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 Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2023 10:46 am
How many years had it been since 'Mali roamed the streets of Destiny City powered up? Three, maybe four? Yet nothing about it changed. The roads were abandoned by sundown the further away from downtown you were, buildings stood, though barely at times, with cracks settled deeply into their very foundations. Clearly a battle took place when one looked, the way the indents spread like spiderwebs in stone..
Part of him loathed it. Unlike the rest of the world that had it's normal day to day life under the Negaverse, peaceful despite what one would think life would be under what essentially ended up as a dictatorship, Destiny City was always on the brink. The Brink of Collapse, the Brink of Freedom, the Brink of just... Ending.
It was that same sort of endless struggle that had 'Mali care less about the day to day activities of gathering starseeds and fighting senshi, and more about his Civilian life. Even now, as he turned a corner towards what felt like a familiar, yet different Chaos Aura, he had half a mind to just turn around and leave. Yet what stopped him was the ringing sensation in his ears of his dear twin scolding him for not taking things seriously.
Fine. He would investigate, taking a few steps closer until he could see someone dressed in dark clothing, just as he was himself.
"Evening..." He called out, unenthusiastic but atleast he tried. Kinda. "Dark Mirror, Are you? Whatever are you doing out and about tonight?"
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Posted: Sun Aug 20, 2023 7:47 pm
It was an unusually uneventful night for Hela, which she had welcomed with open arms. The night of wandering and exploring the city had gone smoothly, allowing her to place and check up on many of the mirrors in her personal network. Many of them hadn't been bothered which was awesome, part of her had been worried that people might go on smashing sprees but maybe there was a lot more diplomacy going on between sides that she wasn't aware of. Remarque hadn't needed to explain everything to her when she decided to join the dark mirror court, she really had only wanted the power to yeet youma. Not that she was an easy turn either given how she almost maced him. Part of her felt the tickling of another chaos aura, but it didn't feel exactly the same as someone else from the court. When the figure spoke, that confirmed it at least. "Yes?" She answered them a bit questioningly before continuing. "Just maintenance and stuff. You're not bugging people tonight are you?" She meant it a bit jokingly but if they were that other flavor of chaos she wasn't exactly sure if they could bring those nasty youma out or not. Something looked a bit odd about them as she took a closer look. She wasn't sure if it was a trick of the light or not but, it looked like he had ball joints. That was definitely weird, but a weird she was very interested in.
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Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2023 1:38 pm
"Me? Bugging people? Only if they are deserving to be bugged." While the Negaverse DID have a large number of bad eggs, he would be the first to argue that there was some good in what they did. After all, had it not been for a Negaverser one night, he and his sister would have been dead so many moons ago. But he wasn't here to argue for the good of the Negaverse and the decline of non-murder crimes. He was simply... Looking and thinking.
A glance was made around them both, as if there was something to keep an eye out for, but what exactly he didn't know quite yet. "I'm being on my best non-violent behavior, if that's what you mean. If anything..."
A hand came up to tap at his cheek while letting his thoughts ponder a bit more. That joint based makeup became a bit more obvious as he took a step closer and into more solid of a light. "I'm simply... A bit of a curious sort tonight. I've been gone quite some time, and the propaganda of the Negaverse is always the same. But you. You are one of those Neutral sorts, are you not? Perhaps you can provide me with a bit of information about what really is going on in the city these days. If you have a moment."
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Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2023 6:45 pm
She wasn't sure if she liked that response or not but as they looked around, she took her own chance to check if anyone else was coming. There weren't any other auras that she could pick out at least which meant she hopefully wasn't about to be ambushed. "I guess that does answer my question in a positive way, I'm not really one for violence so I guess yes I am neutral." Getting a better look as they stepped into the light, she could barely hold back the look of excited curiosity at their ball joints. She stepped a bit closer while remaining cautious, partially to get a better look and also to try getting in range if she wanted to try using her magic at some point. He definitely looked older than most of the people she had met but she was bad at trying to figure out an age for him. "I'm not really from around here but I can try answering some questions if you're ok with me asking some of my own?" Maybe a bit of back and forth would be ok, she could try keeping her cards close and getting more information about things. It would be really awesome if she could find out more about the Negaverse since there seemed to be a lot of bad stuff going on around with them since they were the ones tied to those youma monster things.
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2023 11:21 am
"While I can't say I'm quite fond of violence either, it must happen every now and then. After all, if I'm lashed out at first, I've every right to defend myself." Even before he had left the city, he wasn't type to strike first, and even the drainings and starseed pullings came from a 'good place'. Never innocents, only the criminal scum that still roamed the underbelly of the city. But it was not as if he needed to explain himself to this stranger.
An eyebrow raised, both at the way her eyes seemed to glance over his body, AND the fact that she mentioned being a stranger to these parts himself. Hmm.. Curious.
"If you see something you like, you can simply say something. I'm not going to shout and scream just because you are curious. I've a bit more patience than that. Though, in saying that, I do wonder just what do you mean by not being from here? Are you from outside the City? Or just this part of town?"
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2023 11:56 am
What he said made sense and helped settle her a bit more. She'd had to defend herself from a rather fighty knight thing recently so it was understandable. If he didn't make the first move then she wouldn't have to try seeing if her magic worked on him. Although the idea of one of her dolls being more doll-like was kind of amusing, much like the weird backfire it had done when she had used her magic on Hybris while he had his own active. "Ah.. Yea... I'm from the boonies a few hours out. And I'm sorry if this is a bit offensive but, are you like a living doll?" She waved her hands a bit apologetically. "Not meaning anything offensive but dolls are kind of my hobby and universally assigned thingy." Circling back to the other part of what he had said. "I've been here a few months now so I have a bit of an idea what's up but it's all a bit Madoka magica to me so I'm getting used to it all still."She was hoping not to try his patience too much but it was the first time she was meeting another senshi that was outside of the dark mirror court. If she could find out some info about the whole big picture from another faction's point of view, that would be pretty useful on how to deal with others she might come across.
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2023 1:45 pm
... She was kidding, right? Surely he lived and breathed just as much as she did,and had the same aura as another human, so it was hard to exactly understand the mistake.
That sort of strange mindset had him wanting to tease her a bit over it. A finger was pulled up and pressed to his lips, a secret was to be kept secret after all.
"I do not go around advertising what I am, or how I was made. But I'll have you know that while you are the Senshi of Dolls, I am one of Automatons. Highly sophisticated versions of your own that live and breath as you do. Though I rarely share such information with others outside of my own faction." That was surely believable, right? Especially since the girl seemed more than a little wet behind the ears.
Even more so when she stated she was from out of town.
"Ah, I see... Then I must be a veteran in your eyes. That was the case a few years ago, but I was out of commission some time ago. Does your faction not give you regular updates or take care of you properly? What a shame that is, if that is the case."
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2023 3:32 pm
Something told her he was ******** with her which was a bit sad, she had gotten her hopes up after meeting with the merchant and getting the lookalike doll from him in exchange for those pod things. Almadel had a weird aura that was different from other senshi but the one that stood before her felt normal. At least, from what she expected. So she partially ignored the sly joking and focused on the mention of Automatons. If he was going to offer what was apparently exclusive information, she was going to try seeing what she could learn. "Ohhhh so like Fnaf? Or uhh I would say House of Wax but that doesn't quite fit. That sounds really cool though. What do they do? I mean if that is ok to ask." She tried thinking of horror movies she had seen that had that sort of thing as the main monster of the week but it was sort of a new genre. The last part made her feel a bit uncertain though. It wasn't for a lack of explanation as much as she was still focusing on school since Remarque had told her it was ok to go at her own pace with her own priorities. Kiuchi had explained a lot of things having to do with the city as well as the mirrorscape which did help with her understanding. When it boiled down to it though, she kinda just bum-rushed her way through things and didn't really ask as many questions as she should have. She had always been one of those go go go people flitting from hobby to hobby and job to job. "They've been pretty good at most things, I think it just is the fact I have been taking it slowly and getting a feel for this city and all the weird stuff that is going on. It's very much a 'We're not in Kansas anymore' feeling for me that I've been working through if it makes sense? I got chased by what I guess could have only been the living, breathing, cocaine bear near one of the power plants a few weeks back."
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Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2023 8:59 am
"Explaining what my automatons do is far less thrilling than simply showing you. If you'd like a demonstration, I'm more than happy to oblige. But, to put it as plainly as possible, Automatons have a set function, a purpose, a path they follow. So too do my automatons, as well as my self. Now take that thought process and apply it to my opponent, and that's how it works." There was no harm in telling her, it was not as if they were outright enemies. Different ideals were likely in play, but even his records still state that the Dark Mirrors, while not harmless, had no desire to do much with this world.
She seemed pretty new though, so perhaps Hela would develop differently. Experiences shaped whom a person became, after all.
"There's no shame in taking your time, aligning yourself to what you think is right, and then taking the best path forward for you. And... Yes, that sounds like a bit of a problem. I can't say that I've ever seen a 'cocaine bear', unless you count powdered crystals as cocaine. This world you've entered, it's a cruel one, but it has it's own delights here and there. It all depends on what you wish for. And if you wished for neutrality, well, the Mirror Court is as middle of the road as they come."
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Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2023 11:30 am
She really did consider a demonstration but who's to say that their magic wouldn't hurt her? He could be omitting that fact but it was better safe than sorry. She could maybe use her own magic as a sort of collateral so that if something did happen then she could get them back for it. It did pique her interest more than she wanted to admit. "Ok maybe... I want to see how that works but only if you let me use my magic as collateral. I can make a doll of you and it acts kind of like a voodoo doll so anything that happens to it happens to you on a smaller or weaker scale. If that's ok at least because I won't lie I am really curious about it."Taking her time had been something she was working on balancing. She wanted to see what other things were going on but at the same time, she had to make sure she kept up with school and work. It wasn't like she could ask her family for money to pay rent, as it was she still sent money home every month to help her aging parents afford the taxes on their land. "I think I like it that way, at least for now. At first, I wasn't really about all this weird crap but some of the things are growing on me, like aliens being real and pocket dimensions. Those are hella handy, to be honest." She hadn't seen the crueler things but she knew that the people here could be a lot worse than the monsters that didn't hide what they were. There was a lot more to hide and keep at arm's length in the city and it made sense to her, it just took a lot of getting used to.
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Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2023 1:43 pm
Ah, so she wasn't as eager and foolish as he had once thought she might be. A little, teeny tiny part of of him appreciated the skepticism. Sure, his attack might hurt her a little, but he could be convinced enough to not try to outright beat her up. Mostly because he never knew who could be watching, and there was no sense in getting on someone's bad side after only just returning to the city.
"Most certainly. I will warn you though, there is a slight knockback from the attack. Just a smidge, as it is my weakest ability. I wouldn't want to hurt a new acquaintance, after all." That was plenty enough of a hint, right? Atleast it would imply that she shouldn't have her back to a wall, or an open cliffside.
"Ladies first, if you'd be so kind."
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Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2023 8:44 am
Looking around for a moment, she made sure there was nothing close enough to bump into or fall over. Then, stepping forward a bit, she made sure she was in range before pulling her hands in above her chest. "Hela's Idol." When she pulled them back out and away from her body, a small doll lay in them. She had been right when it came to the joints, the doll had ball joints as well as cracks in their forehead and chest. It was cute and she held it out carefully for the other to see. "Ok now show me yours." She smiled a bit not really able to hide her curiosity anymore now that she had at least a bit of collateral. She wouldn't have taken such a risk if it was any other sort of weird thing but dolls and things like it were her weakness. If worse came to worse though, she still had some supplies in subspace to patch herself up or distract them enough to run back to the mirror she had come from. Kapoodles Sailor Scout Attack: Hela's Idol Hela brings her hands over her heart while saying the name of her attack, she then outstretches her hands. Between her hands, a rudimentary rag doll resembling one opponent appears. For 25 seconds, the opponent will feel anything Hela does to the doll, to a degree - ripping off a limb would feel like bending it in an awkward direction, digging her nails into the doll would feel like scratches, etc. It is all phantom pain, however, and ends when the duration of the attack is up without real physical damage. Hela can use this three times per battle.
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Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2023 9:18 pm
That doll got a weary look from Mali. It was a little unsettling to know that he was literally sitting in the palm of Hela's hand, if what she stated was to be true. Minor, of course, but still, that lack of control never sat well with him. At the same time, he knew he couldn't say anything because his own attack was pretty much the same.
After a moment of consideration, he muttered his attacks name (it was far too embarrassing to say it out loud), and in his hands came a pretty little windup doll in the spitting image of Hela. A key stuck out of it's back, and he gave it a good crank or two. It was clear his own attack was more for subterfuge than an outright direct damage dealing magic.
"Alright then, When you're ready, give a good look at this doll." He placed the automaton between the, then took a small step back, waiting for it to activate.
Sara Draconia Sailor Scout Attack: Zube's Game Mali Summons a Small Automaton named Zube and winds him up and places it on the ground. The Automaton is not activated until an opponent sees it, and can be picked up and placed elsewhere by Mali or another of his allies. Once someone looks at the doll, they are forced to approach it and follow Zube's Pre-installed Movements which goes as follows "Three steps to the Left, Three steps to the right, Spin in Place, Raise right hand, left hand behind back, and Bow" This action preoccupies the user for 5 seconds, and at the end of the 'performance', Zube explodes. The explosion is is minor, and is only strong enough send the opponent back a few feet, but no other damage is sustained
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Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2023 9:42 pm
It was a bit odd at first, seeing a likeness of herself. It was almost the same feeling as when Hybris had turned into a copy of her which tricked her doll into looking the same. Adjusting her hold on the corrupt's lookalike doll so she wouldn't drop it or squeeze it too hard, she took a deep breath and let her curiosity win. Looking at the thing, she felt a weird sensation bite into her. She started moving without her brain making the choice to do it. Now she was standing right in front of it and much closer to the other Senshi. Taking three steps to the left, she felt like she was having an out-of-body experience as she was basically just watching it all happen as if she were an onlooker. Three steps to the right came next, the feeling kept nagging at her as her body moved against her will. Now she spun in place, turning quickly and making herself dizzy. She wondered in passing if this would affect him too before she abruptly stopped and raised her right hand that held the doll. Her left hand moved behind her as she bowed in close to face both the Senshi and the automaton. Uh oh, that bad feeling came back, and just in time for the thing to explode and send her sliding back the few feet to where she started. Falling back onto her butt, she almost didn't notice that she had squeezed the doll of him a bit. Not too much but enough that he probably felt some pressure on his sides. It wasn't really on her mind though as she stared up at the stars that spun in her vision.
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Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2023 10:34 pm
A sort of snide satisfaction crept onto Mali's face as he watched Hela dance around. It had been quite some time since he had unleashed his attack on someone, and he genuinely forgot how funny the little movements were. In his mind, he swore he heard the sounds of those gears clicking into place with each dance.
But who would have thought that the way she swung about her little doll as she dance would cause his stomach to churn on in itself? A hand came up to cover his mouth, and he was nearly as green as his top was. His eyes squeezed shut, trying to steady himself before he keeled over and barfed everywhere. That sort of embarrassment he would not be able to live down, and he'd have no choice but to kill the girl should she witness it.
"Well... That was... Ugh... An experience, wasn't it?" He managed to push out after a minute of just letting himself settle. Now that they had witnessed these unfortunate side effects of powers, he stumbled forward to offer her a hand up. "Are you alright?"
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