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 Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2023 9:40 am
In retrospect, it may have been a mistake to let Eupheme come along. Ymir did his best to remain in the good graces of Ganymede and Valhalla, given that it was due to their generosity that he had food to eat and a place in which to escape the stifling heat of an Earthen summer. He brought this up repeatedly each time Surtur indulged Eupheme’s pleas, but always found himself giving in. Surtur was surprisingly adept at caring for children; perhaps this shouldn’t have come as a shock, knowing how many he’d once had himself, but Ymir had never had cause to observe these habits when they’d known one another before.
They’d always been busy with other matters. Children never came into the equation.
Perhaps their foray out into the night would have been uneventful if not for a particularly fearsome youma. The tall beast snapped its jaws, lined with razor sharp teeth, and swung a pair of strong, muscular arms, covered in fur and equipped with long, knife-like claws.
Ymir grabbed hold of Eupheme and pulled her back before youth led her to any reckless decisions. He hoped the very real presence of danger would be enough to dissuade her, but he never knew what to expect from children, particularly children with parents like hers.
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Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2024 10:40 am
“I can fight!” Eupheme indeed chirped her dissatisfaction at being pulled out of the way. She could absolutely use everything she’d learned in her self defense classes to fight this monster. On top of everything she learned from Surtur and Ymir about her magic? She could be unstoppable!
Unless someone was going to physically hold her back.
“Just avoid getting hit! Mom and dad signed me and Henry up to take classes that teach us stuff like that!” she insisted, but she didn’t pull away from Ymir. Yet. She could absolutely help, though!
Especially since Surtur seemed to have his hands full, dealing with it. He did not have his hands full. He was doing very well, thank you very much. As long as a small child didn’t get eaten in the process, that would be fantastic.
He hissed as he barely managed to dodge a swing from the youma, two of the claws snagging his sleeve and staining it red. It wasn’t very deep but it stung and was annoying.
A moment of focus and a flurry of ash began to surround the youma, no doubt the result of Surtur’s magic. He was never sure if these creatures felt enough to actually be affected, but he was going to use what he had to buy himself enough time to get a decent weapon.
Or stick. Or rock. Or anything.
As long as he kept himself between Ymir and Eupheme and the youma, it would be fine. Or at least he could give them a chance to run if necessary. Quote: Super Sailor Scout Attack: Abandon HopeAs if stumbling upon a site of total destruction, ash flutters through the air around Surtur’s target, making it difficult for them to see or breathe. Surtur’s target is hit with a heavy wave of depression and stronger feelings of emptiness and hopelessness. Everything around them appears as though it has lost all color saturation, or has been covered in ash or dust from decay. There is no physical damage, but the attack can cause nausea and dizziness. It lasts for thirty five (35) seconds and can be used two (2) times. It affects enemies within a twelve (12) foot radius around Surtur and the magic will follow him if he moves, but the effects end if the target moves out of the radius.
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Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2024 7:52 am
“Surtur!” Ymir gasped.
He didn’t miss the flash of red. Blood always stood out starkly on white. Ymir might not care when he sustained injuries himself, but a part of him felt responsible for Surtur’s safety.
Not that Surtur needed his protection. Between the two of them, Surtur had always been the more capable one, even back when they’d both been at the height of their power. Now, between their limited strength and the vast difference in experience, not to mention Ymir’s frequent lack of motivation, Surtur clearly had more of an advantage in any fight.
“Don’t,” Ymir said when it seemed like Eupheme might try to struggle away. He knew she only wanted to help, and he understood that actual battle experience was the only way she’d ever learn how to help, but rushing in without a thought was only going to cause Surtur an unnecessary distraction.
The youma swayed and moaned under the effects of Surtur’s magic. If it had been human, the sound it emitted might be comparable to a whimper, but it continued to thrash. Fortunately, it didn’t seem capable of focusing on them for the time being.Lucasta darted through the night, scattering twigs and rustling through bushes in her haste.
She could hear the skirmish nearly as well as she could sense it, knew the auras of Surtur, Ymir, and Eupheme well enough now that she was certain the cluster of Senshi she felt was them. One of them stood out more than the others — bright, ready to burst, but in need of aid.
She skidded to a halt after narrowly avoiding a collision with the thick trunk of a tree, jumping over a protruding root to land near Ymir and Eupheme. At least Surtur’s magic seemed to have stalled the youma for the moment.
“You’ll take it down faster with a bit of teamwork,” she said, demonstrating this very logical advice with a direct hit from her forehead beam.
The effort was immediately exhausting, but worthwhile. The youma, while not dusted, had clearly been stunned, giving them the opportunity to regroup.
In an instructional tone, like a teacher leading a class, Lucasta asked, “Eupheme, can you think of some way your magic might prove beneficial?”
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Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2024 9:33 am
He heard Ymir call his name, but he had to ignore him for the moment. He needed to focus on taking this youma out so it wouldn’t hurt anyone else. The sheer negligence of the Negaverse to allow these creatures to roam and hurt people was unbelievable. There was no way he could be convinced that they wanted anything other than death and destruction.
Thankfully, he was able to catch his breath and turned to nod graciously in Lucasta’s direction, although he didn’t take his eyes off his target. Even if it was affected by the magic, there was no telling how quickly it would shake off both it and Lucasta’s attack. ”Hi Lucasta,” Eupheme greeted with less cheer than normal, but that was because there was a really big and scary youma trying to attack them. And Surtur already got hurt! But she was glad to see the Mauvian and super glad that she could also use magic. Well… at least once.
“I can make it really easy to knock it into the air and then when my magic wears off it’ll come tumbling down?” she suggested, looking from Lucasta to Ymir. She didn’t know how useful that would be, but it was something, right? She just had to get close enough to use her magic and then Surtur would need to knock it sky high!
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Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2024 11:18 am
Lucasta seemed to consider Eupheme’s suggestion with a grim sort of judgment. She couldn’t expect a seven year old to have much of a head for tactics. That Eupheme offered anything was proof enough that she wanted to try and learn. Experience and trial and error really were the best instructors.
“Try,” Lucasta told her. “While the youma’s temporarily incapacitated.”
As for Ymir…
Lucasta turned to him with a determined stare and said, “Give me your transformation pen.”Ymir wasn’t all that thrilled about Eupheme getting any closer, but if she was going to try her hand at it, now was definitely the time to do it. Surtur would protect her; a minor injury wasn’t going to impede him. Ymir could help, too.
He stopped and blinked, turning toward Lucasta at her words. His expression went slack, like he hadn’t understood, like her demand had left him bewildered, but of course he knew what she meant. Of course he knew why. He’d been at this level of power before, and he’d risen above it, too. He knew how it was done. He knew what it felt like.
Ymir swallowed.
The last time he’d gone from his basic level of power to the next, he’d been shoved into battle against his will, forced to fight, forced to do worse, forced to bear things he hadn’t wanted for himself. All the power in the world hadn’t given him an edge against those who’d wanted to control him. Who had controlled him. Who’d lied and hurt him.
Why should this time be any different?Lucasta, not having much patience for an indecisive adult, sighed heavily and demanded, “Your pen, Ymir. Quickly. We won’t have much time before that beast regains its senses.”
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Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2024 11:35 am
Eupheme jumped up in victory when she was instructed to try using her magic on the youma. “Yahoo!” she cheered and didn’t waste any time, despite the alarmed, then concerned look that Surtur gave her, and then turned to frustration as he glanced over to Lucasta.
He didn’t say anything to stop her, but looked like he was squaring up again to keep the youma from attacking while she was getting close enough to use her magic. Besides, it seemed like Lucasta was going to try and make Ymir stronger, so they could definitely beat this thing, no problem!
“Float!” she chirped and held out her hands to put her magic to work. Quote: Sailor Scout Attack: FloatWhen Eupheme casts her magic on herself or someone else within an eight foot radius, for fifteen seconds they will experience moderately reduced weight and speed, and the effects of gravity are less, as though floating in water. Can be used up to three times. Unless an external force is propelling them, they are unable to jump higher than they normally would, and have to consider where they will land once the magic wears off. Those affected by the magic may experience a mild sense of euphoria as they “walk on air”, at the player’s discretion.
But he didn’t just stand there and watch. He cast some more of his own magic, just to make sure the youma was plenty preoccupied while Lucasta and Ymir were having their little chat.
Although he couldn’t help the sense of pride he felt, having heard Lucasta request Ymir’s pen. No matter how useless or downtrodden Ymir felt about himself, there was obviously something inside him that was growing in strength.
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Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2024 5:55 pm
Ymir never knew why or how his strength had grown before, why it continued to do so now when he cared even less for it. Something about the starseed, surely, accepting power whether he wanted it or not. It seemed unfair in some ways that his life had essentially been chosen for him. He was a Senshi. Even if he hadn’t been used and controlled for what he was, the fact that he was a Senshi still would’ve meant something. Fate would have found him regardless.
He drew his pen not because he wanted to, but because he didn’t feel as if he had the right to decline. He was what he was. Nothing he did in this life (or any other) would change that.Lucasta took the pen with a huff of impatience. The combination of Surtur’s and Eupheme’s magic had done its work; the youma rose off its feet and seemed to float, moaning as it had when Surtur had used his magic before, but their magic would only last so long. The youma would recover. They didn’t have the time to stand around waiting for Ymir to act.
As she had with Surtur only weeks ago, Lucasta put her focus into Ymir’s starseed to draw out its power. Ymir may not care for it, but he was better off with it than without it. Lucasta saw no point in avoiding his destiny. Perhaps it seemed unfair to him. To Lucasta, his fate was an honor.Ymir cringed once his pen was returned to him. He knew he couldn’t fight it, that to do so would only court danger—for himself, for Surtur, and for Eupheme—but he thought, briefly, of a different life, some alternate reality in which such powers did not exist. The image slipped away as magic rose within him, bursting free in a flash of brilliant light.Lucasta allowed herself to be pleased. Unlocking more power was a job well done whether Ymir liked it or not. In time, he would come to understand that his power was a blessing. She was certain of that. Perhaps this war was, in some ways, not his to fight, but he would find his place among the stars somehow. Some struggled more than others. Life was not always kind. Yet she believed that Fate had good in store for all of them. They simply had to fight for it.
“This power is yours,” Lucasta told him, “no one else’s. Use it wisely.”Ymir didn’t think himself wise. He wasn’t strong. He wasn’t clever. He wasn’t brave. He went through the motions because he had nothing else. He did what was expected of him because it was all he knew.
He looked down at himself—at his sheer sleeves and the large, sparkling bow, at the pants that hadn’t changed and the shoes that had taken on more decorative qualities. He felt bright and light, insubstantial as air despite the power coursing through him.
The youma groaned louder, thrashing as it floated. Ymir lifted a hand as if he had no choice but to do so, directing his magic toward the youma in a single potent burst.
“Storm.”Quote: Super Sailor Scout Attack: StormA storm appears over a single enemy, pelting the target with small pellets of sleet for 20 seconds. The pellets cause a stinging sensation, and at this stage are somewhat sharper and can cause more significant injuries at player discretion (mild lacerations and the like). As the pellets bounce off of the target and fall, the ground beneath their feet becomes slick until the spell ends. This attack can be used 2 times.
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Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2024 5:59 pm
Seemingly prepared for what was going to come, Surtur scooped Eupheme up and out of the way of the new magic that pelted the youma with sleet, as if they were trapped within their own personal storm.
He quickly stepped back, assessing any damage that any of them had taken. His own cut arm was ignored, but he was pleased to see that Eupheme seemed unharmed.
Which was good, because he didn’t want to face the wrath of her parents.
The youma seemed like it had been beaten up enough, and perhaps it would have liked to try attacking them again, but the new burst of storm had apparently been enough to turn it into dust.
“Well met,” he puffed his chest out proudly as he set Eupheme back on her feet and turned to observe the changes in Ymir’s outfit. “Ymir! Ymir!” Eupheme chirped with excitement, hopping up and down once she was on her feet again. “That was amazing, you look so cool! You’re so awesome too, Lucasta! I can’t believe you can unlock stuff like that! Wow! Look how many sparkles you have!”
She was clearly excited to see Ymir’s new form and new magic.
“Can I get new magic? Will I be able to make storms like that? Do you know what mommy’s magic is? Can she make cool things like that happen too?”
She would ask her mom, but talking about Senshi stuff was… difficult. She was grateful she had others who would bend the rules (if not outright break them) for her, if only so she could learn what everything was like.
Not just learn, but also be able to share with her brother, and their other siblings when they were older. It wasn’t fair that only she got to have magic, but that was okay for now. She would just get really good at being able to use her magic and then she would convince Lucasta to awaken Henry, too!
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Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2024 9:00 pm
Ymir didn’t think he was “cool,” or “awesome.” He was nothing, had been nothing for most of his life—a nuisance at best as a child to all but his mother, then a pawn as a senshi. If he hadn’t been Ymir, if he’d only ever been Tyr, perhaps his mother wouldn’t have died for it.
A small, insignificant smile only twitched onto his face for Eupheme’s benefit, but it was gone as soon as she turned to Lucasta.
He eyed Surtur briefly, uncertain how to feel about regaining a portion of his power, then glanced away.
At least the youma was gone.Lucasta could certainly tell that Ymir was far from pleased, but she didn’t have the patience for it. Besides, Eupheme required much of her attention.
“You will get new magic when your starseed is ready,” Lucasta told her. “For now, I would advise you to return home before Surtur and Ymir experience your mother’s magic for themselves.”
Lucasta happened to think these opportunities to test her skills against youma was good for Eupheme, but she was loyal to Ganymede above all else, and would ensure that Eupheme returned at an appropriate hour (preferably before she got hurt).
“Come along,” Lucasta said and turned to lead the way.
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