queenofheartsrp | third bullet

third bullet :: video/action

[The mirror at first only shows robots marching past, destroying and trampling the Gardens as they go. Really, you might think, why did the Vine even bother? It's not exactly hard to miss the drama going on- no need for this kind of public awareness announcement.

But, see, the Vine sensed something exciting about to happen.]

TIRO FINALE!

[The roar of a single cannon blast; a nigh-blinding burst of light; a massive shot of bright yellow energy shoots into view from somewhere off in the surroundings, obliterating dozens of the robots. Their pieces litter the grass. Then, a small but growing spot of darkness over the busted gears and scraps of metal; the shadow of something falling out of the sky.

Mami gracefully touches down into sight of the mirror, fully transformed and for once not smiling. Unaware that the Vine is recording her, she summons a dozen muskets from thin air with a sweep of her hand. They remain hovering there, by her side, as her cold gaze takes in the damage the robots caused.

It's a very different Mami Tomoe than most in the Gardens know.]

They just won't stop, hmm....? Then neither will I.

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[Sakurako was a bittaken by surprise by that, but she wasn't about to loom a gift horse in the mouth. She went to work on the trapped robots, her sword flashing through the air in smooth arcs, almost too fast to follow, but no more than two strokes to each robot]

[She takes the time to clap, just a bit sardonically; it's nice to see that the other girl isn't too prideful to ignore an opportunity provided by another.

But then the time for such a snide display ends, and Mami joins in with a flurry of gunfire, careful to aim for ones Sakurako isn't near yet.]

[Sakurako feels a twinge of annoyance at that mocking clap. This girl was getting on her nerves a bit. Not the time for personal squabbles, though: There were robots to kill. Between her sword and Mami's guns, they cleared out the area quickly, leaving a pile of sparking electronics on the grass. Sakurako wiped lubricating fluid off her blade and onto the grass, and then slid it back into its sheath.]

There are probably more around. I'll flush them out.

Peeping Lover.

[A series of glowing wires, each with a spy camera at the end of it, shoot forth from her body, darting out in different directions. What each sees is displayed on a set of small screens that appear in front of her]

Peeping....? Ah. [Watches this for a moment, the ribbon returning to her hands and its normal length; she replaces it.]

I suppose now is the part where I ask you just what you are, huh?

[She doesn't look up, her attention focused on these screens in front of her]

I suppose so. Assuming, of course, that you would consider it polite for me to ask the same question of you.

[One of her cameras catches sight of a robot, lurking by itself a short distance away from them]

Robot at our three o'clock position, approximately twelve meters away. Shoot it, please.

Me?

[Gaze snapping to the position in question, Mami lifts her skirt and grabs the musket that falls from within it, pegging the robot in a single shot (like always).

And then continues the conversation, still smiling.]

I'm a magical girl. A quaint, catch-all term, I think.

A...magical girl.

[Sakurako had watched her share of Magical Girl shows when she was younger. She supposed Mami looked the part, although she couldn't escape the feeling she was being made fun of]

Well, then, I suppose you'll find my answer disappointing. I'm just a perfectly normal girl who happens to have psi powers.

Mm, no, I can't find anything disappointing about that! I'm pretty curious, actually- I've seen a lot of unusual things, but nothing to do with "psi powers". Would you mind elaborating a little further?

[A pause, and she draws out more guns from nowhere, planting them in the grass in case they need to be used on more sudden robots.]

I'll do the same, if you'd like.

Two more at 7 o'clock. Thirty-six feet away. Behind some foliage.

[She doesn't look up from her search, even as she speaks]

I can't tell you how I got them, but I can tell you what I can do with them, if you really want to know.

[See how a little foresight goes a long way! Within moments, two more guns are picked up and fired- two more robots dispatched.]

That would be a start, yes.

[A start? A start on what? Well, too late to back out from explaining now. She launches into lecture mode:]

Psi is the power of your mind, acting on the world. Anybody is capable of using psi, but normally your brain prevents it, because using it can overtax your brain. However, under certain circumstances, one can lift that limiter and let all of your brain cells fire simultaneously. Nine o'clock, one robot, fifty meters.

If you can do that, you can use psi. Psi powers break down into three types. There's Burst powers, which have affect your physical surroundings. Things like telekinesis, pyrokinesis, and the like are Burst powers. There are also Trance powers, which affect people's minds and move information. And, finally, there are Rise powers, which improve one's own body, senses, and healing.

[With a bit of a jerk, Mami reacts to the enemy information, firing off the single shot needed to destroy the robot. She admittedly got caught up in listening to all that.]

I see. Well, that's quite a bit more complex than I was expecting, truth be told.

That's all technical details, of course. Any psi user can use all three types, but one generally specializes and sticks with a limited number of forms, just for simplicity's sake. I personally specialize in Trance and Rise.

What about you, Miss 'Magical Girl'? Did you by chance get magic powers from a cute mascot character in order to fight a magical threat?

That's a pretty good summary of what happened!

[minus a boatload of SUFFERING]

....I'm not sure if Kyuubey would count as "cute", though, once you've been around him long enough. Maybe you know the type- persistent, likes to make girls rush into making a decision....[her smile turns a little bitter]...rarely blinks.

I sort of do, actually.

[But that's as much as she can say on that subject. She's getting that warning tingle at the base of her skull that indicates that she's straying a little too close to subjects that talking about can get her vaporized.]

Hold on, then, are you saying that you are literally a magical girl? Like, from the cartoons?

Well, I'm definitely not the same as what's shown on TV....but you've got the gist of it.

[She notices the lack of forthcoming details on the other girl's end, but doesn't really pry; after all, everyone has their secrets.]

It's not really as fun as it sounds, but then....I doubt your abilities, and what you do with them, are some sort of game to you.

No, they aren't. I take them very seriously.

[An honest to god Magical Girl. That was one of the last things she would have expected.]

Even if you have the ability to use psi, if you want to do more than bend a spoon, you have to practice and train it. Refine it into something useful. It took me time and effort to reach this level.

It did? Ah, that's good to hear.

[She seems genuinely pleased by this. Only idiots screw around with these kinds of powers, given everything at stake; your life, the lives of others....]

It's the same with us, essentially. You don't become a veteran by slacking off.

[What you become, instead, is a corpse.]

[A story Amamiya is only too familiar with. She's seen far too many people end that same way.]

Of course you don't. By definition.

[Amamiya shuts down her search program. The wires, cameras and screens vanish.]

This area seems to be clear. We should move on.

Some define themselves as one simply by virtue of surviving by cowardly means, so I felt pressed to clarify.

[a nod, glancing around]

Whatever you'd like.

[Amamiya shook her head.]

Perhaps it's different where you're from, but in my experience those who try to survive by running or hiding always end up dead in the end.

[She cast about, considering where they should go next.]

Just another difference between our worlds, I suppose.

[Although, really, she's being a bit of a liar without knowing it; not even in her world could girls survive by running away all the time.

In the lull, Mami takes the initiative and sets off in a random direction. It seems as likely as any.]

[Well, that's as good a direction as any. Amamiya follows.]

So, if you're a Magical Girl, what sorts of things do you fight?

[a quiet hum of thought; she might as well.]

To answer that properly, I need to ask you something first. Do you know what it means to despair- do you understand that feeling?

[Despair? Does she know despair? How about being trapped in an endless cycle of time travel, being sent back and forth between the present and a post-apocalyptic future? But not sent alone, oh no. Sent with a different group of chumps every time, fool who never listened to her when she warned them of this new world's dangers, who were only interested in their own fame and fortune. Who always died, no matter how she tried to save them. And how about having to repeat this so many times that you just gave up on saving them, didn't try to stop them anymore because you knew that they would die no matter what you tried?]

Yes.

[Yes, she knows a thing or two about despair.]

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