Mahou Madness!

[Mahou-Shoujo]

Her senses were acting odd, the sensation of the chimera randomly vanishing and reappearing, and it seemed almost like another magical girl was near... It was kind of like a chimera in battle that had been mostly beaten, it's energy barely stable... But there were no sighs of a fight.
When she moved to face her opponent she encountered... A girl? She was odd looking but looked human at least, yet there was a chimeric energy wafting off of her... Was this a chimera in the shape of a human?

The girl in question only stared for a moment before suddenly attacking! Dashing forwards incredibly fast she aimed a punch right at Namiko's gut, shadows seeming to form around the strike as her hand moved closer to it's intended target.

 

[twinkletide]

Of the things Namiko didn't like one of the primary ones was surprises. And here was a big one, right here; a girl who emitted an energy much like that of a chimera. For a moment her brain stopped, unsure of how to respond, what synapses to fire. Shoot? Speak?

And she didn't have time to think of it any further than that because the girl shot forward with a punch. Shocked and slow, Namiko could only jump away at the last second—yet the punch grazed her and sent her barreling over to the park, she rolled on the grass before, gasping and groaning, she landed on her feet. At least she knew exactly how to react. She sent a burst of rounds over to her direction and began jumping around the trees. Suddenly the lack of cover wasn't such a good thing—there were little to no places to trip her up here, no shields to fall behind. Just mono y mono, which wasn't her strong suit. She hopped and swung on the trees like a monkey.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

The girl seemed to vanish from sight every time she entered a shadow, she was feeling more powerfully chimeric now as if what she put out before was either a trap or just a sign of power being used.
Either way she soon got within a distance where it would be easy to hit her and then charged, her ragged cloak forming a sort of shield, at least now Namiko could get a good look at the girl...

Though not for long as she took another swipe, those shadows hurt... So avoiding them was likely a good idea, especially since this girl wasn't holding back in the slightest!
After the first swipe she waved her hand, a wave of darkness crashing towards Namiko.

 

[twinkletide]

Nearly all her shots missed as the girl phased through shadows and ran around. It was a while before she got close to Namiko, though; but when she did, she came into full view, a small pale girl with a ragged cloak.

And here Namiko had to pause a moment. Because there, for a moment—call it a trick of the light or lack thereof, but for a moment she saw herself, a vagabond wandering the streets with her stomach empty and her mouth full. And it was such a vivid image that for a moment she lost track of the claws sweeping towards her.

Rrrrip! Namiko winced as the claws grazed her dress, only slightly touching her arm—unbeknownst to her, because it hurt. She stumbled back and jumped just soon enough to dodge an assault of dark energy that came crashing blackly down on the grass. She retreated back to her roost on the trees.

Shit. She could call for backup, but that would take too long and might kill her. So she was on her own now. But c'mon, you've dealt with worse than this...who was it that killed that 12-foot gorilla by herself without taking a single hit? And besides, if you're thinking about the past...why not draw from it?

She jumped away. As she drew a graceful parabola through the air she closed her eyes and thought.

Though she didn't read very much, she did recall, throughout the years, the belief of a certain character in a certain novel who, after being hit with a pink beam of light from God, began to believe that "the nature of the universe is information." She hadn't been hit with a pink beam of light, but she'd had a religious experience of her own, twice, though it took the second time to internalize it, to make it hers. And she knew. The world was, indeed, only data. If only you saw it as such.

She thought.

She thought.

Some might say she stopped thinking.

But she thought.

And moved.

... .... --- --- - / ... .... --- --- - / .--- ..- -- .--. / ... .... --- --- - / .--- ..- -- .--. / .--- ..- -- .--. / ... .... --- --- - / .-. . .-.. --- .- -.. / .--- ..- -- .--. / .--- ..- -- .--. / ... .... --- --- - / ... .... --- --- - / ... .... --- --- - / .--- ..- -- .--. / .--- ..- -- .--. / ... .... --- --- - / .-. . .-.. --- .- -.. / ... .... --- --- - / .--- ..- -- .--.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

The sudden highly calculated offensive was a bit more than the enemy had been expecting and she fell back for a moment to reassess the situation after a few shots hit their mark, tearing through the cloak to hit the flesh beneath and draw a small amount of greasy black blood that quickly evaporated, well that confirmed that this girl was chimeric in nature!
Though it seemed even that wasn't the end as she soon reappeared, tendrils of shadow leaping from seemingly nowhere to lock Namiko in place, it was barely enough and would only hold for a moment... But that would be enough for the girl to land a devastating blow...

Or it would be if Lucas didn't run in front, throwing a punch that stopped the girl in her tracks, but threw Lucas back several meters towards Namiko.
"Oww... Doesn't that usually go better?..."
He asked, climbing back to his feet and dusting off.

 

[twinkletide]

In her supreme focus Namiko was quick and efficient, but unfortunately bodies are bodies, with limits and speeds. The strongest computer can't make 1+1=3. So when the tendrils came surging after her there was no avoiding them. They wrapped around her legs and arms, locking her in place and breaking her focus. And she could only watch as the girl wound up another attack—

"AAH!" Out of nowhere a fist slammed into the girl's side, causing the tendrils to dissipate and the girl to stagger. Namiko dropped onto the ground and lifted her head in surprise to find Lucas rolling towards her. As he picked himself off the grass, he said "Oww... Doesn't that usually go better?"

"Yes, it's supposed to." Namiko's voice had a sighingly thankful quality to it, simultaneously relieved and exhaused. She smiled at Lucas. "Thanks for coming. It's an...inopportune time, isn't it?" She pulled out Roanoke, the AR not working so well for her anymore.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

The chimera suddenly seemed to fall back a little, looking almost... Worried? It seemed as if it was going to say something before suddenly doing something almost no chimera had ever done before... She threw another wave of energy... And ran, apparently not confident fighting two magical girls it instead headed to an alley, where it would likely vanish into the shadows.

"I... That was easy... Wait! Shouldn't we go after? That's a chimera... Right?"
Lucas asked, looking to Namiko as if asking what they should do next.

 

[twinkletide]

This chimera...could she even call it that? Its behavior was unlike any chimera she'd ever seen. For all she knew it was just a chimera-like magical girl. She'd need to tell HQ about this immediately.

But for now...this was without precedent. So she too was at a loss.

She dropped her hands weakly down to her sides, the lip of her rifle nipping the grass, and sighed deeply, a gesture containing a novella's worth of emotions. "Let's...leave it," she said despondently, almost with defeat. "We need to report this to Orphan. And I don't know. I haven't seen this before, and...something tells me not many people have."

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

"Wait... This isn't normal? Did I just punch something weird?!"
Lucas asked in a slightly panicked tone, looking at his fists before letting out a sigh of relief at seeing they were both there and not melting or anything like that.
"Well... It certainly was tough... I think I took more damage in that punch..."

Lucas hadn't dropped his transformation yet, which was odd... Normally he did that the moment a fight ended, and it was logical anyway, since even just staying transformed without doing anything used and wasted energy.
"So uhh... Should I come with you to the HQ or something?..."

 

[twinkletide]

Namiko scratched her head. "Well...yes, I suppose so, if you don't have to be somewhere. Your testimony would be helpful." She dropped her transformation and stared at Lucas. "Don't worry, the threat is gone. You can go back now," she said, misinterpreting his still being transformed as being a sign of anxiety. She'd acted much the same way initially, before she learned how things worked; generally if you were paying attention it wasn't easy for chimeras to get a drop on you.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

"Umm... I don't think I need to go anywhere... I uhh, kinda lied to my parents and said I would be at a friend's place so they would let me come and help you so... I should probably stay out for a while anyway..."
He admitted, smiling faintly, a slight blush coloring his face as he told her about his lie, he had never lied to his parents before and only did it because the odd feeling he got made him worry about Namiko...

"Umm... Actually... I would rather not... I uhh..."
He didn't seem to have a reason but the slight blush became much more pronounced that before... He was hiding something with the transformation, but if he kept pushing it he could be out of power at a crucial moment...

 

[twinkletide]

Namiko blinked. What? If he wasn't scared...then...

Well anyways he blushed profusely. His face looked like an oversized tomato. From that distance he looked much like a puppy dog, dimunitive and sad and...cute. Adorable even, in that skirt of his. Skirt? His?

Namiko sighed. "Just...for a little bit. But once we get on the train you have to change back. Besides, if a chimera attacks you like that you might not have enough energy to fight back." She turned and began walking back, picking her bag up off the street as she did. "Let's go."

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

Lucas seemed relieved for a moment, though still worried that he would soon have to drop the transformation... And the fact that they could be attacked again was just a wonderful thought!
At least no one attacked them as they headed back to the train station, it wasn't that late but the platform was empty, which as good since Lucas was pretty eye grabbing in his magical form.

"Hey... Do you think I could like... Come over?..."
Lucas asked nervously.
"I mean... It's okay if not, but my parents think I am at a friend's place anyway so..."

 

[twinkletide]

Lucas's request made her stop as she gathered their tickets off the counter. And not only because she was flattered, though she was - it was because of the nature of her living conditions. She was more than satisfied with them, but...Lucas? What would he think?

No, she thought, no. He's not that type of person. At least I have games over there. And food. "Okay," she said. "But you can't stay overnight or anything, because there's only one bed."

Before they boarded the train, Namiko reminded Lucas to drop his transformation. "Can't go on like that."

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

Lucas grinned at her acceptance, this would be the first time he visited a friend's house since he got old enough that he wasn't allowed to have sleepovers at girl's houses anymore... He tried a few with boys but they got kinda gross...
"Thanks! I'm sure it will be fun! And that's okay, I can get a taxi home or something when it's time to go..."
He assured.

When asked to drop the transformation Lucas hesitated again...But she was right, he couldn't go on a train dressed like that, not only would it draw a LOT of attention... But he was starting to feel the drain, and if he ran out of power and reversed the transformation in front of people... That would likely give away magic right then and there.
"Okay... But don't laugh okay?!"
He demanded, unusually assertive as he dropped his transformation...

He was wearing a dress... It was anyone's guess as to where he got it or why he put it on... But it was there and he as wearing it... And looking close he seemed to have brushed his hair and sprayed it into a neater look.

 

[twinkletide]

"Laugh?" Namiko laughed. "Why would I lau-"

Namiko stopped. There in her sight was a girl bathed in a sunflower glow and a grassy dress, hair brushed like strands of grass in the long soft roll of a knoll. In one look the drab grey of the station was imbued with a fearsome youthful natural energy, like Mother Nature herself.

But it wasn't Mother Nature; it was Lucas, standing, looking shyly at her. And suddenly his predicament dawned on her. And there was more data to file and organize, more facts to account for.

Namiko's gaze softened like that of mother. "Why would I laugh?" She continued. "You can do whatever you want." She planted her foot across the threshold to the train.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

"I... I umm... This isn't normal for me! I just... I wanted to see what it was like... And the club sent a dress home with me to fix... And then I sensed the fight and ran out to help without changing..."
He was babbling as he desperately tried to excuse his current attire, as if still expecting some negative reaction... The dress did suit him however... And Lucas honestly didn't seem too uncomfortable, nervous and scared yes, but quite comfortable.

He followed her onto the train silently, and stayed quiet for most of the trip, since there were people that got on the train, and he didn't trust himself not give himself away...
It was only near the end of the trip when they were the last ones left in that carriage that he spoke.
"Thanks for not laughing..."

 

[twinkletide]

Namiko listened to Lucas make excuses, but didn't quite hear him. She was filing facts. Not in a negative way, just neutral; facts, facts, facts. Checking sums, switching images, updating terms. A reorganization, if you will.

Slowly the window came back into her view through her own foggy world, and she saw the sun peeking playfully behind buildings like a coy game of hide-and-seek.

As she re-entered the world she heard Lucas speak in a near whisper. "Thanks for not laughing."

She averted her eyes from the window for the first time since they'd entered and saw, once again, that girl that was Lucas. Her heart was filled with a strange feeling of comfort. Not as much as she felt before, but a little hint of something that was long lost, just peering into the room to check on her. She said nothing but placed her hand, once again, on his head, feeling its pillowy strands tickle her hand. Almost she let her eyes drift downwards.

She didn't get a chance. Two minutes later they pulled into the station, and Namiko stepped off. It was lukewarm, the sun near changing its shift, contemplating its bed. There was no one at the station.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

The hand on his head was quite comforting for Lucas, who found himself smiling faintly, despite being caught in a dress, and now wearing it in front of strangers... He was oddly happy, though of course put most of it down to being with a friend and going to visit her house.

Lucas followed Namiko off the train, looking around they area that were in, he was ashamed to admit he had never been here, well, he had never been to most places, there was his home, the school and the slums... And now this place, he really needed to get out a bit more!
He gave his usual curious look at everything they passed eager to take in the sights as if it was all some grand adventure.
"So what's your house like?"
Lucas asked, it seemed like either their voice had changed again or they were intentionally trying to sound girly now.

 

[twinkletide]

"Well, it's not a house," she said without averting her eyes from the street. "It's an apartment. And it's..." She wracked her brain for a euphemism, settling finally on "homely."

At first the houses were relatively affluent middle-class affairs, with two stories and gardens, western-style affairs with the few Japanese-stylr buildings standing out like a sore thumb. But as they went along things changed. The Eastern architecture disappeared completely. Then the second story; then the porticoes; then the yards shrunk and shriveled, grew out their hair; then the houses disappeared completely, and in their place were imposing gangs of brutalist architectural achievements with bare signs and old concrete. They passed a tattoo parlor, a foreclosed guitar shop, three thrift stores. And then they stopped, finally, in front of a five-story bloat of a place, labeled, simply - on top of an offensively colored midget of a canopy - APARTMENTS.

"We're here, Namiko declared, looking nonplussed.