つ ◕_◕ ༽つ HELIX
And you don't seem to understand...
Woah! The little furry thing could speak directly into minds! Wicked! Noa stooped down to look directly at the creature known as Kyubey, grinning from ear to ear. "You're kind of adorable. Like... a mix between a cat and something else." He had to be some kind of weird alien thing! And he was dishing out wishes to boot!
"A wish for becoming a magical girl, huh? Not bad." There had to be some strings attached. Either way, he wanted to contract with her. Plain old Noa Fujimiya from Hicksville. Astounding.
"Ok. That sounds like fun and not absolutely boring like everything else in this city. I don't know what to wish for though. Drat."
"Who am I, Elisha Otis?"
School Girl Erika
Nana walked through the city, erect with perfect posture gained from weeks of training herself to walk without the slightest hunch. Tall and proud, she gracefully ignored others, letting them instead get out of her path, which they all did- some with more grating words than others. She brushed off the offensive language as nothing more than a childish remark, for she knew well enough that foul language was just a construct resorted to when one was foolish enough to let their emotions get the better of them. Nana looked down upon those people, as she did pretty much everyone else. In her own mind, she had long been elevated above all others. She was more disciplined, more righteous. Her clothes were prim and proper. She was above the others who let themselves get lost in worldly concerns. Because she was on a mission.
In her arms was a sheaf of fresh fliers which she had printed out ten minutes ago. They were for a group of hardline conservative activists in Japan that she has become the chairman of despite being the youngest of the group. They were in awe of her radicalism- and Nana disdained them as much as she did others for failing to go far enough in their ideals to match her. She associated with them only because they were the closest- she felt that with time they could see the light as she did. For now, she had to put up with nonsense like adverting and budgeting. These fliers were to be distributed to the local markets, and Nana intended to get it over with quickly so she could return home and meditate as was her custom.
In her path were a gaggle of students around a clump of bushes- with shameful uniforms that Nana realized were from the local schools. The rabble. She plowed on in her forceful manner- straight through them if need be.
edited 10th Apr '11 6:37:31 PM by FLAntonio
Newbie Drifter
Nazuna's words did absolutely nothing to appease Rei; not a single muscle on her body made any movement, her expression stayed the same, and her ocean-blue eyes remained fixed on her target, unblinking. That 'explanation' wasn't nearly good enough. "I am no mind reader, and I am not fond of thieves; give me a better explanation," said Rei, her voice remaining every bit as dull, emotionless, and deadpan as it was when she first spoke.
That is all she needed. That is all... Her dreams of seeing the world have become her strength, and lifts her wings.
つ ◕_◕ ༽つ HELIX
Nazuna sighed. "It seems we are at an impasse. I cannot tell you my reasons yet you will not let me go without any. I was hoping it wouldn't come to this."
She summoned a dozen daggers in the air above Rei, dropping them in a circle around her.
"If you wish to stop me, you will have to do it by force, though it wouldn't be smart to make a giant ruckus outside of a witch's territory."
Newbie Drifter
Like a statue.
Even as the daggers sunk into the ground around her, Rei made no movement whatsoever.
"Combat between two Magical Girls is a waste of magic and would ultimately defeat the purpose of stealing the Seed to begin with. It would be wiser to simply give me an explanation; I doubt that you trust me at all, based on your reluctance, but nonetheless you have my word that your secrets will be safe with me," Rei responded, still with the same impassive voice. But that voice also rang with absolute confidence, without a single hint of possible trickery or deceit, for she was telling the truth; all secrets were safe with her, locked deep within her mind as a symbol of trust. There was absolute confidence gleaming in Rei's eyes, too, but the message they sent was completely unrelated to her words. There was no physical change in those blue eyes, but now they very plainly stated exactly what Rei thought of Nazuna:
You are not even remotely threatening to me, nuisance.
That is all she needed. That is all... Her dreams of seeing the world have become her strength, and lifts her wings.
つ ◕_◕ ༽つ HELIX
There was comfort in the words. Nazuna seemed open to the idea, though still apprehensive. She looked at Rei to see if there was any deception in her body language and there wasn't.
Then, for a second, Nazuna gazed into Rei's eyes and felt the intense glare burn through her thoughts. She quickly averted her vision.
"Hehe, sorry, no can do." She tried to laugh the situation off. "It's something I can't tell anyone. Sorry" Nazuna paced towards the streets into the public, eager to be away from the scary girl and closer to the mass of regular people.
Newbie Drifter
"..." Turning your back to an enemy... are you suicidal? Fine, then.
A crimson spear, different from the one she had used on Caroline, flashed into existence in Rei's left hand. Although Nazuna's pacing had put her just outside Rei's immediate reach, closing the minuscule distance between them was hardly a problem: just an imperceptible instant of footwork. She bent her knees slightly, leaned forward just a little bit, and...
lunge
No warning was given. With a simple thrust, the red lance blazed past Nazuna's left; the spearhead stopped a good three feet past the other girl's face, and the shaft was barely an inch away from her left ear. Scarcely a second later, the spear flashed out of existence just as fast as it came, and Rei spoke up, her voice still unchanging: "I will not harm you, as long as the Seed is returned to me or you give me a good explanation."
That is all she needed. That is all... Her dreams of seeing the world have become her strength, and lifts her wings.
つ ◕_◕ ༽つ HELIX
A red lance, thrown right past her head. Nazuna wasn't sure whether Rei had just missed or if it was a warning shot but either way, her response would be the same.
Run for my life
Summoning dozens of daggers in the air behind her, Nazuna ran. The daggers would fall and hopefully block Rei's chase path. As a magical girl, she was quite agile too. Just to be sure, Nazuna continued to create more daggers as she sprinted away. She had no interest in telling or giving the other girl anything.
edited 11th Apr '11 2:45:54 PM by neobowman
"I'm feeling better now, guys; thanks for taking care of me! I'm going to head for class right now!"
A certain girl in a certain household got finished putting on her shoes and threw open the doorway leading to the outside world. Before Yuudai could tell his daughter to "Wait!", Sora had already fired off her finger pistol and began to rush down the sidewalk.
The father Yamamoto sighed at his energetic, young child and gave a weary grin as he watched her speed off. "That daughter of mine..."
Had Sora been running any faster, she'd set the concrete on fire, speeding like a marathon runner with the first place finish line right in her sights. Gotta get to class early! Gotta make up for the week I was sick! Gotta catch up on homework...
...
Sora's paced slowed to an unenthusiastic crawl. Ugh, not looking forward to that at all... Sora was many things, but studious was not one of them; academically, she wasn't looking so hot, and taking all of last week off due to getting some cold would not help matters at all. Maybe I'll just turn back and sleep some more; go back to school tomorrow...
She shook those thoughts right off; Sora was many things, but being a quitter was not one of them! Nope, can't stop now! I'm already out the door! I just need to get myself pumped! Motivated! I'll set the school ablaze with my burning passion!
Slapping her face a bit to wake herself up, Sora broke back into her sprint for Kitakou High. The nefarious Mad Bomber has set explosives all over the city and only I, Nora Ridge, the youngest in a clan of warriors known only as the Mountain Fist, can stop the bombs from detonating! That pyromaniac placed the detonator in my school desk - the fiend! Trying to frame a young innocent maiden such as myself with such a vile deed! But little did he know that I am the protector of this city - both this town and I are of the mountain, and it is my sworn duty to make sure everyone is safe! But, can I make it in time...?!
Accidentally tripping over the feet of passerbys, narrowly stopping herself from running right in front of the car, and hitting every building corner at every turn along the way, Sora recklessly raced against the non-existent threat looming over Yamanaka and found herself at the locked front gates of Kitakou High. But that wouldn't stop her; making sure no one was watching, Sora climbed over the walls and onto the other side of the gate blocking her path.
Looking around, Sora noticed that there weren't a lot of people; all the students that were outside were performing one sports activity or another. Shoot, have classes started already?!
The youthful girl brushed herself off a bit before gathering up her energy and darting into the main school building. Climbing up the empty and mostly quiet stairway, she found her homeroom at 2-C. The mighty Nora has made it to her destination. But what traps has the Mad Bomber set in waiting for her...?!
Sora put her hand on the door and... the classroom was locked. Eh? Peering inside, she noticed no one was there.
...that's... odd. Pulling out her cellphone from her pocket, Sora checked the time.
4:30 PM.
...that can't be right. It's too bright out to be 4-
PM.
...
Sora looked out the window. The sun was still out but was slowly approaching the horizon. That's... the west... so...
It's almost evening, isn't it?
Sora's forehead met her classroom door's window as a series of explosions went off in her mind. Game over. Insert coin to continue. Didn't even get on the high score...
edited 17th Apr '11 1:46:48 PM by Starbound2
Newbie Drifter
You won't get away!
The red lance was in Rei's hands again; entirely out of reflex, she immediately began pursuing Nazuna, deftly deflecting the many blades that were spawned to obstruct her... and just as quickly as it began, the chase ended. In a swift moment of realization, Rei stopped herself and leapt backwards.
... She's headed to a crowded area. I won't catch up to her in time with all the daggers she's leaving behind, and attacking her in public would be foolish.
Pursuit was useless now. Gritting her teeth for a second at her failure, the black-haired girl let out a sigh before turning around to head back to the group she had left behind. At the same time, her spear and Magical Girl costume disappeared, and her Kitakou High uniform reformed itself on her body; her Soul Gem rapidly transformed itself into a simple silver ring around Rei's left middle finger. A small azure gem set into the otherwise completely plain ring was all that was left of the previously egg-shaped jewel. Shaking her head a bit to spread her now-loose hair, Rei began walking back to Akane and the others.
You will not escape the next time we meet.
edited 12th Apr '11 4:21:04 AM by Midreus
That is all she needed. That is all... Her dreams of seeing the world have become her strength, and lifts her wings.
And you don't seem to understand...
What to wish for?! Noa screwed up her face in a feat of intense concentration as she tried to come up with one. Though try as she might she just couldn't! Argh, this was frustrating. Hopefully Kyuubey wouldn't get impatient and rescind his offer. Urm... he was male wasn't he? The voice that echoed through her mind earlier certainly sounded that way. How confusing.
In the corner of her vision she saw someone approaching, and upon turning recognized them as the girl who had taken off in pursuit of something. Or perhaps someone. Noa looked her over for any signs of bloodshed, ultimately finding none. "Hey you!" She waved mightily as if that alone would beckon Rei closer. "I'm going to be joining your ranks. Exciting, huh?"
"Who am I, Elisha Otis?"
I guess I'll have to come back to school tomorrow after all...
Sighing, Sora began to walk down the stairway with an exhausted expression on her face - not from running all the way to her classroom from home, but for having all that energy be ultimately wasted. As she narrated the epilogue of her defeat in her head, Sora's cellphone rang. Slipping it out of her pocket, she pressed answer and held up the phone to her ear.
"Ah, Dad. Yeah, I know I missed class entirely. I just... thought I'd see if any of my friends were still on campus. No, I think I'll stay out for a little while longer; I already ran past the door, so I might as well hang out around town for a bit."
Sora opened the door out of the main building and began to walk to the school gate.
"Don't worry; I'll be back before sundown, alright? Okay. Love you too, Dad. See you later."
With a click, Nora locked her cellphone and put it away. Okay; just... remember that energy I had earlier and muster it up again tomorrow. I wonder if I should eat before getting home for dinner...
"Yamamoto-san!"
...oh god no.
With all the fear of a nervous mouse knowing that she would be devoured by a massive snake, Nora turned to face her latest foe: one of the members of Kitakou High's football team.
"That run of yours across the schoolgrounds was amazing! Especially considering you've been fighting a cold all of last week! With that unyielding energy and those strong legs of yours, you'd be a massive boon to our players! Why don't you run by our field and show us what kind of kicks you have?"
"Wait!" Appearing clad in the modern warfare armor of a high school student, a member of Kitakou's American football team joined the fray.
Another challenger?!
"Our team is in desperate need for strong players; we just have to defeat the dreaded Hananiwa Private Academy this year, and take vengence on Kiyasuma for the humilation they gave to us last semester! Will you join us in our noble cause?!"
The football player scoffed. "Yamamoto-san has no need for your 'American' football. Everyone knows the real football is what the world cares about!"
The American football player gave the football player a look. "Of course you'd fail to understand the majesty of American football. We are modern knights! Modern samurai! The newest in a line of long standing noble warriors!"
The two players began to bicker over which sport Sora was supposed to join, not realizing that the girl slipped away, climbing up a tree and hopping over the school wall.
The mighty Nora Ridge deftly evaded her would be captors, Sora thought to herself as she landed on the other side of the gate. Now, where should I eat-
"Yamamoto-san! I saw your sprint to the front gates! It was awe inspiring! Would you share your talents and aid our track team?"
DAMMIT I FORGOT ABOUT THE TRACK TEAM
"You've decided on a wish, then, Noa?" Kyubey asked brightly, paying no attention to Rei or the composed - but slightly darkened - expression on her face. "In that case, we can form the contract right away. This is a private enough place for it," he mused, looking around; the path was shaded from the main road by the bushes, and the only people around were hardly in a position to object to any magical business. "As soon as you're ready, then."
It's been fun.
And you don't seem to understand...
"Now or never huh?" Noa questioned aloud, tapping her finger against her cheek slowly. She could hear the very small voice that represented her rational side imploring her not to rush into this so hastily. But when did she ever listen to reason, really? It was seriously one of her flaws. That and the propensity to not live up to any expectations whatsoever.
"Ok. Under the assumption that you aren't some kind of devil in disguise..." She took a deep breath, then exhaled, before continuing on, making direct eye contact with the furry white creature. "I wish I could live unburdened by society's expectations of who and what I should be."
Deep.
"Who am I, Elisha Otis?"
Minori watched patiently, excited to watch the birth of a new Puella Magi. She had never seen it before, to her great disappointment, but now that could finally change.
Newbie Drifter
"... Have you decided on a wish?" said Rei quietly after a short pause, raising her head and scanning the new girl waving at her with half-open eyes. Here was another energetic one, if not quite as loud as Ysanne was; but being ready to join after scarcely five minutes? Rei stopped walking forward, and her previous, slightly distracted expression vanished; her blue eyes opened fully and fixed themselves on the newcomer's face now, giving Rei a more focused appearance. She pushed aside her failure to retrieve the Grief Seed for the time being.
"The life of a Magical Girl is not a glamorous one," Rei began; the volume of her voice returned to normal as she did so. "nor is it an easy one, or a safe one. You will not be an invincible 'hero of justice' no matter how hard you try; for a Magical Girl, death lurks around every corner, every nook and cranny, and a single mistake can end your life in an instant. Neither will you be recognized for your sacrifices, despite all the risks you will take; the creatures you will fight prey on humans from another dimension, and whether you win or lose, live or die, the common folk will be none the wiser. The life of a Magical Girl is dedicated only to the one wish each of us are granted, a wish that can grant miracles unreachable by human hands; we exchanged our lives for that wish. The offer will not expire, and Kyubey has no power to coerce you into making the contract, so make absolutely sure your wish is worth the immense sacrifice you will make; you will regret it otherwise."
That is all she needed. That is all... Her dreams of seeing the world have become her strength, and lifts her wings.
'I wish I could live unburdened by society's expectations of who and what I should be.'
...huh? What is that even supposed to mean? Kiku was a little puzzled. What a weird wish. I wonder what will happen to her now?
And then Rei started blathering. "Oh, be quiet, would ya?" Kiku nudged her none too gently in the ribs with one of her elbows. "Jeez, are you always this gloomy?"
edited 12th Apr '11 4:46:59 PM by Zudak
つ ◕_◕ ༽つ HELIX
Only once she caught sight of the crowd of regular citizens did Nazuna stop her dagger curtain behind her. She checked back and the other girl, Rei, wasn't following.
"Haha, shoot that was close."
Machi Nazuna checked for her grief seed in her pocket. Safe and sound. The last encounter was actually a close call. She would have to watch out for the Rei girl in the future. With a day's work done, she blended into the afternoon rush hour crowd, heading to the shopping district for some groceries.
And you don't seem to understand...
No sooner had the words of her wish left her mouth did Rei come up and drop a entire freaking bomb on her. Noa listened carefully, having already started to piece together for herself that being a magical girl wasn't exactly all roses. In fact, it sounded like a whole lot of work. And work was something she had always avoided.
Of course, it could be argued that the line of work of a magical girl was a thousand times more diverse than say studying for a math test or trying to make some pocket-change with a crappy part-time job. In those cases one usually wasn't staring death right in the eye. Biting her lip, she mulled things over silently. Her wish had already been uttered aloud, so...
Screw it.
"Thanks for the warning. But I think I'll go ahead and give this a shot anyway. What's the worse that can happen? Other than me messing up and ending up dead? I'm not saying that'll happen, though. Heh heh."
"Who am I, Elisha Otis?"
"The contract is formed," Kyubey said, giving the words an almost ritual air. "Fujimiya Noa, this is your Soul Gem. Take hold of it, and with it your new destiny as a Puella Magi!"
It's been fun.
Newbie Drifter
oh Noa, if only you knew.
Rei responded to Kiku's elbow with one of the most deadpan "Ow"s in the entire history of deadpan "Ow"s. The nudging didn't actually hurt the elder girl at all - Rei had swayed slightly in the same direction as the blow out of reflex - but it still made contact nonetheless. Rather ticklish contact, actually. "Well, sorry that the truth happens to be exactly that gloomy," Rei responded, still with the deadpan tone in her voice; although she also gave Kiku a tiny, knowing smile, indicating that the blue-eyed girl wasn't entirely serious with her response.
But that is an absolute truth. The life of a Magical Girl is dedicated only to that one wish, and nothing else. I am no exception.
Turning back to Noa, Rei spoke up again: "So your wish is to be a free spirit?" Rei paused for a moment, letting the idea sink into her head before continuing: "Well, I won't stop you; I've given my bit of advice already, anyways. If you're sure you won't regret making that wish, go ahead and seal the contract."
There was no sarcasm in her last sentence; only sincerity, sealed with a smile.
EDIT: just pretend that my post is above Savant's, okay? :x
edited 12th Apr '11 7:00:16 PM by Midreus
That is all she needed. That is all... Her dreams of seeing the world have become her strength, and lifts her wings.
And you don't seem to understand...
A tingling sensation reverberated through Noa's body. It... it felt like something from within her was being drawn out. Woah. Then there a blinding flash of light, followed by a feeling of floating and calmness. Her eyes slid shut automatically, and the sound of a multitude of chains seemingly being broken filled her ears.
And then just like that it all ended, leaving her standing there with a strange, egg-shaped object resting in her outstretch palms.
Her Soul Gem.
It was similar in design to the others, except the jewel in the center took on an olive sheen and glow. Cracking open one eye she took her first peek at it. "Wicked." She said finally, gaze returning to normal.
"Who am I, Elisha Otis?"
Newbie Drifter
"... Well."
This was the second time Rei had seen the creation of a Magical Girl, the first time being her own one a year ago. Seeing it being performed on another girl was... interesting, to say the least: it was definitely real, and yet it was over quickly enough to make it seem like a passing dream. A passing dream, just like her own ritual-
i want her to be happy
Rei immediately shoved the unwelcome thought out of her mind and focused on her new comrade. With a smile, the blue-eyed girl held out her right hand in a welcoming gesture.
"Fujimiya Noa, is it? Welcome aboard."
That is all she needed. That is all... Her dreams of seeing the world have become her strength, and lifts her wings.
...Saiko?