Match of the Millennium

Description: Noel catches Ahmya at a very unfortunate time. ... Very unfortunate for Noel, anyway.

[NOEL]
SOUTHTOWN NOL BRANCH, 4:28PM --

"uuuuuuuUUUUUUUUUUUGH," groans Noel Vermillion, leaning forward and splaying her torso across her desk, smushing a degree of in-progress paperwork under her. "This is booooooooooriiiiiiiiiiiiing." Around her, the 'office' is not exactly busy or anything, being the evening shift on a weekend, but there's definitely more than a few file clerks and other desk types that look over in the lieutenant's direction in confusion.

There is silence, until Noel suddenly hauls her body backwards, leaning entire over the back of her own chair, hands to her head, eyes shut tight in annoyance.

"This is all stupid Jin's fault," she grumbles, clearly annoyed, but quietly, because she's upset, not suicidal. "'They can use your skills in Southtown, why don't you go help them?'" she mockingly mimics in the worst Jin Kisaragi impression ever. "ANYONE can use a photocopier, you jer--"

Opening her eyes, she sees the local Captain, a severe middle-aged school librarian-looking figure named Ishihara, upside-down, and panics. "UH. HELLO, CAPTAIN," she says, a little too loud, sitting bolt upright so fast she smacks her knee painfully into the underside of the desk, wincing a little as she turns around to face her (technical) superior. "Just doing a little light stretching."

"If you're bored with desk work, Lt. Vermillion," the older woman says, with a wolfish expression, "there's a quick field assignment I could give you."

SOUTHTOWN BUSINESS DISTRICT, NOW:

An hour into looking for what was only vaguely described as 'reports of problematic supernatural activity', so FAR what Noel has found was a Starbucks, which explains the caramel mocha frappucino and croissaint she's currently munching on while sitting on a park bench. "uuuuuuuUUUUUUUUUGH THIS SUCKS."

[AHMYA]
The problematic supernatural activity is a mistake. Well, it's spicifically Ahmya Shiki's mistake. She never should have taken the swords from their case. She should have left them at home in her room. Far away from where she is now. Well, not -that- far, but far enough that the whispers wouldn't be in her mind.

Thusly, the high school student is cutting through the park, carrying her bag and dressed casually in a blue sundress and sandals. There's something in there, Something malevolent and wicked. And powerful. It's making demands on Ahmya as she passes, crossing from the lamp near the bench into the darkness beyond, walking the path between lights.

In the darkness, she stops dead in her tracks, swaying a little. She holds the bag in front of her and looks inside. Not that she can see anything in there in the dark, right?

[NOEL]
It's getting dark. Her coffee is done, her snack is done. There is absolutely no magical murder going down here in the middle of the business district. Which, granted, is walking distance from the NOL's front door, so REALISTICALLY SPEAKING if it were going down HERE, it'd make the NOL look really bad. Getting up, dunking her garbage in a trash can, and dusting her hands off, Noel Vermillion looks prepared to pack it up and call it a d--

Suddenly, her guns are rattling in their... uh, whatever extradimensional hammerspace situation it is that the NOL uses in the field. Which means they are now IN NOEL'S HANDS which would not be a problem were she not STANDING IN PUBLIC. There are more than a few gasps and pointing souls, prompting a flustered Noel to rather too loudly shout "IT'S FINE I'M WITH THE LIBRARIUM, NOTHING TO SEE HERE" before leaning in and hissing, sotto voce, "what is your *deal* there are *people here* you are *embarassing me*" Ma'am you're talking to your guns.

PROBLEM: the Bolverk, as a paired Nox Nyctores, are sensitive to the supernatural aura of other enchanted items, Such as, for example, a pair of inadvisably carried demon blades. Which is why the guns quite literally start trying to PULL Noel in the vague direction of Ahmya. "OKAY WHAT THE HELL," she says, managing to walk briskly in that direction so as not to be literally yanked after them. "IS GOING ON?"

[AHMYA]
Noel is being led around by magic guns. This means that Ahmya, standing in the shadows and talking wanly into her bag is the least weird thing going on here.

"I should have ... I should have left you at home," she says, clutching the edge of the open bag in a white knuckled grip. So hard her hands shake. "I don't want...I can't.."

One hand unleashes from the bag, moving like a serpent, and reaches inside. Metal clinks together as she grabs whatever's in there. The bag seems to fall to the ground in slow motion, some of the contents (lip gloss, some candy) scattering to the pavement. Her hand lifts and shuffles one of the blades into her now free hand.

The weapons settle into her grip comfortably, the odd vertical rings above the hilts making her grip odd. Her body goes languid, head lolling back as she looks to the sky.

-Something- is happening.

[NOEL]
"Look!" Noel hisses, again, to the Bolverk, as she continues to walk briskly in the direction they are tugging -- partly to avoid a 'dog on a leash' situation but also partly to avoid undue attention from any, let's say, local Southtown PD people who might have something to say about her having two big magical handguns out in a public place, NOL uniform or no. "I do not know what this is about but--"

She pauses as the pull suddenly stops, as abruptly as it came. Looking around, she sees... well, basically nothing, except for a figure in partial shadow, back turned, rummaging around in a... shopping bag? "Great!" Noel mutters. "You found a shopper. Good job, you guys!" Who are 'you guys' in this situation, exactly?

Still, Noel is a ditz but she's not a total idiot, and if the stupid things led her over here, there was probably a reason why. So, the NOL lieutenant clears her throat and says, in a designed-to-be-overhead voice, "Excuse me, miss, but have you seen anything suspic... ious...?"

Then 'The Ring' but with swords happens and it is impossible for the blonde not to literally "KYAAAAAAAAAA WHAT? I MEAN, WHAT?"

AND she's holding a pair of guns, still. Certainly, this will go swimmingly for everyone.

[AHMYA]
Ahmya is still for a long moment, fighting an internal war that she, at this moment, cannot win. The first two fingers of either hand end up in the rings nelow the blade, the two weapons swinging lightly in her fingers as she blankly stares at the sky. Noel is, for a moment, ignored.

Until she isn't.

The young woman turns, taking a half-step into the light. One of her eyes is a deep sapphire blue. The other is the red of fresh blood. Her head tilts, her short hair spilling across her shoulders.

"Yuga...demands blood."

She takes another step towards Noel, somehow frail and fluid at the same time, the blades winging like pendulums from her fingers.

[NOEL]
Well. Okay. Well.

Reflecting on this later, Noel will observe that there WAS an upside to this situation: she did in fact find evidence of supernatural something or other. Was what the captain had in mind this *specific* thing? Who knows? So in the final reckoning it wasn't a total loss, PER SE.

That is not what she is thinking right now. What she is thinking right now is, essentially: 'aaaaaAAAAAAAAAAA'

It's not that Noel doesn't know how to fight. She's an officer-ranked person in the NOL, and you don't get there by simply being particularly bright but unskilled. The real problem is that she kinda doesn't LIKE fighting, and she definitely doesn't like fighting what seems like a perfectly reasonable individual who is holding what are some obviously tainted weapons. Bringing up her guns to a... well, it's a fighting stance, of a sort... Noel looks at Ahmya and swallows. "I'm Lieutenant Noel Vermillion of the Novus Orbis Librarium," she says, a little too quickly, clearly reading off some internal script. "Pursuant to our agreement with local law enforcement, I need you to d-d-disarm your weapons and accompany me to NOL HQ for q-q-questioning!"

Nailed it.

[AHMYA]
Ahmya's movements are languid and serpentine. She takes another step closer, heedless of the Bolverk leveled at her. Her expression is dreamy and vacant, like there's nobody home. Like whatever is piloting the body is not Ahmya Shiki any longer. It speaks with her voice, though, her tone as dreamy and absent as her expression.

"Questioning? What's to question? I...I don't understand."

The swords, though. They do understand. Almost in the same way the Bolverk pulled Noel along, her weapons start to pull her towards Noel, the blades glittering wickedly in the light.

[NOEL]
Okay, well in her entire time as what amounts to a UN-backed magic cop, Noel Vermillion has never had someone respond to 'we need to ask you a few questions' with the response 'like what?', and it shows on her face. She's not an interrogator! The people who work in that office frankly terrify her and she is glad to have nothing to do with it! This entire situation is making her nervous, actually! Which is probably why she has a totally honest reply. "Uhhhhh I'm not really sure? I bet it's gonna be stuff like 'did you murder all those people and drink their blood' or stuff like that?" Great work, Inspector Vermillion.

One thing Noel DOES know, however, is that the creepy, horror movie, haunted porcelain doll way that Ahmya is moving right now is UNSETTLING and she truly does not want her to get any closer.

So like an idiot, Noel escalates!

One of the pair of Bolverk comes up, pointing (a little unsteadily, if we're being real) at Ms. Shiki, and Noel reinforces her previous statement just in case it got lost in the shuffle: "I MEANT IT ABOUT PUTTING THE SWORDS DOWN THOUGH?! THAT PART WAS SERIOUS."

[AHMYA]
The guns may be unsteady, but they're pointed at her. Ahmya's head tilts again. Like what she's seeing is a dream. For the young woman, it may just be a dream. The reality of the situation is that this has now escalated. What could have been a creepy encounter for the Lieutenant is now going to be violence.

The swords spin once, and the hilts slap into her palms. Her bloody red eye seems to glow for a second, her swords illuminating in violet fire. She speaks again, the voice coming through less dreamlike and more, well, like a frightened young adult.

"I...I cant."

She lunges then, moving like a snake, one arm flickering out to take a swipe at Noel. Her eyes are empty of anger and aggression. Just dreamlike distraction.

COMBATSYS: Ahmya has started a fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Ahmya            0/-------/-------|

COMBATSYS: Noel has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Noel             0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0            Ahmya

COMBATSYS: Ahmya successfully hits Noel with Quick Strike.

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Noel             0/-------/----===|-------\-------\0            Ahmya

[NOEL]
Not really expecting this (though really, she should have), Noel makes a hasty and vaguely panicked attempt to defend against this sudden incursion into her sovereign airspace. PROBLEM: 'hasty' is not usually good enough, and in this case, it shows. She brings one of her guns up to attempt to interpose it in front of Ahmya's attack, and that does successfully happen. ADDITIONAL PROBLEM: Ahmya is stronger than she looks, so the result is that she FORCES NOEL'S GUN INTO NOEL'S OWN FACE with the punch.

That sends the blonde stumbling backwards a few steps, arms flailing a little bit before she rights herself, Bolverk's twin guns coming up as she faces off with the threat of the demon swordswoman once more.

HOWEVER, as previously stated, Noel isn't exactly useless or incompetent, just a little... well, you know. Anxiety-prone. But now that her life is very clearly on the line, she gets a little more serious. "One, I believe you'll find you can if you try hard enough, and TWO--" She suddenly lunges forward with the surprisingly long barrels of both guns, looking to effectively stab them into Ahmya like forward jabs, the second one punctuated by a golden blast of energy at the end. "--RESPECT MY PERSONAL SPACE PLEASE!"

COMBATSYS: Ahmya blocks Noel's Type II - Bloom Trigger.

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Noel             0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0            Ahmya

[AHMYA]
The first blow is often the sweetest. Well, sometimes. This time it's okay. The sword clangs into Bolverk which clangs into Noel's face. Close enough. Ahmya takes a little step back, readying herself for the counterattack. It will come. Even if she's fighting on instinct and demon chi, her body knows.

The barrels come forwards, and the girl is fast enough to cross her swords and put them between the guns and her body. The golden energy flashes out, clashing with the violet chi wreathing her swords, and she skids backwards. One of her sandals catches on the sidewalk, making it come off of her foot, and she just kicks the other off.

She moves again, lunging like a snake, her swords glittering like fangs. She rushes in close, throwing her arms wide as she slides laterally. She moves to wrap her arms around Noel's own arms, so she can twist and hip toss the Lieutenant to the cement.

COMBATSYS: Noel dodges Ahmya's Quick Throw.

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Noel             0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0            Ahmya

[NOEL]
Get grabbed by scary demon aura lady? NOPE nope nope NOPE DOT GIF. Noel's resulting defense isn't exactly what we'd call elegant swordsmanship -- she sort of clambors backwards like she's the final girl in a horror movie which TO BE HONEST is kinda how things feel right now -- but at the very least, it takes her away from those gripping arms. The NOL LT breathes a very literal sigh of relief as she gets back into stance, having apparently put enough distance between herself and her opponent that there's a second or two of safety.

Right now Noel is very much feeling the 'don't get near her' vibe... but more importantly, some sixth sense is finally stacking up all the little clues that Ahmya has given so far that the GIRL might not be the problem, and in fact the SWORDS might be the problem. It would certainly make that 'I can't' comment a moment or two ago make a bit more sense.

To that end she brings up one of her guns, sighting at the demon-possessed swordswoman along the barrel. "Ma'am! If you're under the control of some supernatural or malicious entity can you give me a sign, please?" And then she pulls the trigger, a blast of that gold chi appearing seemingly out of nowhere (though clearly in the arc of Bolverk's barrel), looking to blast one of those swords out of her grip, as an experiment.

"Like blink three times or something!" Jesus christ, Noel.

COMBATSYS: Ahmya blocks Noel's Type XI - Optic Barrel.

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////    ]
Noel             0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0            Ahmya

[AHMYA]
Ahmya misses the command grab. These things happen. It leaves her open to Noel's followup. Of course it's another shot from her guns. That's why she has them. She crosses her swords again, taking the impact of the chi. Magic? Whatever it is, it isn't actual bullets. Which is probably for the best.

Of course, she doesn't stop. Bare feet slap on the pavement as Ahmya charges Noel. Again. Her blades burn brighter as she swings low, like ankle low before she jumps straight upwards, dragging the wicked weapons with her.

This girl does a standing backflip and lands on her feet like it was nothing. When she lands, her face contorts, the dreaminess fleeting for a moment, her voice, well, that of a scared young woman.

"J-just run away! I don't want to fight you!"

COMBATSYS: Noel fails to interrupt Cloudburst from Ahmya with Type VI - Spring Raid.
- Power fail! -

[             \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Noel             0/-------/-======|=====--\-------\0            Ahmya

[NOEL]
It SHOULD have been a really cool, wire fu-looking clash of the rising backflip strikes, where perhaps there's a clash and a little lightning bolt and then both fighters separate and land on their feet, making quips about being evenly matched. Certainly, Noel's inner cinematographer paints things thusly when she decides to try and interrupt the oncoming attack with a similar technique of her own.

WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS is that Noel moves too slowly, and is only just beginning to lift off the ground when Ahmya's attack sails in at great speed, the demonic slicing flip sending the NOL lieutenant not only hurtling backwards, but literally into a nearby brick wall, which makes this PARTICULARLY painful.

When Noel staggers back to her feet, looking... well, she's a little unsteady, as you might imagine, she focuses on Ahmya as best she can. 'I don't want to fight you', huh? "Yeah well I'm not that keen on fighting you either right now!" throws back the person who just got Smash Bros.-ed into a nearby wall.

[AHMYA]
Noel goes flying. Ahmya has no satisfaction in it. In fact, before she's subsumed again by ... whatever's going on, she looks pained. Regretful.

But the dreamy mask comes back.

She charges the Lieutenant again, her dress fluttering, showing off something strange. Wrapped around her leg is a snake tattoo that wasn't there before. As the violence continues, it seems to fill in darker. Odd.

Pressing her advantage, she comes in close again, spinning her right hand blade into a reverse grip. She jumps, but this time she just spins, lashing out with the blades in a whirl of purple demon chi as she rises.

COMBATSYS: Noel blocks Ahmya's Elysium Halo.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Noel             1/-------/=======|======-\-------\0            Ahmya

[NOEL]
Blocking swords with a pair of sturdy metal magical guns SOUNDS like it should be effortless, and it really, really isn't. Noel DOES manage to interpose Bolverk into the path of the flaming blades, the impacts ringing out with a loud *CLANG CLANG CLANG* as Ahmya finishes her spin, but each impact sends jolts of pain and fatigue through Noel's arms, not to mention being licked by those tongues of purplish energy. Suffice it to say, it is not the brilliant fencing parry one would hope for.

A lot of alarm bells are ringing in Noel's mind right now, not the least one of which being 'you have no backup' and 'okay that tattoo wasn't there before, right?'. It is VERY obvious that Something Is Wrong in this situation, and right now the lieutenant is weighing her options very carefully. All things considered, she has yet to land a clean hit on this dervish of a woman, but the ones that Ahmya's landed hurt like hell.

She doesn't turn and run; not just yet. But she DOES start backing up slowly, away from the shadowy and recessed area where this has been going down, and toward the relative safety of being in public. Yeah, the captain's going to be annoyed that she didn't bring the suspect in, but at least she got some intel... and dying would mean the info dies with her. The question here is: will Ahmya let her go, at this point?

As she backs up, guns still readied but at least not pointed at the demon-possessed young woman, Noel carefully adds, "Alright. I'm backing off now. See? Alright?"

COMBATSYS: Noel gains composure.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Noel             0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0            Ahmya

[AHMYA]
Noel moves, and Ahmya watches. The dreamy, lost look is contrasting with how focused her eyes are upon the other woman. It's a weird, almost paradoxical, dichotomy. Still, the guns don't fire, and Noel is extracting from the situation. It seems like things are dying down. Her face contorts again, focusing. Looking awake.

"T-thank you. I'm so, so sorry."

Once more, back it goes to the empty expression. Ahmya takes a step forward and--

She vanishes in a ripple of purple and a strange sound, leaving her discarded sandals and bag of snacks and lip gloss on the ground for the taking. A reward? A loot drop for a dedicated officer of the NOL?

[NOEL]
Okay. She literally VANISHED, with what can only be described as 'an unsettling noise' and leaving sandals and lip gloss, question mark?, on the ground. There's a tense moment as Noel stays there, in stance, guns at the ready, controlling her breathing. Jokes aside, that was a very tense situation... and just because the girl disappeared does NOT mean that she's not about to drop out of the sky with a bloodcurdling shout and attempt to drive her swords through Noel's skull.

However, after 45 seconds of hypervigilance, even Noel must admit that Ahmya is probably really, really gone. Letting out one final, loud breath, she lets Bolverk disappear back into NOL Hammerspace(tm) and looks around. Really... sandals, and lip gloss? Is the lip gloss haunted? Who knows! Reaching into her uniform jacket, the blonde produces a small evidence bag and some gloves and retrieves the lip gloss, anyway. The sandals are staying.

Looking around the area one last time, Lt. Vermillion has a lot on her mind. Something about that 'thank you' at the end STRONGLY implies that her guess -- this is possession, or mind control, or maybe an alter -- was if not on the money, then at least in the same zip code. She takes out her work-supplied cell phone and, as she walks back into the light of the public parts of the city, puts in a call. "Captain, it's Vermillion," she says, walking slowly. "I found some evidence of something that might bear more investigation..."

Log created on 22:34:28 08/05/2023 by Ahmya, and last modified on 08:27:50 08/07/2023.