⇨ INVASION!

[ringleaders]

Who: Everyone! But especially HARBINGERS!
When: S2:D16-22
Where: All over Wismuth!
What: As the Harbingers reveal themselves, those among the carnival that Creation has chosen will start to discover new powers within themselves. It's because they're magical girls, yo.
Warnings: Harbingers being assholes.

HARBINGERS OF VOID↴ On Day 16, the Harbingers begin revealing their new selves... in the form of wreaking havoc on the city! CY-Ren isn't looking for mass panic or serious structural damage - instead she wants constant annoyances and distractions, of the sort that will keep those that might be on her tail distracted from her true plans. However, when Creation is faced with the threat of twelve new Harbingers, it will have to fight in kind... ► HARBINGERS: Your job is to use your powers to create messes for other people to clean up! CY-Ren gives no specific instructions outside of a general framework... flex your powers! See what you can do. Don't destroy the city or anything, but give Creation a run for its money. She needs these civilians alive for her later plans. ► STAR GUARDIANS: Twelve members of the carnival have been chosen by Creation to fight in its name, even if they don't realize it yet. When confronted by the Harbinger's chaos, their Sparks will make themselves known in whatever form is appropriate to the character - and they will be asked if they are willing to use the power of their soul to fight the darkness. How this scene plays out can be flexible, but essentially they will find themselves faced with the question: are they willing to fight for the preservation of life? If they say yes, their Spark will emerge, and they will be able to trigger a magical girl transformation, as you do. ► CHARITY CONCERT: While everyone else is busy with the sudden rise of the Harbingers, CY-Ren's PR team is releasing a statement -- they will say that new information has revealed that there had been bomb threats made against the canceled concert, which are now being blamed for the damages. CY-Ren will make a personal statement, saying that in order to apologize for the failure of her previous performances, a new free to attend event is being planned for the near future - people who had tickets to the previous event and had to go home early get top priority!

Comments

iii

[stillwinningthehardway]

Scout hasn't been chosen yet, but she still has to act. Having heard about turmoil in the airport she's here to see, and it's really reminding her of the utter misery of the Chancellor Palpatine Spaceport, a hell of malfunctions, lost luggage, security, and hurried people, all confined into a cauldron of frustration.

It could be worse, she tells herself. It could be like the Phindar spaceport.

The camouflage magic the Ringmaster gave her for this year's concept lets her pass unseen and unnoticed by the upset crowds, so she can still make her way through. People turn aside without thinking of why, unconsciously knowing that something is there but not noticing her.

The orbs... she should do something about them. Scout focuses a moment, and exhales a cloud of golden motes. It descends, becoming increasingly solid and opaque, until it coalesces into her dæmon, also cloaked. She draws her lightsaber on the closest drone, and her dæmon comes in from the side, seizing one of its floating legs to pull away.

The crowd won't notice her and her soul through the glamour, but Connie can probably get an inkling as soon as they start taking the drones apart.

[sworntothesword]

Connie continues walking through the airport, enjoying the gridlock. She's surprised to hear a voice coming out on the loudspeaker announcing that the board was experiencing a technical malfunction; the drone she dispatched should have rendered the control room completely unable to decide how to tackle the dilemna.

She makes her way towards the tower, noticing several puddles of blue goo.

Who dares.

From her hand, mist coalesces on her hand and takes the shape of a long, wicked and unevenly bladed sword as she increases her pace.

[stillwinningthehardway]

In Scout's wake, people are still frustrated and confused, this is still an airport, but most of the delay here is directly attributable to the effect of the orbs, and when they're turned to slush people are better able to take stock and resolve the issue, to rely on the training of the airport employees. It does make a difference, and that's satisfying. The drones don't or can't fight back effectively, though she's wary of the fluids they spray anyway.

"This is too easy," Tràkata murmurs, fastidiously wiping goo off his claws and onto a well-trampled mat. Scout's inclined to agree - of course she is, he's just part of her - but what else can she do? Part of the objective is to find the missing people, and...

It's almost a sense of a cool finger touching her shoulder, the quiet suggestion of the Force to look this way. Scout turns, chin high, her tail curved near her hoof-claw toes. She has a bad feeling about this. It can't be helped. She releases her personal don't-see-me glamour, but leaves it on her dæmon. The people here will see her as a normal human, if rather tall, but people can see her now.

She looks. There. Yes. Someone she's seen before, that's the new girl on Patrol, but hasn't spoken to. Scout runs her thumb along the hilt of her lightsaber and waits for her to come closer.

[sworntothesword]

Connie's emo-hairstyle and armored guise is a far cry from her usual look, but that was just how observant Scout was, it seemed. Enough to pick out a girl she'd never even talked to before from a crowded airport as she increased her pace and brought her sword to bear.

There was no indecision on the part of bystanders who saw her running with her blade drawn; they scattered, leaving a wide column for Connie to charge down, drawing a horizontal rightward slash forward at Scout.

[stillwinningthehardway]

"We're doing this? I guess we're doing this," Tràkata says, pulling his thin lips up and away from his teeth. It's not a useful gesture really. As a dæmon, he's a literal embodiment of Scout's soul, and touching someone else even in attack is almost too much to bear.

During the charge Scout sets her feet and thumbs the activation stud on her lightsaber. The blade extends with its eager hiss. When she intercepts, surging forwards, it doesn't cut through Connie's blade, instead locking like they're both the same sort of blade. Scout has the height advantage. She has the muscle advantage, and she's been trained in combat since she was four.

But she can sense it immediately: Connie has something, some power she lacks, that means Scout's first stroke doesn't end in the decisive moment she'd expect. Gritting her teeth Scout keeps up the pressure, trying to maintain the lock, and brings her heavy prehensile tail around to try to sweep Connie's legs out from under her.