Moonlight Firefight Sonata [Action | Soma, Anastasia, Satsuki, open to others]

[notquitedracula]

[It's been a couple weeks since Soma, Satsuki and Ana agreed to have this little mutual demonstration. It took them that long to decide on a venue - after all, when you're expecting to be throwing around lightning, fireballs, and the like, it's best not to have too many breakable or flammable things about - like buildings, or trees, or people. In the end, Soma had to suggest the courtyard of Dracula's castle. It was all stonework, there was nothing that couldn't take a hit or twenty nearby, and... well, to be blunt he didn't care if something got broken in the process. The castle could repair itself, after all. His one qualm was about letting Dracula get a look at either Satsuki or Anastasia's abilities - but there was little choice. The three of them cutting loose anywhere else, even in a place like Holodeck'd, would just have been asking for trouble.]

[Even so, Soma isn't a fool. Needlessly antagonizing Vlad by wrecking his castle was something he'd rather save for a special occasion - so there's a barrier circle etched around most of the courtyard, awaiting activation. There were other preparations, as well - a refreshments table tended by a Waiter Skeleton and a Persephone, an observation gallery erected near the table, and a few other things to make life a little easier. Or at least less likely to end.]

Comments

[innocent_royal]

[Anastasia was incredibly uncomfortable being here of all places. Seeing all these undead and monsters filled her with dread, hatred and fear. But she knows what she's here for and why. She came dressed lighter than usual, a cute little black collared dress that she hopes will help her blend in and hide from the monsters.

Even though she is going to show off every magic Arte she has in her book. Until she gets the go ahead from Soma, the little lady will just stand by, idling with her hands gently clasped at rest together in front, glancing around at what she can only perceive as enemy territory.]

[notquitedracula]

[To be fair, Soma wasn't exactly in his comfort zone, either. This castle holds some really bad memories for him, personally. And that's not even getting into Vlad's baggage. The undead and other monsters are a big part of that, and he does not trust them - but he also knows that, no matter what the castle may choose to throw at them, he has the strength to knock it right back down again.]

I won't tell you to relax, because doing so would be foolhardy here. Just... be careful who and what you attack. Some of the things here are not what they appear, and many are a great deal stronger than they look.

[For all that, though, the place has a curiously festive air.]

[weavemyownfate]

[All three of them can probably agree that this is perhaps one of the most awkward scenarios they could find themselves in. On the other hand, this is a good opportunity to see Anastasia in action when thrown right into the fire, while still being in a position to step in if she feels she needs to.]

I suppose the most important question is once things get started, can it be stopped?

[innocent_royal]

So, wait... What am I attacking? I thought we were going to use training targets...

[Monsters are okay too, but she worries about going to fast.]

[notquitedracula]

We'll be using targets. It was a precautionary statement; nothing here should be able to get into the circle once it goes up, but better to be safe than sorry. I'm more worried for our safety than theirs, in any case - everything here will regenerate in a matter of hours. [He looks to Satsuki.] I'm going to set up the circle so that only one of us can bring it down again without a great deal of brute force. You can leave at any time, and if anything tries to stop you, you're entirely within your rights to answer with extreme prejudice - assuming I don't get there first. You are both my guests here, and I will take any attack on either of you very, very personally.

[weavemyownfate]

Understood.

[Satsuki pays another glance toward the circle- She can't help but feel a little nervous about it because she hasn't the slightest idea how it works; she's left with little choice but to believe Soma is telling the truth that she can break through if needed.

Bizarre. This is so bizarre!]

Carry on.

[notquitedracula]

[Soma nods, and goes to the barrier's edge. He pricks his thumb with a knife and drips a little blood onto the circle; a faintly visible curtain of light expands from the ground, forming a dome overhead.]

Who wants to go first?

[innocent_royal]

I'll go...

[It seems there were already some dummy targets set up for their use. She assumes a stance, heels together and bringing her hands close to weave the mana together for the spells she will use. Her Novice series. Weak, quick and efficient. First, a ocean blue magic circle appears under her, then with a wave of her hand.]

Bubble Dance!

[A flurry of bubbles swirled like a spiral galaxy as the converged on the first target, coming together and popping in a small splash, soaking the dummy with water. She repeated her movements before with a purple circle.]

Lightning!

[A small bolt of lightning struck with a loud bang, dealing with undoubtedly heavy damage to the soaked target. Once again, she repeats her movements with a ice blue circle.]

Winter Chill!

[On a wave of her hand, the target dummy popped in a flurry of snow, and it was coated in frost. Anastasia repeated the Winter Chill magic, shattering the target's frosty coat with heavy damage. It probably can't take much more after two of her combos. She repeats her movements, now with a fiery red circle.]

Fireball!

[She thrusts her hand out to shoot a small ball of fire, landing a direct hit, but now she's looking tired. Was it wise to use two of her three anti-elements so soon? She repeats her casting movements for a bright green circle.]

Gale Slash!

[Three blades of wind quickly chop at the target in unison. Her next movements produced a yellow magic circle.]

Stone Burst!

[Throwing her hand up, a small stones erupt from the ground with force, pelting the target in several golf ball-sized rocks. She begins her next movements, now with a white magic circle.]

Light Blast!

[A orb of light manifests at the target dummy, then unleashing a bright flash that nearly knocks it over. She repeats for her final spell of the Novice line, a black magic circle.]

Shadow Force!

[With a wave of a hand, the dark magical energy looked like a corrupted version of the previous spell, a oily black orb that popped in shadows and illusionary blood.

Anastasia was tired now, but she still had energy to spare, so she takes a step back to rest. In hindsight, it probably looks weird that she announced her spell names.]

[weavemyownfate]

[Satsuki had intended to go first to provide Anastasia some inspiration, but it would appear that she's plenty motivated- Consider her impressed. Positioned a safe distance back, she observes with her arms crossed.

And if it's any consolation. Satsuki didn't think it weird, since she figures it's the magical version of kiai. However...]

To activate your magic you need to call upon by name?

[innocent_royal]

[Anastasia took a traditional Japanese sitting position while she rests.]

Hm? Oh... No, calling their name isn't necessary. My friends and I do it as a way to coordinate precise strikes. We used our artes tactically and avoided re-using often to keep smarter enemies from learning our strategy.

[notquitedracula]

[Soma quirks a brow at the name-calling, but says nothing on that score. He's too busy being impressed with the combinations. True, these are very elementary level spells - but using that many in rapid succession, and chaining them in a way that ensured they would feed off of each other... that was brilliant. Yoko would love to see this.]

Can you call one name while casting an entirely different spell? It might be something to consider, if you ever have to face someone who could predict your spells based on their names.

[Meanwhile, he's pulling a sword from his coat. It's a needle-pointed rapier, its swept hilt an elaborate weave of thorned wire. He offers this weapon to Anastasia.]

It's enchanted for durability and the ability to harm creatures of the night. Use it well.

[innocent_royal]

Thank you. I'll have to think of a name for it.

[Anastasia got back to her feet to accept the rapier. It was rather heavy, but not too heavy. She'll need practice with it for awhile. As for the trick to use a different name...]

No. Doing so will confuse not just me but my allies as well. I have to focus on a specific spell. I still have many more to show, if you want to see them.

[notquitedracula]

[He nods, and lets the subject drop. For now. He'll mention the possible tactical value of deception later, when there aren't so many listening who would report it to Dracula. In the meantime, he'll offer her a bottle full of red liquid.]

Take a breather for the moment, Anya, and drink this. I know how exhausting magic can be, and this potion will help restore your mana. Satsuki, would you care to spar? I can demonstrate some of the abilities I mentioned before along the way.

[weavemyownfate]

[Satsuki's focus is on the rapier for a moment; she has to admit it does look like a fine weapon. Once it's in Anastasia's hands, a new thought comes to mind, but she keeps it to herself for the moment.

To Soma's suggestion, Satsuki nods.]

Very well. Will you be demonstrating primarily physical techniques or magical?

[She has two swords strapped to her belt; both better suited for different obstacles.]

[innocent_royal]

[Anastasia quietly takes the potion. It looks weird, smells weird, but she takes a seat a short distance away so she doesn't get in the way.

She's not sure if the potion will settle right if she drinks it.]

[notquitedracula]

[Soma pulls another sword out of his coat - a traditional katana, this time. A very old one.] I tend to mix the two, but for now we'll focus on primarily physical - though I can demonstrate one of the magic abilities now. Draw one of your blades and swing at me.

[Outwardly, he'll stand completely still. Inwardly, however, he's drawing on a soul to grant himself temporary invincibility - Satsuki's blade will rebound off his skin, when and if she swings it.]

[As for the potion, it should work just fine. He's used them before, himself, and he even made this particular one. Not that Lynch knows he snuck out a few from the latest batch of stock.]

[weavemyownfate]

Hmn.

[Satsuki withdraws 'Bakuzan', a very slightly curved blade of black metal from her belt- Her movements at first are slowed, only to help accentuate the grace in movements.]

Then, here I come.

[With a single step forward her heel makes a prominent clack and she achieves greater speed then takes a wide, sweeping swing- first toward his neck, but when he doesn't move quickly switches to target the shoulder- To an untrained eye it isn't noticeable but it's a sloppy redirection otherwise. Only when the blade rebounds and her arm is forced back a bit does she realize what happened.

Her expression says it all. 'Um. What?'.]

[notquitedracula]

[Soma smiles a small smile. He mentioned that ability to her before, but she apparently hadn't believed him.]

Don't hold back. I can take it.

[And now he'll draw his own blade, in an iaijutsu strike - directly from the scabbard into an attack. Of course, he's not trying to hit her - his blade won't touch her skin, at all, unless she steps into it. Still, the strike is absolutely blinding in speed, the blade leaving a faint trail of silver light in its wake.]

This blade was forged by Goro Masamune in the early 1300s. It and a sister sword, forged by Muramasa Sengo, were entered in a competition with each other. Stood upright in a stream, the Masamune blade collected a wreath of leaves without harming them, while the Muramasa blade cleaved anything that came close to it. Both were acknowledged as masterworks; the Masamune was called a sacred blade, while Muramasa's was called a demon sword.

[weavemyownfate]

Right.

[She only didn't believe him a teenie, tiny bit. That's her excuse and she's sticking with it. With the sword in both hands, she's just barely able to parry the strike sent her way; it's more obvious she shouldn't underestimate him, but at the moment she doesn't feel she has anything to prove either.

That said, she takes great interest in his historical tale.]

The Goro Masamune? He existed in my world as well; his blades are considered national treasures. How did such a blade end up in your hands?

[notquitedracula]

[He backs up, separating their blades and returning his to its sheath, inside his coat.]

Yes. Someone tried to use this one in an attempt on Vlad Tepes' life, sometime in the 1600s. They failed, and the sword became part of the castle's armory - which is where I found it. Just as I found this.

[He draws another blade from the confines of his coat, this one a more classical longsword - except the blade is literally on fire.]

This is Laevatein, forged by Loki and once held at the doors of Death in an iron chest bound by nine locks. Legend holds it to be the one weapon capable of slaying Vidofnir. Why you need a special sword to kill a rooster is beyond me, but...

[He moves with blinding speed, literally teleporting past Satsuki to strike from behind. Of course, his strike is nowhere close to actually hitting - this is, after all, a demonstration.]

...it's a pretty good blade all the same.

[weavemyownfate]

[Consider Satsuki's interest fully received. She has a very modest collection of swords herself (not that she really considers herself a collector), but her interest in them, Japanese blades in particular, has raised significantly over her time here.

His next attack is met with a similar struggle; she can't follow him with her eyes but she's also positioned in a manner to turn so the blades clash once more, the impact strong enough to cause her to recoil back a step.]

I am inclined to agree.

[Luckily the tension of defense is too great for her to appreciate a mythological sword's existence.]

[notquitedracula]

[Once again he'll back off, returning his sword to the confines of his coat. The weapon he draws this time is... rather larger than both the ones he's displayed so far, put together.]

This is Claimh Solais. Ireland's Sword of Light. Forged by the lords of Faerie. Indestructible. Incorruptible. Unstoppable.

[Instead of swinging it, he sticks it in the ground point first, then draws another blade, this a leaf-bladed longsword.]

Caladbolg, the hill-cleaver.

[From here, a procession of legendary and mythical weapons, all put on display instead of being used to strike. He has Satsuki's unenhanced measure now, and he knows she couldn't stop most of these without assistance. Good thing she's not using her Kamui right now.]

All of these were used in attempts to strike down Dracula. All of their wielders failed.

[innocent_royal]

[Seeing Soma pull out all these weapons is mind-boggling. Where is he keeping them? It's a lot like her spirit weapons. The potion was long finished, so she stood up and smoothed out the skirt of her dress.]

If I may? I have weapons of my own. They're dangerous for me to use, but I can handle it in short sessions.

[With some more mana weaving, ribbons of mana condensed into water and grew into a spear of sparkling water. She spun it over her head and brought to rest at her side. Her demeanor even changed, speaking almost like a mother or a dotting girlfriend.]

The Spear of Sayame... Strong regenerative power and makes casting Water magic easier...

[She moved to the next before it overwhelmed her. Gauntlets and boots of crystal and ice forms on her hands and feet, a short demonstration of martial arts as she takes on the demeanor of a confident fighter.]

The Gauntlets of Crystyl. Great for countering whatever comes at me.

[The gear is dismissed and everything seemed like the light was being drained, making everything look more dim. In her hands now was a shadowy scythe. The shadow even it produced show something was dripping from it. Anastasia giggled in a creepy fashion as she coo'd at the weapon like a beloved pet.]

The Scythe of Dusk... With it, I am the epitome of fear...
Even the shadows will fight for me

[It took her longer to dismiss the scythe. Once it was gone, she fell to her knees and into a seated position. They were last resorts and that was a bit careless of her. She isn't drained of stamina doing this, but she does feel emotionally conflicted which will fade soon.]

[weavemyownfate]

[Satsuki has heard of a coat of arms but this is ridiculous.

That said, she's actually rendered speechless at the display, even if her expression doesn't *quite* display as such. But in the end his explanation actually makes perfect sense given the circumstances.

With that aside, she ends up learning more about Anastasia's arsenal which, almost predictably, weapons of lesser familiar names. While the demonstration proves fascinating, there is a look of concern given as it goes onward to the end. But she didn't try to stop her either.]

... Will you be all right?

[innocent_royal]

[Anastasia sighs as she flips loose strands of her hair back over her shoulder and out of the way.]

Yes... I'll be fine. I just...don't feel like myself when I use them, so... I won't do that again unless I really need to.

I still have more magic to share. Let me know when it's my turn, 'kay?