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Big Eyes, Small Mouth (BESM): In the Shadows of the City - Chapter 4: The Training Continues... [complete]


Justin OOC

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The first week had gotten gradually easier, as the Demons remained at the same level of power, and the champions, for that was what they were, grew more powerful. In some cases it wasn't some huge increase in power, but merely increased skill, and control of the power they already possessed. Those with weapons were trained with greater mastery of them, of fundamental battle strategies, and how their weapon was intended to function.

For those who already possessed this knowledge, still greater control awaited. Sayoko proved to be an excellent sparring partner for any of them, able to match her skill to theirs. Tezara helped them with their combat training during the day, though she was perhaps easiest on her master, though their training was separate from the others.

At night they hunted demons in the forest, honing their skills and ability to work together.

Still when the second week rolled around there was much left to do. She called them together for the evening meal, before they went hunting again, and nodded. "Tonight marks the second week we will spend here, and in it, I will test you all even more. Tonight, I have released four demons, and they are much stronger than the ones you've previously faced. You will be both predator and prey. As before you will need to slay all four by dawn. To foster teamwork, between everyone, there is an added complication. Any demon that slays one of you, will be allowed to leave, which will also trigger the negative effect of not getting them all."

Truly they all had to stand with each other now.

"Choose your teams, and remember the discs can only be used once. When you are finished eating and ready, you may begin. The sun will set in half an hour, and the demons will be released then."

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Amara had gotten her 'overnight' bag worth of extra clothing ruined over the course of the 1st week, burned and cut and bled on. So she was down to the plain training gi's provided by their hostess. She had... privately forgiven Sayoko's failure to warn the world at large to the inaction of a police officer who knew a shop was a front for one of her Father's business' but couldn't act without proof.

It wasn't Sayoko's fault her mysterious superiors didn't care enough about humanity to save it before the 11th hour.

The Yakuza Heiress had bigger things to worry about anyway. Like another death or glory hunt against an even more dangerous set of demons. She rested a hand on the sheath of Twilight's Edge, never too far from her side anymore, and looked to the werecat, "Arenilia-San, would you be willing to partner with me tonight?"

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Ayami had grown in the past week: she was still quiet, but she'd gained a confidence in her skills she hadn't had when they first arrived. She'd gone from healthy but slim to an athletic build that would have mortified her more fashion-conscious schoolmates, but served her well in sword practice and hunting. She also had nightmares every morning while they slept. That she tried to keep to herself, but she'd woken up Sayoko at least once that she knew - now she tried to stay awake until at least sunrise, as that seemed to help a little.

She tilted her head and asked Sayoko, "Must we split into teams like before, or are we allowed to hunt the demons how we as a whole see fit?" It was a bold question from her, but she'd learned over the past week that there was a time and place for feminine gentility...and demon hunting was about as from from that time and place as one could get.

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"I guess it's time to start making peace with ourselves then..." Anne said, flatly. "Because we're not making it past this night."

She was visibly shaking when she said that. Partially from a sudden dread, but a nagging doubt in herself and the others that she had up to now kept hidden. All her illusions were gone now and she was beginning to be laid bare.

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Ayami frowned at Aceworth-san. "You should not say such things, unless you are planning on being the reason the rest of us do not survive. We must work together and we must not give up before we have even begun. We survived the first night and we have had a week of training since then. If we work together, we will prevail."

Her tone had started off sharp, her own jagged nerves scraped raw by Anne's fatalistic pronouncement. The British girl was a struggle to deal with for Ayami most of the time, even as much as Sachiko could be and without the history of friendship or at least somewhat endearing eternal optimism of the other girl. She calmed down by the end of her response, though, trying to focus everyone on the idea of succeeding as a team and with the greater skills they had gained, however marginal they might be, in the past week.

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Anne understood Ayami's frustration, but hearing her say what she said...

"What? Hell no. I'm not going to be the one that sets a Demon loose on the world AND gets us all killed. To hell with that!" Anne says. If there was one thing that re-enforced her shaky backbone was a healthy dose of anger.

"And if we're picking I know who I'm picking... Kohaku."

She said that flatly, and with no reservation.

Then she clapped her hands suddenly, as her eyes widen with a revelation.

"Guys! I figured it out! Those Demons might be about to fight amongst themselves as much as us... think of it. Whoever gets first kill goes free and the others are screwed... Demons are a sort that would slit their momma's throat for a shilling, and they might be just as willing to ensure they are "the winner" as in fighting us. The enemy is already divided in morale and in purpose."

"How do we exploit this?"

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Kohaku was slowly but surely learning how to control his power, and how to use it in the most effective matter. He view himself as the weakest among the group. He knew he was not as powerful as the others. Right now he had no relic or powerful abilities except his strange gift he was given. Also the fact he got his ass handed by most of the others for the most part.

So when Miss Anne said she wanted to work with him, Kohaku was surprised. So suprised that it snapped him out of his train of though. He tried not to show it, but he wonder if he slip in doing so. He remain silent for a few seconds. He needed to know right now what was going to happen. He knew there were still hints of a power struggle in the group. That could be fatal. They had to work together. If any of them fell, then we would all die.

Kohaku then said in a sure an precise manner as so everyone would understand him. "We need to be careful. Even if this is obvious, it still needs to be said. We don't have a second chance here. It's killed or be killed. The same could be said when we actually leave this place. We have to plan ahead if we don't then we all could die. They can win in a war of attrition. We can't, we just don't have the numbers."

Kohaku then turns to Anne. "Your plan is nice, but I am curious. What if they decide to work together? After all what if our boss meant that all of them could leave and not just the first one to do so. Then we could be in trouble if they figure out our plan. Plus we don't know if they will act like they did last time or if it will be the same types that are after us. After all our boss did say that we were facing more powerful foes. What if they are also more smarter then the beastial ones we fought last time? Also the battles for the most part were still difficult even if we worked in a group.Then again there is more going on here then what we are told at least in my view."

Kohaku was also thinking on something else. What would the world be when they get out? Would it be the same or would it be worse? Also he wonder why there were so few of them that could battle the demons. Shouldn't all of humanity have the ability to do so? If not then why?

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"You forget, Kohaku, only one of us needs to fall, and that demon gets a free pass to our Earth. The rest get sanitized with the surviving people here. They'll probably fight eachother here to get the "Honor" to kill one of us. Meanwhile we can exploit their in-fighting..."

Those last words drove a lesson into her.

"We have to present a united front. More than ever."

She fully expected Kaori to jump in and start playing her solo game at this point, but Anne didn't care and right now... she was stating her case pretty clear... suddenly there was hope in her heart once again. Perhaps she would live to see morning.

Her armbands glowed slightly...

"I think this might work..."

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"That's if they are all together, or if they know of that part. Plus they could be miles away from one another. Also we don't know if they know what we know. There is alot of unknown here's. Unless our employer wants to clarify on where they would be let out if she knows at all. We need to have a backup plan or two in case things go wrong." Kohaku said. He was worry. Annie had a good plan, but there were so much unknowns. Her plan could backfire. He did not want to bet his life on one plan. Never had anyways.

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"Aceworth-san could scout for us from the sky, and Arenilia-san could scout for us from the ground. They can both be quick and have a different perspective than the rest of us. Once we find a demon, we can all head to that location, take care of that demon, and then find the next one. It is much safer than all of us wandering about the woods in pairs and hoping we find all of them and that each pair is strong enough to take each demon out." Her words were soft, not the drill-tone of a sergeant or general, but they were well thought-out and delivered with enough practice to hint that she'd been thinking on this for a while. "If the demons band together, that is all the more reason for us to be together and working together."

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Sachiko sat at the table, not saying much. She was sipping tea from a cup, her eyes flitting from person to person while not moving her head much. She was being, in a word, surreptitious. As Anne had her fit, quick as a snake, she reached out and grabbed one of the chocolatey little mints at the center of the table, between the soup and the salad. She stuck it in her pocket with an expression of immense mischievous satisfaction and stood up.

"Everyone listen up!" she announced, swinging the sturdy wooden baseball bat she'd found among a bunch of other athletic gear in the closet over her shoulder, "We're a team now, and everyone on a team is picked out to be on that team. We all have special...things...that put us here."

She nods. "Galiana is a cat. Amara is a gangster, but is still nice. Ayami is smart, and Anne is...British." She shoots a finger skyward. "This is our path to greatness! All the little things that hold us back must be thrown off!"

Sachiko nods sagely, as if she'd just imparted great wisdom and not inane gibberish. Insanely, something about her absolute earnestness was infectious...it was hard not to get swept up in the passion, even if the actual words didn't make much sense.

"We must face these demons as one!" She coughs daintily into her hand and shines her knuckles on her shirt. "Naturally I'll be in charge."

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Anne groaned.

"Let's jsut come up with a plan that doesn't melt before we even get out there, Sachiko. We shnouldn't be focussing on who is the leader we should have a gameplan we all can agree on."

"Let's not forget here... only one of us has to die for all of us to be "sanitized". Taking that as it is, that probably means we all will be wiped from existance."

Anne stands up. "I doubt any one of us is without sin. What we are though, is Humanity's best chance and if we lose today, humanity is screwed. If we're not sure what we are fighting for... we fight for that. That is what we have to unite under."

"That's why I nominate Kaori for that position."

Anne lets that sink in. "Kaori has what it takes to make the decisions that... obviously... I have shown I am too indecicive to make, and she can get the job done."

"Also... I've discovered to my humility that she is right about much more than I have first realized. We need that decicive action. We don't need diplomats, we need a general."

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Kohaku was piss at the comments made by Sachiko. He wanted to punch her in the face. Why was simple. One, and primary, she was being a jerk in calling herself leader when she obvious had not the talent or skill in doing so. Second, she generalized alot of people which annoy kohaku. Third, she did not state all the people here, which show how little she cared about the group in his view. She for the most part was a glory hog which could get people killed. He knew she was like that by what he expeirence first hand.

"Miss Sachiko. I express that we should find a more or less competent and able body leader. One that would not get us killed. This is not come fucking popularity contest. Lives are on the line here. As such I do not view you as sufficent in doing such a role. Also I would suggest we all either agree on a paticular person or give it more time and see what everyone does. Still we should not be doing politics here. There is not time for that, plus we must have a united front and figure out who would be best to help the others in case we seperate." Kohaku said trying to be calm and coperative.

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Ayami did her best not to sigh or roll her eyes at Anne's theatrics or, in her private opinion, passive-aggressive self-depreciation. "I agree that Kaori should take the lead this time, if we are allowed to work as one group." She glanced over at Sayoko, reminding everyone that they still had not gotten an answer on that pivotal question.

She frowned at Kohaku's outburst, but rather than engage with him she simply smiled at Sachiko, trying to convey that she meant her friend no insult by putting forth someone else. "We will all have our places of leadership in time, I would hope, but Kaori does seem more experienced than the rest of us, for now."

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Sayoko had been watching and listening. "Splitting into teams is the best option, as the demons won't be released together. Few of you can move with any speed beyond human norms, and not splitting up would risk not reaching a demon in time."

"How you choose to fight, is of course your own option."

she sat and finished eating. "in the end, the weight of this task is a light one compared to what you face when we return home."

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"That if we return home." Kohaku said to himself mentally. He was more concern in how we were going to split up. Also who was going to do what. We did not have any information on their foes. Also it sounded like it would be a random fight. No idea on how we were going to fight the foe. Something that was dangerious in Kohaku view. Plus he wonder what they would face when they got home.

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Anne shook her head realizing they just wasted all that time with a plan that was unfeasible.

"Then we should at least form our teams around one apt for melee combat, and one who is capable at ranged."

"Ranged seems to by my strong suit, do doubt. I wouldn't mind teaming with Amara again, but there may be times in the wider world where I can't choose my partner or partners."

"Orignally I was thinking Kohaku but since I still know nothing about his skills, I think this may be the time I consider Sachiko. I... heard a few things." She said with a grin. "Unless someone else wants a go with me as their fire support."

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Galiana wanted to pound her head against the table and cats weren’t prone to self-harm. The group had never picked out a leader before now, and now with demons bearing down on them, no one knew who was in charge. There was no one to make decisions. This would have never happened at home, or among her cousins. The males would have figured out who was in charge and the women would have sorted their pecking orders and all would have been clear and understood. No one had questioned one another or tried to figure this out, and now it was undone.

She rose to her feet suddenly, the simple dress she wore so she wouldn’t destroy her clothing over and over whipping around her body at the violence of her motions. “Four teams, Ayami and Shinji, Amara and Anne, Kaori and Kohaku, and Sachiko and myself. Four demons, four teams. And we do need a leader but we should decide that when we don’t have demons coming.” Galiana glanced at the windows, where already the light filtering down was developing a heady orange hue. “The time for talking is later; now we prepare to fight.”

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Anne straightened herself out. Gali's proactive decision was... gutsy. "I'm with Gali here." She said, straightening the clothing Sayoko was kind to hand out. She had her mesh vest that she had fixed from her first fight, but she's decided to leave everything but her first aid kit back at her room.

"Although I make one request. I trade with Kohaku."

She straightened herself out. "It's time I put aside my rivalry with Kaori. Or we might not make it past this."

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Anne's face started to turn bright red.

"Would you PLEASE take this serious, Sachiko!" She said, her temper at it's limit, her hands already forming fists.

"Do you even realize what this crap is all about? All of Humanity and our world is at stake and you're treating this as one of your damnable video games."

Anne walks up to Sachiko, and stares her down. Her voice starting to take a gravely tone, as she is using every ounce of restraint she has left. "I'm about to go off like a goddamn firecracker... and the only thing keeping me from unloading on you is the fact we need you at top condition."

She takes her finger and points it in Sachiko's shoulder. "Get your head in the fucking game or you're gonna lose it out there."

Anne felt her response come from a dark corner of her mind... this behavior Anne exhibited she knew was reprehensible. But she had no other choice, this was what she felt... what she knew was the stakes. Sachiko was blind to it all. Anne would make her see, or she will have her eyes plucked out by the reality of the situation. Better for Anne to be rough now than that moment of regret before oblivion came.

OOC
Sorry if Anne got VERY, VERY aggressive here, but I think this is what I think she would be feeling at this point.
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Sachiko stared, dumbfounded, at Anne for a long, uncomfortable moment after her outburst. Then she looked down and sighed.

"Anne," she said, her voice uncharacteristically meek, "that was..."

She looked back up, and her face exploded into a joyous, beaming grin, "PERFECT!" she enthused, grabbing Anne's shoulders.

"You have to take all that anger, and all that frustration and shake it up and keep it inside you like a bottle of diet coke! And then when we find the demons...AND WE WILL...you drop in the Mentos of hate and let it rip!"

Sachiko tapped the side of her nose and offered with a sly smile, "If it helps, just picture my face on it. Really though, my head is completely in this. I'm just really excited about it! We're going to SAVE THE WORLD, everyone! This isn't bad, it's AMAZING! So lets get out there and KICK SOME DEMON ASS! WHO'S WITH ME?!"

She pumped a fist in the air.

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"Bollocks..."

Anne turned away shaking her head, and walked over to the door, she sneaked one last bite of her meal into a handkerchief to eat on the way. "Don't get us killed, Skippy. Because if there's an afterlife for us after you die... I am gonna bloody haunt your arse."

"Goes for the rest of the sodding lot of you."

Her eyes looked over the rest of her group. The other her was beginning to show. That competitive survivor. The one she usually saved for the simulators long ago and far away. "Lady Ace" has finally shown up.

"You know what... I'll stick with Amara... I think Kohaku will do fine with Kaori."

She smirked. "Unless Kaori thinks he'll just slow her down."

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She tried, she really did. This was serious and people were acting, well sorta crazy. But it was also just too damn funny. Sachiko was Sachiko and Ayami was pretty sure she always would be, even if the world was burning down around her. Aceworth-san was obviously high-strung - and this was a dangerous and very frightening situation - but she just couldn't help it.

She giggled.

She covered her mouth, her cheeks flaring red in embarrassment, but she couldn't stop the quiet hiccuping of laughs. Still trying to maintain any shred of composure, she nodded to Amara. "Are you fine with pairing with me, Akemi-san? If so, we should head out....." She trailed off, eyeing the darkening skies outside with a decided lack of enthusiasm.

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Ayami flushed deeper red and mumbled, "Sorry, I meant Marasaki-san....I guess I'm just nervous."

She flashed a weak smile at Shinji, utterly mortified at her mistake but trying to move on and not feel like she was being improper by going into the woods alone with a boy. "Shall...shall we go, then?"

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Ayami got a polite chuckle out of the Yakuza Heiress, unlike all the stupidity between the squabling duo. She rose and strapped on her sheathed weapon, green eyes weary, "We all have to kill our targets, so pairing one of the stronger with one of the weaker makes as much sense as anything has this last week or will soon as we get back. This whole situation is..."

Amara visibly forced her emotions back into heel, knuckles white, "... Something to discuss another time. I'm calling north for tonight. Aceworth-San or whoever wants to go with me when you're done trading, I'll be at the edge of the clearing. Waiting. So don't take long, please."

She walked out of the room, pausing once outside to slip on her shoes and exhale out her concerns, at least enough to function. She had had her power. She had her weapon. She had her mind. They, assuming her allies performed as well, would hopefully be enough to see her through to sunrise again.

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Kohaku sighed. Right now he felt like Anne did with Sachiko. Yet unlike her, he just remain silent on the whole ordeal. He figure the truth of the matter of things will occur when they get back to the base. Personally, he wanted to tar and feather the girl and let the demons have their way with her. Unfortually, she was still valuable and needed to be protected. He thanked whatever kami for not paring him up with her again.

Now he had to deal with another person he still did not know alot about. Could they work together or would things turn out bad for both of them. Kohaku had no idea on what would happen. Yet like most things in life nothing was predicable to a fine point. He only hopped to survive the night as well as his crew mates. That hope seem far off and highly unlikely.

"So I take it we got our pecking order. If so then shouldn't we go then? These demons have all the time in the world. We unfortually do not." Kohaku said as he goes to leave.

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"Alright, Amara... that sentiment I can agree with." Anne says, also starting to leave. "We got our lots for teams, so we should divide up North, South, East, and West... like my partner said, us two are heading north."

She stretches out, finishing off her snatched meal. "Amara... you got your ground game covered, so not much to review. I'm going to have to take a higher and further distance, after our first battle I learned that lesson the hard way."

"If the demon is flight capable and engages up high, I will try to send him down to you and get control of the situation that way."

Once the two reach the edge of the clearing, Anne turned to Amara. "And... if I don't get the chance... just wanted to say... damn I like fighting by your side again."

"Now, let's get to this before I lose my backbone... again..."

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  • 2 weeks later...

Sachiko planted her fists on her hips in a Peter Pannish stance and turned to face Galiana.

"Okay, so what I'm thinking is that you can be a cat and go up high in the trees. That way I'll look like I'm alone and lost and scared. Then when the demons attack, I'll meet 'em head on...and you jump down and take them from above and behind."

She punched her open palm, making a loud smack noise.

"It'll be a home run!"

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Once the groups were settled and the sun set, the teams departed. The hunt was largely as before, but there was more danger now, as it had become all for one, and one for all.

The first three hours of the hunt were fairly uneventful there was nothing to find, but soon, each team began to get a feeling that something was off, And that The night was filled with more menace and malice than ever. No moon shown over head, and even the stars were dim. The darkness was near absolute.

Teams- Four teams, Ayami and Shinji, Amara and Anne, Kaori and Kohaku, and Sachiko and Galiana, once combat begins, I will create a thread for you.

What I need now is a Soul Roll from everyone, and a mundane wilderness tracking skill roll from those with the skill. The DC for the Soul roll is 12, the higher you get, the more you will feel the emmanations of malice, and may learn more about them. The Tracking roll is DC 14.

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Amara didn't think she was a psychic, but she had had experience enough to know that when she felt like someone was looking at her, a hair standing up on the back of her neck feeling, there was a good chance someone was. Or in this case... Something. Hopefully.

Whatever she was feeling, it didn't seem close, but it was closer than when they had started out. Time to see if she could help lure it towards them.

"Aceworth-San, get in the air and see if you can find whatever is giving this off. I'm going to try and get some attention," the Yakuza heiress explained before stepping away from her friend and summoning up the light of her soul in a thirty foot pillar of rainbow light that screamed 'I am here' to all within eyeshot, an open challenge to the world. It seemed... right to do.

[envoy] 12:07 pm: making a soul roll for shadows.

envoy *rolls* 2d6: 3+6+4: 13

[envoy] 12:08 pm: whew!

Triggering Forcefield

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soul roll
AceWildcard *rolls* 2d6: 6+1+4: 11


Kohaku walked the forest with his partner. So far he felt lost, unable to see much if anything at all in front of him. He just hopped that their foes were having the same problems. "Do you spot anything?" Kohaku whispered to his partner.
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Sachiko alternated between trotting and jogging through the forest, setting a pace that Galiana had to consciously slow down to make sure she didn't just abandon her there...though the thought may have occurred to her once or twice. Whenever Galiana was visible, she'd start cheerfully asking bizarre questions, or making inane observations, or coming up with stupid challenges like 'who can breathe the most times during a second,' during which she nearly passed out hyperventilating...and then claimed victory.

But as the shadows pressed in on Sachiko's flashlight beam, and whispers gathered in the air around them, Sachiko was suddenly all business. Her eyes narrowed, and she looked around, tapping her baseball bat's tip on the ground like she was getting ready to hit the mother of all homers.

"Heeere it comes," she murmurs, and reaches for her watch to turn it on, or switch modes, or whatever the hell she did to make it do stuff.

Soul roll: SalmonMax *rolls* 2d6: 3+4+7: 14

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Soul Roll, verified by Justin
Kamiko *rolls* 2d6: 4+3+4: 11


Anne salutes. "Understood, Amara! Getting airborn! Just try to light the area around you, so that... Oh my..."

Anne hovers up to 100 meters, getting as high as she can, after saying... "Nevermind... God I love you for that."

Hell... with Amara... we might just win! Anne thinks, before taking to her mission.
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Once they were outside, Ayami was pretty certain that the night and the woods were her personal version of Hell. She'd shed her school clothes for the training gi Sayoko had provided, but that meant leaving behind the pockets she usually carried her flashlight in. So out came the "mirror", in sword form already and glowing with a steady golden light around the nervous young woman. Also out came the steady breaths to try to keep her heart from leaping into her throat at every little sound or movement around them, and the mental mantra of "I've been training for this, we've all been training for this, we'll be alright because I've been training for this,..." Between the three of them, the sword was the only thing really doing much good.

You'd think it would be impossible for someone to stay that on-edge for three hours, but Ayami proved that it wasn't. Exhausting, but not impossible, and slowly that paranoia gained an intensity and general direction.

"I think...I think something's about to happen," she whispered to Shinji.

Soul Roll
Ayami’s Soul Roll:

Malachite *rolls* 2d6: 3+2+7: 12

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Shinji wasn't exactly sure what Ayami seemed to have against the nighttime, but it was serious. Aside from the exhausting effort of keeping patient - well, there was keeping from being demon meat-lover's entrees. At least by now he had Derflingr as a weapon he was trained to use...

Eventually, he too felt the source of tension, coming from the north-east though. Lots of things that made you tense came from the northeast, like smug-assed New York City residents.

"Coming from thataway," he gestured, then focused to summon Tezara.

Soul Roll
I don't have it here, but Long saw it and it was a 15...
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