around, snarling in rage and surprise. It's clear by the look on his face that he didn't think she'd be able to dodge that, and he's not pleased that she did.

"What are you even doing here?" Her question is met with one of his own. "This isn't any of your business!" His fingers grasp his Device, swinging it again, sending a bolt of energy chasing after her before he pushes off the crate and begins to ascend into the sky. With almost the same motion he's twisting back toward Ren.

"Broken Ground, put this brat down so we can take what's ours!"

<YES MASTER. FAULT SEIGE> Another burst of energy rips outward, a huge ball of magic zooming down straight toward Ren. 


COMBAT: Endo Naoki has used Terra Fissure on Lera Camry.
COMBAT: Endo Naoki has used Fault Siege on Ren Aizawa.
COMBAT: Endo Naoki has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Lera Camry perfectly dodges Endo Naoki's Terra Fissure, taking 0 Fatigue damage!  Critical Hit!  Critical Dodge!  Lera Camry's Fade ability activates!  Lera Camry's Flash ability activates!
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa fails to counter Endo Naoki's Fault Siege, taking 37 Fatigue damage!  Tangle applied to Ren Aizawa!
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa's counterattack, Quartz Guard, interrupts, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Endo Naoki!



<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

Give him back...? Wait. He means Souverain Heraut? She narrows her eyes. "No way. Heraut doesn't belong to you, jerk!"

The device chimes aloud again. <DO NOT WORRY. I WOULD NEVER SERVE SOMEONE LIKE HIM.> Yeah! You tell him Heraut!

Lera's able to swoop in and pick up Yuu in a flash, and Ren is once again glad she had the foresight to phone the girl instead of heading into this all alone. "Keep him safe!" She yells after them, though just that quickly Jaren has launched off two attacks -- one for Lera and one for her.

"HERAUT!"

<QUARTZ GUARD.>

A blinding white shield is erected in front of the mage girl. But it's not enough to offer any sort of protection, shattering when the attack hits it and sending Ren tumbling backwards, barrier jacket smoking from the impact. "Ahhh!" And to make matters worse, she isn't able to stop herself before she hits the ground with enough force to leave an indention. Ouch.

Though she's not out for the count, thankfully. Not like the first time she faced the thieving mage. Pulling herself to her feet she wastes no time charging forward -- running first, then at the last moment leaping forward with a cry of anger. Her device undergoes a transformation, turning itself into the glittering rapier that is it's engagement form. Seems like she fully intends to get all up in Jaren's space!

<BLURRED EDGE.>

The blade vibrates with an alarming intensity as she thrusts it forward at his chest. 


COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has used Blurred Edge on Endo Naoki.
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has finished attacking.



<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

"I followed you to Earth!" Lera shouts. She grabs Yuu in one arm, tightly, and leaps; the girl clears the edge of the crate, before she lands on the ground of the docks below. The bolt of energy blows a gaping, smoking hole in the edge of the metal storage material before she crosses it. She looks down at Ren's brother, and hesitates a moment; then she frowns, and shakes her head quickly at the boy. "Sorry about that," she says. "Get somewhere safe, okay? I don't want you to get hurt. We'll make sure everything's okay."

She frowns, then she turns;, and takes a breath. After that, Lera leaps back up -- and comes down in a crouch, on the storage container. She grabs the dropped sword, lifting it back up. "Leave her alone! You--You stole Broken Ground from my mom, and you came here and caused trouble, and--" Her eyes narrow, and then she yells: "How could you? You could have had a real career working under Mom!"

Then, she bolts forward, right sword extended -- and a trail of red-orange light is left in her wake, as she shoots straight past Jaren, slashng as she rushes towards him, running to join Ren in her attack. 


COMBAT: Lera Camry has used Strike Soar on Endo Naoki.
COMBAT: Lera Camry has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Endo Naoki narrowly braces Lera Camry's Strike Soar, taking 1 Fatigue damage!  Lera Camry is Psyched!  Endo Naoki's Block ability activates!
COMBAT: Endo Naoki narrowly braces Ren Aizawa's Blurred Edge, taking 3 Fatigue damage!  Critical Hit!  Ren Aizawa is Psyched!  Endo Naoki's Block ability activates!



<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

“just give me what I want!” Someone shouts in the distance. Kuniko growls to herself; that's not an attitude you like to hear in a diner. ENTITLEMENT.

Wait, she thinks, is that an earthquake?

Kuniko draws a blue apron - a short cut one - from her pocket.

AND SO IT IS

That a green-sheened chef runs forwards, past Yuu, who is given a momentary pause and a glance to ensure he's alright. Even if he's older than Kuniko, Kuniko looks kind of rough. "Just get out of the line of fire," she tells him; "You're gonna be fine!"

She hopes.

She's feeling the injury from the previous day. Kuniko doesn't let it go. "HEY JACK - ass," she says, as she comes around a shipping container and finds that she is dealing with, not a youma, but - three? - people fighting with swords. She squints; that looks like Propane, she reasons, and her powers of tasting the meat, and not the heat, appear to be availing her.

Kuniko looks at those enchanted blades thrown into battle, down at her own boning knife, and then growls to herself.

Instead of jumping into the air, she hurls up a handful of small purple objects, towards Endo. They look like thrown away food, and in a sense, they are: but the prepared kale-heavy dolmas have more to them than ripe flavor and the rich superfood goodness of kale. No: they erupt into gooey foam, ideally all over him and his Device! 

COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has used Yalanci Dolma on Endo Naoki.
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Endo Naoki fails to brace Kuniko Saito's Yalanci Dolma, taking 9 Fatigue damage!



<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.

Yuu nods at Lera, staring for only a second before he scrambles to find cover in the crates. "Thank you!" He's quick on his feet it seems. He seems to think Kuniko's idea is a good one, shouting at her to do the same before she runs on past.

In the air, Jaren is ready to meet the two girls that come toward him. Magic symbols flare in the air as a barrier of light forms to meet them. It cracks and splinters, sparking, forcing him back several feet from the impacts that streak across it. It takes the brief from him for a second, the man's lips splitting into an ugly snarl.

"How could anyone have stood working under her?" The man barks at Lera, "And she sent YOU? What a joke, are you sure she's not just trying to get rid of you instead?" He even laughs. A bit shakily, but he does.

And his reward is a big mass of gooey, food-missile that slams into the barrier around him. It sends him careening to the side, burning and eating through some of his magical defenses. "More!?" His retaliation is swift, a snarl of anger and a swing of the hammer. Another bright flash of light flies toward the ground below, tearing through shipping containers as it passes.

He whirls upon Ren then, turning to meet the girl closest to him. The head of the hammer spinning toward her. "Didn't you learn last time?" He's happy to show her again. With the same motion he's turning around, hurling the entire hammer at Lera once he's taken his shot at Ren. 


COMBAT: Endo Naoki has used Mountainous Crush on Lera Camry.
COMBAT: Endo Naoki has used Terra Fissure on Kuniko Saito.
COMBAT: Endo Naoki has used Hamma Slamma on Ren Aizawa.
COMBAT: Endo Naoki has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa narrowly dodges Endo Naoki's Hamma Slamma, taking 6 Fatigue damage!  Endo Naoki is Psyched!
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito narrowly dodges Endo Naoki's Terra Fissure, taking 25 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Lera Camry narrowly dodges Endo Naoki's Mountainous Crush, taking 20 Fatigue damage!  Lera Camry's Fade ability activates!  Lera Camry's Flash ability activates!  Stagger applied to Lera Camry!



<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

Barrier jackets are made of tough stuff. Jaren's protects him from getting possibly run through by Ren's sword. She's never tried to impale an actual human being before. Only youma and other monsters. Has Jaren pushed her that far?

He talks some more, directing all sorts of mean words at Lera. It's not fair! She only wants to get the device he stole back to her mother! Witnessing him saying those things to her friend only serves as fuel for the fire burning within Ren. He's /so/ going to pay!

And then he's suddenly covered in a weird substance. It's enough to give Ren the slightest of pauses. Someone else has apparently taken issue with Jaren's actions. And he's not happy about that, slinging an attack in the mystery person's direction. Hopefully they're able to avoid that.

And then he turns on them again. Ren jumps backward, though the hammer still clips her in the side, and she hisses. But she'll survive.

"H-Heraut!"

A golden runic circle appears beneath her, then proceeds to move up the length of her body. Time for a boost. 


COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has used Sovereign's Relief on Ren Aizawa.
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa accepts Ren Aizawa's Sovereign's Relief, taking 0 Fatigue damage!  Empower applied to Ren Aizawa!  Cleanse! All of Ren Aizawa's debuffs are cleared!



<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

"Shut up!" Lera shouts back at Jaren. She sees the hammer coming in for her, so she arches her back; the hammer flies over her, nearly catching the girl, and she has to stumble to get back up to her feet. "Even if she was hard to get along with, how could you just--how could you just steal from us! Or pull people from Earth into this, or--"

She realizes, with a blink, that some magical food is dripping down to the now battered storage container top, courtesy of Kuniko. She turns her head and sees her -- then she brightens, and flashes a smile at her, and a nod.

Then she's back at Jaren. She rushes in with the left sword this time; the girl stumbles at first, as she gets closer. She glances quickly at Ren, taking a deep breath, before the left sword suddenly flashes to light -- and the glow of plasma around the blade changes from a burnt orange color to a white one. She swings the sword back over her head.

<Aura Surge!>

She slashes the sword down at Jaren; the blade erupts, then, with a brilliant flash-bang of white light light, as the energy sword chops at his chest. "I'm taking Broken Ground back with me and sending you to jail!" 


COMBAT: Lera Camry has used Aura Surge on Endo Naoki.
COMBAT: Lera Camry has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Endo Naoki perfectly counters Lera Camry's Aura Surge, taking 0 Fatigue damage!  Critical Counter!  Endo Naoki's Reverse ability activates!  Endo Naoki's Tactician ability activates!
COMBAT: Endo Naoki's counterattack, Time To Get Slam-Jammed, interrupts, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Lera Camry!



<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

"Are you insulting someone's mother? That's low, whoever you are!" Kuniko shouts up, pulling down the brim of her cap. A flash of light comes down - Kuniko whirls out of the way.

It hits the emptying shipping container behind her - and makes it blow up!! At least in part; a big chunk of metal swings out along lines fatigued by damage caused by overworked longshoremen at the American terminus of this particular trade route. If only their union hadn't been broken up in order to slightly reduce operational expenses! If only they had kept institutional tradition by retaining older workers, and if only they had been able to recruit well qualified talent instead of merely those who were desperate! Truly, in a sense, it is GLOBAL CAPITALISM that strikes Kuniko in the side where she's already got some scars.

It still stings.

"Guh!"

Adjusting her cap, she sees someone else in the fray other than Propane. She seems battered, even if she's preparing herself. Looking down, Kuniko feels a sort of inspiration - and instead of putting out a full plate, plops down the slices of mozarella and tomato that make up a Caprese salad on a double-thick sheet of nori, pinches it shut, and tosses it to Ren. "Eat this! It'll help!" she calls, before saying, "Propane-chan!! Who is this person?? And why is he causing trouble in MY CITY!" 


COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has used Tomato and Mozarella Antipasta on Ren Aizawa.
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa accepts Kuniko Saito's Tomato and Mozarella Antipasta, taking 0 Fatigue damage!  Withstand applied to Ren Aizawa!  Cleanse! All of Ren Aizawa's debuffs are cleared!



<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.

"Are you scared? Don't you even know how to use that thing? And you, what are you even doing down there? You'll die if you mess with me, you idiot!" Jaren is taunting Ren and the new contender on the scene, all hyped up on self-importance. "Give me the Device, or I'm going to start looking for that kid again. All three of you, you can't even touch me!" Which is, really, a lie.

Because Lera does. Jaren turns to meet head-on, grunting with effort when path of Broken Ground smashes into her own Device, grinding to a half in mid-air. He seems to waver for a second, and then breaks away and higher into the air. She was stronger than he'd thought, and her words only served to genuinely anger him. "She's nothing. You're nothing!"

<MOUNTAINUS CRUSH.>

The head of the hammer burns with light, raised high overhead and brought down toward the girl in front of him. 


COMBAT: Endo Naoki has used Mountainous Crush on Lera Camry.
COMBAT: Endo Naoki has used Still A Jerk! on Ren Aizawa.
COMBAT: Endo Naoki has used Still A Jerk! on Kuniko Saito.
COMBAT: Endo Naoki has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito narrowly braces Endo Naoki's Still A Jerk!, taking 0 Fatigue damage!  Kuniko Saito's Block ability activates!  Kuniko Saito's Parry ability activates!
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa narrowly braces Endo Naoki's Still A Jerk!, taking 0 Fatigue damage!  Ren Aizawa's Block ability activates!  Ren Aizawa's Parry ability activates!  Ren Aizawa is Taunted!
COMBAT: Lera Camry fails to dodge Endo Naoki's Mountainous Crush, taking 50 Fatigue damage!  Stagger applied to Lera Camry!



<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

Jaren is really starting to lose his cool. He's obviously planned on them being too weak to face him. And the sudden emergence of Kuniko only further complicates things. Ren would smile if she could right now. Just a tiny one, though. Because she's starting to feel /really/ crummy thanks to that jerk's words. He even threatens to go after Yuu again! This causes her to start thinking about the worst case scenario -- the three of them all defeated, Heraut stolen, and Yuu...

No! She's not going to let that happen!

Kuniko helpfully chooses that time to toss Ren something. Something that turns out to be... food? The mage girl looks baffled, but nevertheless follows the chef's instructions to eat it.

...It's not good.

...IT'S DELICIOUS! Ren feels /totally/ invigorated, too! "Thanks a lot!" She shouts to Kuniko before turning back to Jaren -- only to cry out Lera's name when she sees the girl take a major hit.

No more. Just... no more.

"JAREN!" Ren shouts to gain his attention, holding the rapier out in front of her. "You want me!" And then she charges in valiantly with a warcry, sword poised to deliver some cuts and slashes. Cause that's what swords do. 


COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has used Swordplay on Endo Naoki.
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Endo Naoki perfectly dodges Ren Aizawa's Swordplay, taking 0 Fatigue damage!  Critical Dodge!



<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

"He's--" Lera grimaces when she realizes her lie could get complicated with Kuniko. "--from where I come from! He took that Device from my mother and--"

Jaren's words reach her ears and the hammer slams into her side, hard. The Barrier Jacket ripples with the impact, the hammerblow slamming into the barrier and causing a wavering crackle to shoot up her clothing as it pushes the defensive spells composing her clothes to the very limit. The flash of light erupts, a starburst just before it throws her back into the air.

There is one thing she never understood: how Broken Ground could help Jaren Zastava. She knows, by now, that a Device has to cooperate wit its master. That bond is why some mages are stronger than others. It is where her own power comes from.

Part of her assumes, mistakenly, that Broken Ground could never /really/ support Jaren.

She goes flying; Lera slams hard into a concrete barrier along one of the docks, leaving a crack there. She crumples, down to the ground, and then rises up shakily. Her eyes widen when she sees Ren rushing in, then she starts running forward.

<You're hurt.>

"I know, but... if I don't get Ground back," she says, "then I..."

<If you're sure.>

Lera runs in closer -- and then she jumps -- and then she bolts into the air. A magical circle, in the Midchildan style, traces out the triangular patterns within, just before she breaks through it. She sticks one sword onto her belt, grabbing the other with both hands, and the plasma field suddenly doubles in length, forming a longer sword of energy.

<Inferno Slasher.>

She chops it down over the top of her head, down for Jaren; but she shouts out not at him, but his Device. "Ground!" she yells. "You don't have to go along with this! I'll take you back, and we'll make everything all right! So just hold on!" 


COMBAT: Lera Camry has used Inferno Slasher on Endo Naoki.
COMBAT: Lera Camry has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Endo Naoki narrowly braces Lera Camry's Inferno Slasher, taking 16 Fatigue damage!  Endo Naoki's Block ability activates!



<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

Kuniko doesn't quite hear the capitals, but the outline is clear. This guy robbed Propane's mother.

Words cut towards Kuniko's heart --

Which is tough and leathery!! "Give me a break, you jerk! I don't know what's going on here, but you're not just a thief - you're gloating about it! A kaitou like that Saint Jeanne girl would just be ripping things off for glory or for the thrill or because they belong in a museum or something -- you're laying on threats and being a tool!"

Kuniko stabs something with a knife. "My name is Kuniko, and I'm a poissonnier - I handle fish guts for a living. I trawl around in the belly of shellfish and make delicious meals out of the kind of food most people throw away as garbage. I don't see much to admire in you right now, buddy!!"

She pulls the knife out -

And throws it up at Jaren.

It's a can of some kind of North African junk. Yes, that makes a great weapon, Kuniko--

Then it bursts in a spray of magically-warmed-up pepper fluid, hopefully right up in front of the naughty fellow's face! 


COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has used Harissa Pepper on Endo Naoki.
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Endo Naoki narrowly braces Kuniko Saito's Harissa Pepper, taking 5 Fatigue damage!  Endo Naoki's Block ability activates!  Blind applied to Endo Naoki!



<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.

Jaren is fast, no matter how much a jerk he might be. Ren's rapier whizzes past his ear as he jerks frantically aside, shaving off a few tiny hairs off his ridiculously looking sideburns. If he'd been just a little slower, that probably would have ended poorly for him. He doesn't hit her with the hammer this time, though. This time he tries to KICK her. Like some sort of savage. Mostly to clear some space between them, and get that dangerous weapon away from him.

Before he can say something else disparaging, he spots a can headed his way. It explodes in his face, paste splashing across his smug face. It burns. You can tell because he starts yelling about it and shaking his head to try and get it out of his eyes. The hammer swings wildly, throwing more energy in Kuniko's direction. Or he hopes. It's hard to tell.

He only notices Lera at the last second. Jaren throws up his barrier again when the other Midchildian comes down, but this time it doesn't go as well. Her Device slams into his shield, cracking it, his body thrown back down toward the ship below. There's a sharp ding of impact as he crashes into the metal containers, leaving a dent on one of their capitalist frames.

<LERA CAMRY.> The voice of Broken Ground reaches out to her as Jaren begins to regain his feet. <YOU ARE CORRECT.>

Magical energy begins to ripple and form in the air, symbols appearing in front of Jaren then bending up and around until they form a rough circle in the air.

<I DON'T HAVE TO.>

It chooses to.

"Do it, Ground!" Jaren swings. The tip of the hammer hits the center of the symbols, jerking to a halt as if it'd hit a brick wall. Energy flares around the circle, and then it explodes into a pillar of vivid orage light, streaking toward Lera at blinding speed.

<MOLTEN BOLT.> 


COMBAT: Endo Naoki has used A Mean Right Hook! on Ren Aizawa.
COMBAT: FINISHER! Endo Naoki has used Molten Bolt on Lera Camry.
COMBAT: Endo Naoki has used Into Dust on Kuniko Saito.
COMBAT: Endo Naoki has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa narrowly dodges Endo Naoki's A Mean Right Hook!, taking 4 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Lera Camry accepts Endo Naoki's Finisher, Molten Bolt, taking 42 Fatigue damage!  Lera Camry is unable to keep fighting!  Cripple applied to Lera Camry!



<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

"What?" Lera says, shocked for a moment. "Ground, I--"

<Traitor! Scumbag! I'll show you what a Device of worth can do!> Soaring Sky shouts, back, angrily; they'd been designed around the same time. This cuts deep for the other Intelligent Device Lera is shocked by that, too -- and then by the spread of the magical circles in the air. Her brown-gold eyes widen in alarm, and she can't prepare a defensive spell or a leap in time.

Broken Ground slams down into the circle, and then a sphere of magma-like substance goes flying. It slams into Lera in mid-air, globs of magma exploding and flying out. It smashes into the sea, slashes through containers, and rips into the dock. Steam and smoke rise up where chunks of it hit. The majority, however, slams into Lera in midair with a fiery explosion.

She lets out a scream, and her midair leap is cut wholly short. The red-haired girl is thrown back to the docks below. She slams into a concrete pier, sending a spiderweb of cracks out where she hits, and then bounces again. She rolls to a stop, then, and crumples.

"N-No," she manages, "I can't..."

She slumps down after that; her swords are dropped. The left one vanishes; the right, under her hand, turns back into a red pen with a flash. She is left wearing her black jacket, white T-shirt, and blue jeans. 


<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

Yes. Jaren is fast. Ren grits her teeth as she misses, and is forced to retreat. Though not before she gets a kick in the side as a parting gift. Her reflexes are quick enough to save her from receiving a hard blow... so there's that at least.

Lera goes in again, and Ren watches as she tries to reason with the stolen device Jaren so wrongfully wields. The answer is not at all what she's expecting, though, and makes her breath catch.

It doesn't have to.

So... But... does that mean Ground is...?

Ren isn't left with any time to ponder this. Her eyes widen as wide as dinner-plates when Jaren is only momentarily hindered by Lera and Kuniko's attacks, the enemy mage moving on to charge up what is certainly going to be something utterly /devastating/.

"Lera!" She calls out desperately. But it's ultimately not enough. Jaren unleashes. And Lera is caught in the blast. Ren lets out a strangled cry as the Midchildan mage disappears from sight, and she herself is forced to shield her eyes from the brightness of it all. Then... it fades. And the aftermath is horrifying. "L-Lera...." Is she... alive? Oh god. This is... This is... 


<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

Propane's down. The other girl's on her. Kuniko...

Kuniko's magic makes her strong, tough, and graceful, but she can't leap through the air. She can't summon up blasts of light, or rays of fire. Her talents are focused on the culinary world. BUT...

The enchantment of 'Service,' and the ancient laws enshrined in the Lafayette Exception, are a shining thread of hope. Kuniko can't save Propane if she's direly wounded or trapped. She will have to trust in that girl whom she never met.

Kuniko's fingers tighten... and uncurl, as her focus rests on the face of that man. And with a sudden flash of insight, and a memory of the simple cuisine she was just noshing on, she realizes the route to take. It's so simple, she thinks.

Pans slam down around her, in the silvery netherworld of Mise-en-place. A daikon and a yam slam down, sliced, scrubbed, diced, and washed. Greens are sauteed with garlic in the squeezed out fatty essence of sea urchin roe; sliced carp is given a quick dredging and fried katsu-style before being chopped into loose chunks.

Around Kuniko, a scent rises. It isn't one born purely of love, but one of passion, it's true. Down it slams, next to a fresh-cooked cup of conventional homestyle white rice, onto a plate. Kuniko places a fork next to it.

She touches the plate. Please work, she thinks. "Service," she says --

And the plate flies up, propelled by FELL SORCERY, to float directly in front of Jaren. He is now faced, heedless or not, with a dilemma.

He can not eat the food. If he does not, it will erupt in a frustrated burst of terroir, which will doubtless propel shards of magical plateware into his phiz.

Or...

He can dine on a meal which combines the salty-fatty essence of sea urchin, or 'umi,' with the crisp body of freshly fried carp, supplemented by diced and perfectly tender yam and daikon root -- with the additional bitter/piquant kick of the greens, sauteed in Thai red curry paste!! It's a meal that reminds one of the rainy season - the sort of thing you could imagine eating on a humid and rainy day, with elephants in the yard of your host family's home. 


COMBAT: Kuniko Saito fails to dodge Endo Naoki's Into Dust, taking 10 Fatigue damage!  Diversion applied to Kuniko Saito!
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has used C.arp U.mi R.adish R.ed spice Y.am on Endo Naoki.
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has finished attacking.



<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

No. This isn't how it's supposed to happen. She and Lera were supposed to rescue her brother and beat Jaren so bad he'd give up Broken Ground and go running back to his world with his tail between his legs. But this...

This is a disaster.

Is she /really/ the heroine she sees herself as? If Lera is alive, maybe she can cut a deal with Jaren so that he won't hurt anyone else? Riddled with guilt Ren looks down at Souverain Heraut... as if... truly considering...

<YOUR MAJESTY?> The device questions, unsure of his master's mental state at the moment. And she's truly in a bad place right now, performing an overwhelming amount of mental gymnastics that leave her thoroughly frozen in place. 


COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has used You're So Weak! on Ren Aizawa.
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa accepts Ren Aizawa's You're So Weak!, taking 0 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Endo Naoki perfectly counters Kuniko Saito's C.arp U.mi R.adish R.ed spice Y.am, taking 0 Fatigue damage!  Critical Hit!  Critical Counter!  Endo Naoki's Reverse ability activates!  Endo Naoki's Tactician ability activates!
COMBAT: Endo Naoki's counterattack, Terra Fissure, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Kuniko Saito!
COMBAT: Endo Naoki has used Surprise! I'm A Jerk! on Ren Aizawa.



<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.

Jaren laughs when Lera goes falling down. A satisfied, tired laugh as he tries to straighten himself after expending all the energy it took to make that molten sphere. It only helps that Ren doesn't seem to be taking it that well. He's breathing heavily as he calls to her, "Do you see? Just give me the weapon. You can't beat me. You're useless!"

He begins his advance. Which stops shortly after, when a plate of curry appears in front of him. He stares down at it, and then at Kuniko. And then at the curry. It looks so delicious.

And then he hits it. Full-on hammers it, and it blows up right in his face. There's a lot of coughing and upset noises that follow, a choked, "You!" It's still kind of hard to see, and the explosive snack has him stumbling around awkwardly. It looks kind of silly. It probably won't when he finishes. 


COMBAT: Endo Naoki has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa accepts Endo Naoki's Surprise! I'm A Jerk!, taking 0 Fatigue damage!  Ren Aizawa is Quipped!



<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

He's... right. He's so right. She could hand over Heraut and be done with all of this. All of this fighting all the time. She thinks about all she's been through since getting the mysterious device. Her life had been thrown upside down but... it wasn't really in a /bad/ way. She got to learn magic! And defend people from really bad things! That has to count for something, right?

...But maybe she's being selfish. Yuu had been put in /actual/ danger because of her. That's... just unacceptable! 


COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has used I'm The Worst on Ren Aizawa.
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa accepts Ren Aizawa's I'm The Worst, taking 0 Fatigue damage!  Ren Aizawa is Quipped!



<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

"Yeah," Kuniko says, coldly. "Me."

He's thrown off by the burst of the Lafayette Exemption, Kuniko thinks, but he won't stay down for long. "Why don't you stay put, if the heat's too high for you? You know... If you could take a break from just yelling at people and tryin' to steal their stuff... you might learn something!"

Kuniko is sweating, despite this. This guy's blasts are powerful. If he recovers himself, he could probably crush her - her powers are indirect, her talents subtle if flexible. She scribbles a message on a plate in chocolate sauce and slings it back the way she arrived. If Nijimura gets here, she thinks -

He's weak, she reasons (HARSH) but two against one might be able to drive him off... or stop his reign of crime!

And with that, the poissonnier hoists herself up onto the container. Time's draining out, she thinks, but she keeps her voice cocky. "If the spice is too heavy... I'll give you a salad, to cool the burn in your mouth. Then you can get back to INSULTING THE PEOPLE YOU'RE TRYIN TO ROB!"

A plate - more of a small bowl - spins towards Jaren, this time containing a cooling salad - sliced cucumbers and tomatoes with a little hummus and a generous portion of the Greek tzatzki sauce tossed in it. Pita slices are included too. 


COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has used Tzatziki-infused Israeli Salad on Endo Naoki.
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Endo Naoki narrowly braces Kuniko Saito's Tzatziki-infused Israeli Salad, taking 7 Fatigue damage!  Kuniko Saito is Psyched!  Endo Naoki's Block ability activates!



<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.

Salad!? Jaren would think she was just mocking him, if that wasn't the most painful food he'd ever hard. He seems to be reorienting, though. Barrier forms again, the man grimacing, and then advancing. The hammer is raised high, ready to meet Kuniko in face-to-hammer combat. His movements are beleaguered though, as if hefting the weapon was growing increasingly wearying, like the energy was slowly leaving his body.

Still, all he had to do was finish her 


<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

Lera doesn't get back up. She groans, but she doesn't rise back up -- and the goading from Jaren is heard, making her angrier. When they argued, on Midchilda, it was like that. She was the overeager kid who didn't know anything; he was the brilliant, promising lab assistant to her mother. He could have been a Meister, creating weapons like this, in a way she never could have been. There is a familiar stab of jealousy there.

Then, finally, a grim thought: her mother was proud of her for graduating school. She wouldn't be proud now, Lera thinks. She has to find a way to become stronger. To beat Jaren and Broken Ground both.

She squeezes her eyes shut through the pain and clinches her jaw. She can do this; she hears Ren and Kuniko, fighting still. Unfortunately, though, the strength isn't in her limbs to get back up, despite Ren's panicked cries. 


<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

Kuniko fights on. The chef's passionate words and actions are enough to stir something inside of the conflicted mage girl floating in midair. She's just sitting here. Feeling sorry for herself. Lera's in a crater nearby, having given it her all to try and catch the man she's been chasing for so long. Would it really be fair to the both of them if she just shut down and give up?

No. Ren whirls to face Jaren. This is /his/ fault! Not hers!

Multiple runic circles appear in the air above, burning bright with Ren's own mana as she raises her rapier, which is glimmering like a shining beacon in the night. Slowly, the tips of several replicas of her device peek out from the center of them, and it's quite clear that she's charging up a pretty potent spell. "LEAVE... US... ALONE!"

<BLADE STORM.>

"GO, HERAUT!"

Heeding the signal, her device completes the calculations for the spell as she thrusts the sword forward. In that instant the replica swords shoot forward, raining down towards Jaren like a hail of spikes. People miles away could likely see this. It's pretty. 


COMBAT: FINISHER! Ren Aizawa has used Blade Storm on Endo Naoki.
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Endo Naoki accepts Ren Aizawa's Finisher, Blade Storm, taking 72 Fatigue damage!



<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

Kuniko reaches for a knife, tensing herself in readiness. Does knife beat hammer? Probably not, she thinks, but it's gonna come to that. Maybe Nijimura can at least avenge -

'Go, heraut!'

And then, come a thousand swords. "Yeah!! That's what you GET!" she shouts, in sudden relief and triumph! 


<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.

Jaren's steps are unsteady, but his attack is inevitable. Until Ren is back up and shooting something at him. A lot of things. He turns slowly, too slowly, and what little defenses he can muster to meet her assault falter under the rain of blades. They tear across his armored clothing, shredding skin and cloth, sparks flashing when each blow that might be fatal is forced aside. There are plenty that aren't, and plenty that will leave a mark. Holes perforate metal and wood, leaving gaping wounds in the already damaged battleground.

When it's over his body has moved several feet, forced to bow over and retreat under the onslaught. He's still alive. He's shaking with pain, fear, and anger.

"I'll break every bone in your damn body, you, you-"

<MASTER. YOU ARE NEARLY OUT OF POWER.>

He says something unkind in return. The man's eyes flash between Ren and Kuniko. Like he's trying to decide if he should take his changes, deciding if he can finish them both.

Maybe he can't. The man pushes from the deck with visible effort, lifting himself into the sky. "You'll both regret this, you brats." Off he goes, ascending and retreating from the scene of the crime. 


<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

It's all Ren has left in her. The swords pelt Jaren righteously. She watches. Unwavering. Once it's through he still stands. But the fight in him is gone. Completely. It's a relief, her weary body flooded with the feeling. Jaren is gone in the next breath she draws, retreating into the night to lick his wounds.

And likely plan his revenge.

But that's something she'll worry about later. She floats down to the ground near Kuniko, managing a smile.

"Thank you. Those were some interesting attacks... I didn't know food could be so effective in a fight like this..."

Her next thought is on Lera's well-being. Turning away from Kuniko she moves off in search... finally finding her friend's resting place, barrier jacket no longer formed. "Lera!" She cries out and breaks into a run, her own transformation dispelling to leave her in a heavy sweater, blue jeans, and boots. Dropping down to her knees she careful takes the wounded girl's hand in hers and squeezes it. "Lera! Lera!" 


<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

Lera opens her eyes, slowly, and looks up; she blinks a couple times at Ren, then flashes a hesitant, half-hearted smile. Things hurt a little too much to really feel cheerful, even if -- all told -- she can be satisfied with driving Jaren off. "Thanks," she manages. "I guess that... that could have gone better."

She sits up, with a grunt; her hand comes to her side, and she looks around for a moment, before she looks at Kuniko. "Thanks," she adds. The girl -- now in her civilian clothes, plainly identifiable as Lera Camry -- frowns at them. "I'm sorry about that. I wasn't able to take them. I thought I'd..." 


<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

Kuniko gets off the container, limping a little. Yeah, she thinks, you run.

She smiles at Lera. "Hey, it's cool. Look, though, uh... can I ask you guys what the hell was going on there?"

She adds, "I can whip up a snack or something if you need to regain your energy." 


<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

Lera lives! Ren can feel tears prickling at the edges of her eyes. But they don't fall. "Oh thank goodness!" Seeing her friend get hit by molten magma was pretty traumatizing. But she's alive. And that's what matters. And Jaren is gone! Not for good but... small victories!

Kuniko's question about the conflict makes Ren bite her lip. "Well... it's a long story, sort of... he's after Souverain Heraut." She reaches down to grab the ring on the chain around her neck and hold it up. "My device. And... he also stole the device he was using. From Lera's mother."

At no time does she pause to wonder if blurting all this info out to Kuniko is a good thing. She's pretty much too tired to think that well. 


<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

"Yeah, I'm... all right," she says. It isn't strictly true. She has to find a way to be able to handle him; it makes the entire situation far more complicated. Lera frowns, as she sits up straight, and then leans back against one of the concrete barriers nearby. She grunts softly; a spike of pain shoots up her back, where she was thrown into a wall, earlier in the fight. The Barrier Jacket, at least, took care of the worst.

"He used to work for my mother," she says, looking at Ren, and then up at Kuniko. "But he left and--and I guess he took his Device. Or the Device wanted to come with him and help. And now he's here, after Ren's... and maybe others, too."

She frowns.

"I'm trying to get Broken Ground back," she says. "Before he does... something like this." 


<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

Kuniko puts something off to the side in thin air. It smells good.

She listens, adjusting her cap. "The devices, those are like that hammer and your sword, right," she says, perhaps not quite getting the Capital Letters. "I could tell he's tryin' to steal them. Is he just a thief? Like, does he have some energy draining agenda?"

To Ren, she says, "Do you need like - a place to hide out, or something? I can tell you a place you can go where people can try to protect you, folks like me I mean. I don't know if we could fight this guy off, but..."

Kuniko trails off, eyes turning to the ground. One hand comes up to squeeze the back of her own neck. 


<Pose Tracker> Fate Testarossa [None] has posed.

Cape fluttering, a lone child stands silhouetted atop a building.

Some part of her exulted in the man's flight, that he had underestimated the strength and resolve of his foes. The other part of her blanches at the thought of contending with the mages below.

After her recent loss against her rival, her mother impressed upon her the gravity of her failure and the magnitude of her task. She still winces at the memory of that, but she had learned new depths to her resolve.

“Feito, should we attack now, while we have the advantage?”

A wolfish voice sounded in her mind. As she looked away, with almost contemptuous pride.

“There's no point right now, but I'll be seeing them all again. Soon. It won't make a difference whether they're battleworn or not.”

Her telepathic link went silent, perhaps from worry. Allowing herself to fall backwards before her flight spells caught her, she is gone within moments. 


<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

Ren nods along with Lera. "He's just bad news all around. We have to stop him before..." Yeah. Before more people get hurt. She's not sure how many device-users may be here on Earth but they're all in danger as long as he's out on the streets and not locked up in some sort of super secure magical prison. Preferably one at the bottom of the ocean. Or in space. Space works too.

"As far as we know he's not after energy. There's plenty of people around trying to do that." The thought of those people causes her to frown. "And yeah. The devices are called Intelligent Devices. They have a mind of their own. And usually voice their opinions pretty well..."

Ren then blinks at Kuniko's offer. "A place to hide out? Umm... what kind of place, exactly?" 


<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

"I wish I knew," Lera answers Kuniko. She looks down, wehn she thinks about that for a moment. Jaren didn't change since he worked with her mother -- not in personality or ambition -- but he went further than she thought was possible. She realized, now, that she didn't understand him or Broken Ground.

She frowns, then she shakes her head. If she wants to keep her mother's pride, she doesn't need to understand him -- she just needs to beat him. But why, she thinks, does that sound so hollow?

She looks at Kuniko -- her back to Fate's unknown presence -- and then nods. "Yeah. 'Til I can rest up, at least."


<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

"Well if you mean right NOW I'm gonna have to call Nijimura, but I mean if you duck into the kitchens at Infinity Institute, we have people there," Kuniko explains. "Like my teachers and stuff." 


<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

"We'll take any help we can get." Ren is banged up herself. Nowhere near as bad as Lera, but still banged up nevertheless. "Thank you."

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