2015-07-17 - Comiket Chaos
| Title: Comiket Chaos | |
|---|---|
| Summary: Comiket is in full swing, and an independent game garnering some attention. Unfortunately, not all guests are inclined to play nice - one of Zagato's minions having finally found his targets. | |
| Who: Fuu Hououji, Hikaru Shidou, Kuniko Saito, Seika Miuchi
| |
| Where: Ajinomoto Stadium | |
| OOC - IC Date: 7 August 2014 - 07/17/2015 | |
<Pose Tracker> Hibiki Houjou [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
The weather forecast for today is high temperatures, brilliant sunlight, and a twenty percent chance of showers in the late afternoon. That last is cause for concern for a large number of the attendees at Ajinomoto Stadium today - but on the whole, spirits are high as the morning sun blazes warmly over the grand plaza before the stadium proper. Even an hour after the doors opened to Comiket, the lines seem to stretch on forever...
The roof is in place today, sheltering vendors and attendees both from flame and flood. The air above might be the only glimpse of free space, however, as the 'Comic Market' is absolutely packed. A handful of stalls - selling hotly anticipated doujins, no doubt - have already started closing up for lack of merchandise. Grand alleyways between tightly packed card tables are practically jammed with masses of convention-goers, all striving to find just the item they've been searching for - or in a few laudably foolish cases, merely meandering around to see what catches their eye.
The frustration when one of the latter snatches up a limited release...
The atmosphere is one of high spirits, though - this is a realm for enthusiasts of every colour. Cosplayers can be seen wandering about - offered free slow passage as crowds halt traffic for a picture - with costumes ranging from the heartfelt to the daring to the utterly absurd. Some enterprising Infinity students put together a full-scale Convoy costume that they work in tandem, the truck-turned-robot making slow careful strides towards the comics bearing his face on the cover.
Infinity's computer club has been filed with the other software circles, with dating simulators, visual novels, and experimental games to be found in every corner. Stiff competition, to be sure - but there's plenty of visitors of all ages to be found. Including one pint-sized brat with a ridiculously large hat, waving happily, and making a nuisance of himself for those trying to step around him.
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
While they're more of a school club than an 'official' doujin circle, the Infinity Institute Computer Club has decorated their table with posters and a supply of DVD-Rs in square jewelcases; they're drawing additional attention with some of the human-scale 'giant robot' costumes that were used during the culture festival. The latter are a little misleading, though, since the poster art shows, not an actual giant robot, but a girl wearing armor strongly inspired by one such, posed heroically with a beam saber drawn back to strike.
The title of the work-in-progress: 'Mahou Senshi Gundame'.
There's even a laptop set up which is playing an 'attract mode' sort of video loop; right now, Fuu Hououji is standing behind the laptop, smiling cheerfully at interested Comiket attendees; as the principal designer of the game, she's happy to answer questions about her work, particularly if it helps to drum up additional interest. She drew the line at wearing mecha-musume cosplay herself, though (much to the disappointment of the club's male membership).
COIN FLIP: Kuniko Saito flips a coin. It lands on tails!
<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Kuniko Saito enjoys cooking, yes, and she is perhaps consumed by the culinary arts, but everyone has to do other things once in a while. In this case 'something' is Comiket.
She did a pass, of course, by Nijimura's friend's booth, but that has something to do with fantasy girl versions of various traditional monsters in a shoot'em'up genre? Kuniko doesn't think it'll catch on, but she bought a few stickers, just to be nice.
Now she's drifting down and sees...
Gundame.
Kuniko is wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt, a loose fashionable bandanna around her neck, and capri pants in a light color. As she drifts up in front of the IICC desk, she says, "Hey, Infinity, right? So what are you guys doing?"
<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Shidou [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Hikaru is also here, albeit to help out alongside her best buddy, a.k.a. Fuu-chan. She showed up dressed rather casually, but not in costume, which may disappoint some of the boys also, but she doesn't care. Her purpose is to help out and have a good time. She's not as big of a gamer as Fuu-chan is, but she still enjoys a good game now and then. And the fact that her buddy had a role in this makes it even more exciting.
After taking some time to help out elsewhere, Hikaru returns to where Fuu-chan is and smiles at her. "I can't believe something like this is actually happening! It's so exciting, Fuu-chan!"
<Pose Tracker> Seika Miuchi [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.
This is not the sort of place Seika Miuchi often turns up at. But sometimes it gets lonely just sitting around her empty apartment listening to the birds chirp and playing TYPE-MOON games.
So she went out and bought a super-deluxe-ultra-special-backstage-pass ticket complete with exclusive access to everything ever. It cost her a pittance because she's rich.
It also earned her the privilege of not having to wait in line. Convention-goers grumble as a gleaming black BMW glides straight up to street level near the door and a doorman steps out to admit someone from the backseat. The grumbles die down among the teenage class into something more starry-eyed as Seika steps out of the backseat.
There is only one thing Seika could have possibly wanted to cosplay. She didn't even have to think before putting it on.
The maiden, who flocks to Comiket, once again passes through the VIP entrance with an innocent, angelic smiles. Her pure heart and body are clad in a dark colored uniform. The pleats on her skirts are not visible, and the white sailor collar is, as always, tidy. Walking slowly is preferred for her.
Fast forward to right about now, where Seika, her hair let down into a curtain of perfect black ojou ringlets that spill to her waist, has somehow managed to project an invisible aura of stateliness around herself as she inadvertently fools flocks of convention-goers into thinking she is part of some sort of actual promotion for a popular Catholic-schoolgirl light novel series.
She blinks as she watches a crowd forming around the Gundame display. "Goodness," she murmurs from a distance, chasing a few locks of hair back from her cheek and beginning to walk slowly in that direction.
She may as well be followed by lily petals and slow flute music and glitter.
<Pose Tracker> Hibiki Houjou [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
Interest in a particular booth is a hard-fought battle - some circles holding no quarter in order to get just one additional sale. There are grand banners, spectacular costumes, and calls to the passing crowd to stop for just a minute...
Still, Mahou Senshi Gundame has its own appeal, and a couple of intrigued gamers snatch up the last couple of copies from the first run. Fuu's fellow club members, helping move boxes, dash off to see if the rest of the batch has arrived at the hall yet...but it's a momentary bit of freedom from the sales.
The arrival of a cosplayer of any sort is a reason for commotion, and many of those irked by someone having a coveted all-access pass are placated by the attention to detail. Seika isn't followed by flower petals so much as she is sparkles - the light of a thousand cameras, snapping shots from every angle. It's bringing a bigger crowd to the Infinity Computer Club's booth, at any rate - and yes, it's totally happening.
That unfamiliar kid hanging around seems particularly delighted when Hikaru arrives, and he approaches the booth directly with a smile and a wave. "Theeeeere you are. This whole city's big, you know - it took aaages to find you two. Though I thought there were supposed to be three..." He pulls up a corner of his poofy hat to get a better look - regarding Kuniko carefully, glancing towards the illuminated Seika, and finally shrugging. "No matter - it's great to finally meet you two!"
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
Fuu smiles brightly, "Kuniko-san, so good to see you here! It's an RPG I started designing several months ago ... well," she adds with a faintly chagrined tone, "it was meant to be more of an action game, but since RPGs are my strongest genre, it kind of evolved back into one. The main story is about a girl who gets attacked by an evil mastermind, one who believes he's turning her into a monster who can harvest dark emotions for his patron deity; however, the purity of her heart leads her power to awaken so that she can fight as a magical girl and protect innocents from those monsters."
There's definitely no denying Fuu's passion for her project - she DOES love RPGs, and this game has been a genuine labor of love for her. Unfortunately, the last copy is collected by someone else just before Fuu can direct Kuniko's attention to it, and the glasses-wearing middle-schooler smiles apologetically at her culinarily-oriented sempai. "We should have more copies of the demo out shortly, if you'd like to wait ... ?" She smiles back at Hikaru, nodding in agreement - and then a boy with a big poofy hat approaches as though he knows Fuu.
Fuu blinks at the boy who's striding up to the booth. 'You two,' he said, and expecting three ... ?
She gives Hikaru another look, albeit a less cheerful one, and bows politely to the boy in the big hat. "I'm terribly sorry, but I'm afraid I don't recognize you off the top of my head ... are you a student in Infinity's elementary division, or at one of the other Sister Schools?" She's genuinely racking her brain; if the boy is someone she knows from the mundane side of Tokyo, then it's quite possible that she's met him in passing at some event or other. Except, he said 'to finally meet you,' which suggests that this IS their first meeting and yet he knows who Fuu is, and at least one of the other girls here.
Although the fact that he specifically recognizes two, and was expecting *three*, narrows it down in a hurry; of the girls around the booth just now, there's only one other who forms part of a trio with Fuu ...
<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Shidou [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
The smile fades on Hikaru's face as well as she turns to face the boy. "Did you say you were expecting three?" Hikaru bites her lower lip nervously. She has as suspicion as to who this 'third' person is, and unfortunately she hasn't been seen for the longest time. She looks to Fuu as if expecting her to say something, but doesn't get anything from her. She looks to the boy again and tries to keep a look of composure on her face when she speaks.
"I'm sorry," Hikaru says after a moment, "But I'm not too keen on the way things are working here. I'm more of a volunteer really." She visibly sweatdrops behind her head, obviously wondering what Fuu-chan might say to this.
<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
The approach of Seika sends a ripple through Kuniko's proletarian heart - ah, she thinks. That elegant hairstyle...! Kuniko envisions herself, momentarily, as a muppet immediately adjacent to a shoujo watercolor.
Her face colors, but she looks at Fuu, trying to focus up on what she's saying. What she's hearing is:
TINY FUU WEARING A WIZARD HAT: I made a video game! It was (A GAME) but it became (ANOTHER GAME). There is a STORY! Kind of like that MOVIE! With the SHORT DUDE with a RING!
But Kuniko can easily feel the real authentic passion there, and it's also a welcome distraction from the floral radiance of lily purity coming from Miuchi. After a brief glance at the tremendously stylish young woman, she elans a bit against the table. "Oh uh, yeah - sure, I'll take a demo. is it free or...?" She has money, it seems.
And then: the youth movement. "Great hat, is that a cosplay or...?" Kuniko says, to the young man, even as she ends up stealing glance #3 at the radiant aura around Seika.
<Pose Tracker> Seika Miuchi [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.
Part of Seika is intensely flattered that she has apparently drawn a crowd. She does not show it. She simply bows her head a little and closes her eyes for a moment as she steps towards the booth. Convention-goers part before her like the Red Sea as she makes her way forward, her perfectly pleated dark skirt cut to just the perfect modest length rippling only subtly around her legs as she moves into conversation distance. Fighting through crowds is for people who aren't shiny and special.
"Gokigenyou," she says, simply, from more or less the sideline of the conversation. It is a thing she normally says anyway but it's also in keeping with the costume.
"Excuse me, but you said it is a role-playing game with a demo available? That does seem very interesting, miss."
She catches Kuniko looking at her, glancing at the woman out of the corner of her eyes. She inclines her head with the quietest hint of a smile. (SENPAI NOTICED~)
<Pose Tracker> Hibiki Houjou [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
A shout of joy rises above the crowd, three booths down - the second print run of the much-anticipated crossover fighting doujin game having finally arrived. The handful of mecha fans watching the demo mode look up, and one of them curses under his breath. "Didn't realize they were getting more in - right, we'll be back, I'm not missing this chance!" The other nods - and then she bolts without another word.
Seika's radiant aura - only partly incited by the flash of all the cameras - grants her passage through the crowd, and easy access to the booth. Fame is fleeting, though - her observers have been partly diverted by announcements, flash sales, or simply finally spotting the item they came here to get...it's not hard for her to reach the point where Kuniko is hearing about the grand project.
The kid, cheerful as he is, stopped his greetings to actually listen to Fuu's description of the game's story - but as she goes on, he just starts to frown. "Kind of sounds like the same thing everyone always says...it's kind of boring." He shakes it off, and beams up to Kuniko. "Nope! It's traditional where I'm from - this is all mine! Anyway..."
Fuu and Hikaru are greeted with a single eye looking out from underneath that hat, and he cheerfully introduces himself. "Oh, sorry - I'd only heard about you, we've never met. But fiiiiinally, I caught up with you two - I'm Ascot! Zagato sent me here to kill you!"
Cheerfully said, like he's talking about having heard about their baking or something.
He continues cheerfully smiling - even as a circle traces itself in the air overhead, a six-sided sigil inscribing itself on the banner of the booth across the hall. From the banner - or from some impossible other-space - a towering figure emerges. Five meters tall, easily, bearing a draconic muzzle, leathery wings, terrible claws - a monster not unlike the nemesis on display on Fuu's game's screen. It lets out a blood-curdling howl, as the boy - now stepping back from the girls - beams.
(From the nearby crowd, there's a brief round of applause. Now -that- is an impressive costume, right?)
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou transforms into Youma Form Makishima!
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has fully healed herself. She is now ready to take on 4 opponents!
COIN FLIP: Seika Miuchi flips a coin. It lands on heads!
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
There are times when Fuu really hates being right - and more precisely, topics that she hates being right *about*. Such as, for instance, that gnawing sensation in her gut that the person she's talking to is an enemy of the Magic Knights.
Fortunately, cosplay or not, the monster is terrifying enough that Fuu can legitimately scream and dive under the table for cover. Thankfully, the table is also draped with one of those 'curtain' things that are so common to help hide extra supplies during conventions and fan festivals; it just happens that the Infinity Computer Club didn't have that much in the way of extra supplies to hide down there, making plenty of room for a budding young game designer in need of a place to hide.
Her need for a hiding place just happens not to be for the same reason that you'd expect a helpless-but-frightened teenager to dive undercover for. Fuu can't do anything to provide Hikaru with a similar hiding place, though - hopefully the general hubbub of Comiket will contribute towards whatever privacy the others need.
The Magic Knight of Wind emerges a couple of tables away, coming up on one knee and calling out, "Winds of Admonishment!" as she tries to bind the monster in a whirlwind where it stands; only after casting her spell does she spare a moment to check on the others around her. Ascot may already have disappeared into the crowd, if he's leaving his monster to do the dirty work - but if he's still HERE, the Wind Knight is looking for him, just in case ...
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji transforms into Magic Knight!
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Winds of Admonishment on Hibiki Houjou.
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou narrowly braces Fuu Hououji's Winds of Admonishment, taking 4 Fatigue damage! Fuu Hououji is Psyched! Hibiki Houjou's Block ability activates! Hibiki Houjou's Parry ability activates! Trap applied to Hibiki Houjou!
<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Shidou [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
There's no rest for the weary... or the wicked... or the Magic Knights. Hikaru gasps when the mention Zagato is heard, and when Fuu-chan dives for cover, she figures she knows what she's doing. "Hang on, I'm going to get help!" She says, playing along with the 'gag' as she rushes through a conveniently placed nearby door, into a thankfully empty storage closet. It's not too big, but it's just big enough for Hikaru to slip on her glove-jewel. "Belief becomes power... Flames guide me!" Outside, an orange flash can be seen from beneath the door. If anyone would try to touch it, they'd find it's too hot!
A few moments later, the Magic Knight of Fire steps out of ANOTHER door, albeit not too far away. "You've come at the wrong time! We're going to make you regret ever having any affiliation with Zagato!" She points at the monster and calls out, "Fire arrow!" Sending forth a fiery projectile, just like the name said.
COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou transforms into Magic Knight of Fire!
COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou has used Fire Arrow on Hibiki Houjou.
COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou narrowly counters Hikaru Shidou's Fire Arrow, taking 23 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou's counterattack, Heated Response, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Hikaru Shidou!
<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Traditional where he comes from. "Uh..." Kuniko says when the kid drops 'I'm here to kill you.' She's feeling the hackles on her neck rise, the tension of an impending lethal slam rising, like a wave, like an icicle getting stuck down her nose --
Then he plants down a banner, and out comes a horrible thing.
Goggling, Kuniko cannot even think of how to react for a fleeting moment. There's a giant demon here and something else is happening -- and so it is that the eleventh grader, Kuniko Saito, lunges over, saying "Get away, it's full of sharp things!!" to the crowd, and runs behind a stack of leftover doujinshi from last year's entry in the 'Hatoful Boyfriend' series.
And is never seen again.
Because Kuniko Saito had produced the sacred cloth of her Mise-en-place, tied it on, and --
-- Look, an Iron Chef cosplay! The Poissonnier Kuniko, who has absoluetly nothing to do with Kuniko Saito other than being basically the same in every meaningful way, runs from the direction of the Gunpla Wastes. "Oi! What's the meaning of bringing this big ugly thing into the middle of a place of fandom and celebration, kid?!"
<Pose Tracker> Seika Miuchi [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.
"My goodness," is all Seika says as the monstrous creature erupts from otherspace and looms over the pair of RPG girls. Her eyebrows rise every so slightly but her expression doesn't break.
Quickly, she looks around for a side door to run through. Hikaru beats her to the only door she finds. A Magic Knight runs out the other one. She bows her head a little, momentarily at a loss for how best to deal with this situation. It doesn't show in her face. She simply dips her head serenely and takes a few steps to the side, watching as the pair of Magic Knights leap into the thick of things.
Her hand dips towards her right hip.
Inwardly, she stifles the urge to curse as she realizes the Sacred Masque of Flame is sitting beside her bed, next to her Arcueid Brunestud resin figure. There was simply no way for her to hide it under her uniform without ruining the cosplay.
"Please, do try not to get too rambunctious," she chides delicately as she steps gracefully back again, making room for the magical girls who lack conspicuous transformation items.
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito transforms into Poissonnier Kuniko!
<Pose Tracker> Hibiki Houjou [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
The monster, large as it is, is slow to emerge. Winds hammer against it, driving it back against the runes from which its summoning is taking place - and it snarls in response, flames licking out from between its teeth to sear at the wind. The first fireball is intercepted mid-flight at the last moment by an arrow of blazing flame, detonating the blast in the monster's face.
This, it seems, only makes the monster - and its summoner - angry. Ascot has, in fact, not yet departed - instead he stands beneath that runic circle, atop a stack of unsold sci-fi-strategy games. "Come on, you'll have to do better than that! I heard that the mages of this world were supposed to be strong!" He laughs - and then whirls around, pointing angrily at the magical chef. "Big...ugly...thing?! What's the meaning of calling my friend something like that? Get her too, get them all!"
The draconic monster, in response, finally pulls free of its summoning-circle, spreading its wings with a roar. Gusts of wind sweep outward, scattering flyers and posters in all direction - hammering on Kuniko's position - as it lunges towards its main targets. With one clawed hand, it swipes down at Fuu - aiming at her or the card table of her club's display, it's hard to say which - and with the other, it seeks to snatch up Hikaru.
My, what big teeth it has...
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has adjusted her boss levels. She is now ready to take on 3 opponents!
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has used Winds Of Devastation on Kuniko Saito.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has used Draconic Dread on Fuu Hououji.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has used Calamitous Claws on Hikaru Shidou.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito narrowly dodges Hibiki Houjou's Winds Of Devastation, taking 11 Fatigue damage! Cripple applied to Kuniko Saito!
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji fails to counter Hibiki Houjou's Draconic Dread, taking 38 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji's counterattack, Spinning Slash, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Hibiki Houjou!
COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou narrowly braces Hibiki Houjou's Calamitous Claws, taking 5 Fatigue damage! Hibiki Houjou is Psyched! Hikaru Shidou's Block ability activates! Hikaru Shidou's Parry ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
The Wind Knight comes back to her feet, her sword materializing as she decides that she needs it; normally she'd prefer to depend on her archery, but stray arrows could hurt bystanders who think this is all part of the show. She winds up quickly, trying to block and counter with a pivoting slash -
But the claw comes in at ENTIRELY the wrong angle for what she was trying to do, and the Magic Knight of Wind gets smacked hard against the ground, her glasses falling askew from the impact. She stays down briefly, adjusting her glasses - she really should get an elastic band to help keep them in place during fights, shouldn't she? - and to try and get her wind back, since the impact also drove the breath from her lungs.
She doesn't have much time to spend on the attempt; fortunately, it doesn't take more than a few seconds to get her lungs to reinflate. She charges at the monster again, leaping and trying to slice hard into one of its wings, ideally to cut the wing *off* entirely; that would hinder its mobility *and* reduce one of its methods of attacking in the same action.
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Sword Strike on Hibiki Houjou.
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Shidou [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
The claws come at the Magic Knight of Fire rather quickly, trying to snatch her. She knows they're too quick for her to avoid, so she stands strong. She braces herself for the impact and grits her teeth, trying not to be taken away by the claws. She remains firm but gets caught all the same. In desperation, she wields her sword tightly and yells out, "Let me go!"
Wriggling around to get free isn't working, so the Magic Knight of Fire decides to utilize the old fashioned method of striking at the claw in hopes that it will let her go.
COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou has used Sword Slash on Hibiki Houjou.
COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Seika Miuchi [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.
Without her magical artifact, Seika cannot really do much more than spectate. She keeps her distance from the fray, standing at the edge of the battle like a column of pure radiant serenity that at least seems to calm the immediate area around her. The gusting wind roaring out from the monster - and Fuu - blows Seika's hair back in a long, silky stream of black ringlets. She brings a hand up to her collar, fingers curled, but merely huffs and stands her ground as best she can for someone wearing an immaculate sailor collar.
Her hand rises a little further. She slides her fingers into her hair, and tosses it gently.
A proper Rosa Chinensis is not ruffled except by the pigtailed weepings of her en bouton.
"Please, be careful," she calls softly up towards Hikaru, her eyes widening a little. "You must come back safely...!"
COMBAT: Seika Miuchi has used "Onee-sama, I Love You!" on Hikaru Shidou.
COMBAT: Seika Miuchi has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou narrowly braces Hikaru Shidou's Sword Slash, taking 6 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Hikaru Shidou is Psyched! Hibiki Houjou's Block ability activates! Hibiki Houjou's Parry ability activates!
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou narrowly braces Fuu Hououji's Sword Strike, taking 3 Fatigue damage! Hibiki Houjou's Block ability activates! Hibiki Houjou's Parry ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
"Well, you gotta give me one out of three, kid," Kuniko says to the shorter fellow shortly before horifying wind whips outwards, smashing her in a buried drift of fliers, posters and more! Tangled up like this, she can't effectually do more than splutter and pull at her face -
And by the time it's free, the Magic Knights are under attack. "Gh!" she says. Not enough time to do more than wade forwards and hurl something -- At the demon!? And its neighbor.
For the boy it would be a delicious if tart snack, high in valuable minerals that a growing boy needs if he's not going to get high on VITAMIN EVIL. For the demonic being it is different; a fizzing glop, catalytically healthy and terribly clinging, powered by kale and grape leaf and lemon juice of a most refined nature.
"Magic Knights - be careful...!"
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has used Yalanci Dolma on Hibiki Houjou.
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou narrowly counters Kuniko Saito's Yalanci Dolma, taking 4 Fatigue damage! Stun applied to Hibiki Houjou!
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou's counterattack, Heated Response, partially gets through, doing 11 Fatigue damage to Kuniko Saito!
<Pose Tracker> Hibiki Houjou [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
It looks leathery - but the dragon-demon's wings are tougher than they look. Sparks fly from swords clashing against scales - but bracing for the impact means that it can't use that wing to flap. Between the two knights' attack, something has to give - and that something is the monster's grip on Hikaru. Releasing the knight, it drops to the stadium floor, landing with a heavy impact. Another blood-chilling roar fills the air, eliciting more applause from the on-lookers.
("Wow, what's that from?" "The Infinity computer club, I hear?" "Man, they do the best stunts...")
The boy sees a tart snack winged his way - and something about it seems to not be to his monster's tastes. Flame licks out, scorching both inbound dishes to a crisp - though this causes lemon scent to explode, dazzling the monster for a moment.
Ascot, flustered, plants his hands on his hips with a huff. "My friend isn't a thing, he isn't ugly, and I know even bigger!" Zero for three, out of sheer spite, The demon-dragon-seeming monster stomps its way forward, looming over the trio facing it - and flames lick out from between its teeth once more as it grins.
Ascot looks over the Knights, and his young voice fills with scorn. "And you're supposed to stop Zagato? I can't believe that witch had trouble with weaklings like you - I can finish this myself, right now!" Roaring, the monster stomps forward towards Kuniko - not a fan of lemon, as claws lash out. Fuu and Hikaru seem spared for the moment...
...up until another circle inscribes itself in the air behind them, and great furred arms reach out to smash at them.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has used Calamitous Claws on Kuniko Saito.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has used Always Room For More on Fuu Hououji.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has used Always Room For More on Hikaru Shidou.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji perfectly dodges Hibiki Houjou's Always Room For More, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Critical Dodge! Fuu Hououji's Fade ability activates! Fuu Hououji's Flash ability activates!
COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou accepts Seika Miuchi's "Onee-sama, I Love You!", taking 0 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito narrowly counters Hibiki Houjou's Calamitous Claws, taking 4 Fatigue damage! Hibiki Houjou is Psyched! Kuniko Saito's Reverse ability activates! Blind applied to Kuniko Saito!
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito's counterattack, Boning Knife, partially gets through, doing 22 Fatigue damage to Hibiki Houjou! Critical Counterhit!
COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou perfectly dodges Hibiki Houjou's Always Room For More, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Dodge!
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
So the young boy is indeed a summoner ... or at least Ascot LOOKS (and sounds) like a young boy; Clef didn't look much older but at least comported himself with something resembling grown-up dignity. And this isn't his biggest conjuration?
The Wind Knight almost smiles at an overheard comment about Infinity Institute's capacity for 'stunts'; she can't argue with that assessment - but she's trying to stay alive. A sudden breeze derails that thought, though, and she instinctively flings herself to the left, doing a shoulder roll and coming back up in a crouch as she spots that all-but-disembodied arm trying to swat the spot where she was just standing. That's definitely not a good sign.
The obvious approach would be to try and disable the summoner himself, but his first monster is still a very big and very obvious threat - and, she thinks in the back of her mind, the 'show' would dictate that she stays focused on the monster. She ALMOST wishes she actually had MS Girl cosplay so it could be played up even more as 'all part of the show' ... but then, her Magic Knight armor isn't looking like it'll evolve towards a mecha-musume appearance.
She settles for charging at the monster again, and - since its wings proved surprisingly resilient to being sliced - she goes instead for its mouth, leaping and thrusting upwards, possibly to pin its jaws shut.
In fact, that might be a good idea on general principle; this thing looks sufficiently akin to a dragon that she doesn't want to find out if it has a breath weapon.
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used To the Point on Hibiki Houjou.
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Claws come inwards. Kuniko had been about to start chopping up something for the benefit of reinforcement, for the innocent and the Magic Knights alike, when a huge claw comes towards her. It slams on her virtual Mise-en-place's cutting board.
So she stabs it in the back of the hand. Were this demon more bearish than monstrous, you could say this was... grizzly.
"GET OUT OF MY KITCHEN!" she shouts at it. Pointing with that knife towards the kid, she says, "Don't play innocent with me. Maybe I'm being mean, but you came in here on an assassination mission. If you're playing around, you've got til five to cut it out. One!" Chop chop chop.
"Two!" Arrange arrange arrange.
Kuniko snaps back a plate full of sliced tomato, pressed mozzarella bufaleta, a drizzling of basil-infused olive oil, and two crunchy points of melba toast. She purses her lips, chews heroically if crudely (will Seika faint?) and swallows.
"Five!"
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has used Tomato and Mozarella Antipasta on Kuniko Saito.
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito accepts Kuniko Saito's Tomato and Mozarella Antipasta, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Withstand applied to Kuniko Saito! Cleanse! All of Kuniko Saito's debuffs are cleared!
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou narrowly dodges Fuu Hououji's To the Point, taking 9 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Seika Miuchi [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.
Seika catches her hand at her perfectly immaculate sailor collar again. As the Magical Knights and Kuniko hurtle away from the ambush, she inclines her head, as if she knew all along that they could manage it.
Taking a step back, she smooths both hands downward to smooth her skirts as the fight rages around her. She tries terribly hard not to raise her eyebrows at the sight of Kuniko scarfing down so much stuff all at once. It's hardly even a proper bruschetta, she thinks.
Then she realizes she can't cook.
"Goodness, such cooking proficiency," she comments admiringly, with a hand touched to her cheek.
COMBAT: Seika Miuchi has used Ojou-sama Believes In You on Kuniko Saito.
COMBAT: Seika Miuchi has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Shidou [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Speed is something that the Magic Knight of Fire has on her side this time, thanks to flowing adrenaline. She quickly dodges the incoming attack without breaking much of a sweat. Then she notices her comrade-in-arms is attempting to shut the monster up, and the Magic Knight of Fire decides to back her up some. She rushes in with her sword engulfed in flames and attempts to add a little fire to the mix!
COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou has used Flaming Slash on Hibiki Houjou.
COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou fails to brace Hikaru Shidou's Flaming Slash, taking 20 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito accepts Seika Miuchi's Ojou-sama Believes In You, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Kuniko Saito is Cheered!
<Pose Tracker> Hibiki Houjou [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
There's impressed applause from the crowd, and the jostling for position in line has crawled nearly to a halt. Impressed oohs and aahs as the second set of arms appears - followed by disappointment when no lumbering bear follows that appearance. There's murmurs about which is more impressive - the lumbering monster, or the knights, or the chef, or the cosplayer.
The bear-like arms, having failed to find their mark, retreat back into the symbol from whence they game - as the trio focuses on fighting the dragon-like monster. Black blood flies as a boning knife slices cleanly into the monster's hand, causing it to stagger back with a pained growl. Fuu lunges in with a blade to seal draconic flames - and while she doesn't pierce the jaw entirely, there's a thin slash left in her wake. Grinning, the monster takes a breath as it steps forward -
- and a sword slams into its side, bold flames searing hungrily at it. It roars anew, pain echoing through the grand comics market.
"Stop it...stop it stop it STOP IT!" Ascot stomps one foot, unwanted DVDs scattering in his wake. "Lord Zagato said it'd be nothing but trouble if those three became the Magic Knights - but Alcyone was supposed to deal with this! And now you're hurting my friends - well you know what?" Ascot's poofy hat falls forward further, casting his face into deeper shadow. "You can just play with all of them, for all I care!"
The shadows deepen, runes burning to life in thin air. Shadows are lurking in each of those circles, just waiting to come forth - and the head of a sea serpent, fangs glinting with seawater - snaps out of one circle to bite at Hikaru. The dragon-demon, favoring its unstabbed arm, beats its wings again to hammer Fuu and Kuniko with its terrible winds once more...
There's going to be a lot of cleanup later.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has used How Dare You Hurt My Friend?! on Hikaru Shidou.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has used Winds Of Devastation on Fuu Hououji.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has used Winds Of Devastation on Kuniko Saito.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito narrowly dodges Hibiki Houjou's Winds Of Devastation, taking 18 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Cripple applied to Kuniko Saito!
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji narrowly braces Hibiki Houjou's Winds Of Devastation, taking 6 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou fails to dodge Hibiki Houjou's How Dare You Hurt My Friend?!, taking 53 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Hibiki Houjou is Psyched!
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
"If you don't want your friends hurt," the Magic Knight of Wind calls out, "then you should take better care of them, and not turn them loose in battle!" She digs in her heels, even resorting to driving her sword into the ground in front of her to brace herself against the winds being unleashed by the draco-demonic monster that started all of this. "You said you came to kill us; did you really expect us not to defend ourselves? Not to protect the bystanders? If you truly believed that we would stand still and allow ourselves to be slaughtered, then Zagato has deceived you - or at the very least, he allowed you to deceive yourself for his benefit!!"
In all honesty, the Wind Knight WOULD prefer not to keep fighting these monsters if they're that precious to young Ascot - and his behavior suggests that he really IS as young as he looks, which is troublesome in its own right. But she really isn't going to let any enemy just kill her, either. So if killing these monsters means they'll actually *die* and they can't be resummoned ...
"Storm-Dance of Kamaitachi!!" the Wind Knight shouts, conjuring her rending tornado attack. It's mainly focused on the draco-demon's wings, to try and shred the membranes, or at least rip enough holes to reduce their efficiency for flight or for those flapping gale attacks. It is probably also, if that works, going to hurt a LOT ... maybe enough to incapacitate the beast with pain, but it's a real gamble - it could just drive the monster into an uncontrollable fury.
But it should be well short of fatal - if Ascot can dismiss a wounded monster before it dies, then he'll have that option ... or so she hopes.
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Storm-Dance of Kamaitachi on Hibiki Houjou.
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Shidou [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Unfortunately, the Magic Knight of Fire isn't as fast as she previously was, and gets caught. This time, it hits harder than before. She goes down for the count for a few moments, but forces herself back up. This time, though, it seems that her adrenaline is surging through her like a burning flame. She grips her sword and says, "That's enough! It's time we finish this!" Hikaru raises her sword, and then a larger sword, made of flame, appears above her head.
"When all else fails, we go to extremes! SWORD OF FLAME!" Hikaru yells out, slashing her sword forwards at the monster, sending forth the huge sword as well.
COMBAT: FINISHER! Hikaru Shidou has used Sword of Flame on Hibiki Houjou.
COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Kuniko Saito [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
"Y-you think so? Well, this isnt' the best situation," Kuniko answers Seika with a slightly sheepish smile. "But... thanks, I do what I can -" And then of course a bear hand is stabbed, now, and Ascot is getting unhappy.
"They've been the magic knights for like a year," Kuniko answers Ascot blankly. "You get lost or something?" A new creature then, screaming its rage!
"Look, buddy," Kuniko shouts over the wind, "You need to cut it out! Or take it outside! Even an old samurai wouldn't just duel someone to the death in the middle of the comics festival, you're being super rude and uncouth!" This is tremendously stupid, Kuniko thinks-- but if he's thinking on this level, maybe it can get through to him...!
She also tosses a small metal can at the mouth of that horrid serpent. It is full of intense African pepper paste.
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has used Harissa Pepper on Hibiki Houjou.
COMBAT: Kuniko Saito has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou narrowly braces Kuniko Saito's Harissa Pepper, taking 5 Fatigue damage! Hibiki Houjou's Block ability activates! Hibiki Houjou's Parry ability activates! Blind, Diversion, and Stagger applied to Hibiki Houjou!
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou fails to brace Fuu Hououji's Storm-Dance of Kamaitachi, taking 27 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Seika Miuchi [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.
As a tornado rips towards the gigantic monster, Seika Miuchi takes another slow step out of range, even as the powerful winds threaten to do the unthinkable and disrupt her school uniform. She briefly adjusts her collar with careful fingers, not really thinking about it as she does it. She spent too much time on this cosplay to brook even a single wrinkle, even if it's a youma causing it.
"Oh yes. I think you did very well in a difficult situation," she assures Kuniko with a small bow of her head. "You have a real talent, I think."
Then she steps back and watches with wonder as Hikaru Shidou busts out her flaming sword and goes to town on a mofo. Her eyes widen a little.
"How remarkable," she exclaims breathlessly.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou fails to brace Hikaru Shidou's Finisher, Sword of Flame, taking 106 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Hibiki Houjou is unable to keep fighting!
<Pose Tracker> Hibiki Houjou [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
Kuniko asserts that these two aren't becoming the Magic Knights, that they -are- the Knights - and Ascot whirls around to yell back at her. "Idiot! They aren't the knights of legend yet, and that's what I'm here to stop!" The rest of her argument, however, seems to give him pause - he looks around at the joyous festival, for all that they seem to be enjoying the battle... "It's...it's their fault! If they would just stay put, then..."
The sea serpent eats the can whole. Quickly regretting this decision, it pulls its head back to go drink an ocean.
The Magic Knight of Wind - Legendary or not - attacks from another angle. "He's not like that - and you're one to talk! Writing up that story about monsters being beaten up - you're just as bad as everyone else! Lord Zagato was right, you all need to be stopped-" Further objections on Ascot's part - and he does have more to say - are drowned out by the howling winds. Cloth dividers across the market billow in the wake of the storm tearing at Ascot's summoned beast, and it lets out a bellow of rage and pain.
Hikaru is direct and extreme - with the winds fanning her flames to new heights, she slams her full strength into the dragon-monster. This time, the screech is high-pitched as fierce flames sear past even its innate resistance...beneath his hat, Ascot's eyes widen. "ENOUGH!"
One last circle appears - directly below the crippled monster, allowing it to fall away in a retreat. The rest - with shadows stirring in anger, blaze brightly as Ascot trembles - but then, one by one, they wink out.
"...this isn't over. Enjoy the day while it lasts - Alcyone and I were just the beginning!" The last remaining summoning-circle turns slowly behind Ascot, and he takes a step back into it - lifting his hat enough to glare furiously at those gathered. And then - it winks out, and Zagato's ally is gone as quickly as he arrived.
Silence reigns for a long moment over the mess made of the Comiket stalls - and then there's wild applause from the watching crowd. Comments are shouted high - though they don't dare approach until things are tidied up just a little bit.
"That was amazing!" "How in the world did you pull off that - that- " "Did you see the monsters?" "Did you see the pyrotechnics?" "Did you see the /cooking/?! I swear, that food looked real!"
The afternoon's business should be considerably livelier than the morning's, it seems...
<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
As much as the Wind Knight would love to answer some questions from the crowd, there's a more important matter in the back of her mind: namely, getting out of sight so she can return to normal. Fuu 'vanishing without a trace' during a 'publicity stunt' (read: monster incident) is worrisome enough when she has friends who knew where she was at the time; if she STAYS missing it's going to be even worse.
For now, her sword vanishes and she smiles brightly, despite not really feeling it, and bows to some of the onlookers. "Sadly," she calls out, "I'm not permitted to reveal any of the secrets which contributed to the show. I need to be going, though, so if you'll excuse me -"
Of COURSE there are areas set aside for cosplayers to change, and she spots a sign for one of them while straightening up from her bow in a random direction. A few more bows and a couple of apologies, and she SHOULD be able to slip through - holding a path open for the Fire Knight, ideally - and they can change back as if they were any other cosplayers.
<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Shidou [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.
Hikaru takes the time and opportunity to hide and switch from her Magic Knight form back to her regular knight form. She doesn't want to answer questions about this publicity stunt either. Especially when it wasn't meant to be that. Of course, the others don't know that, so why spoil the surprise?
