2234/Purification Anticipation

Purification Anticipation
Date of Scene:	15 January 2025
Location:	Penguin Park
Synopsis:	Zephyr contacts Wako to help purify the Red Jasper core stone from the Rook statue.
Cast of Characters:	Zephyr Windstar, Wako Agemaki

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Zephyr Windstar has posed:
    TEXT to SHIPTHROWER-CHAN: Hey, it's Zephyr, from the ship a few weeks ago? Rashmi gave me your number. Did she tell you the details? I've set up a Barrier in Penguin Park if you're available.

    That was sent by the Enforcer and now, in a relatively contained Barrier Dome, she's pacing. Tenraikaze rests over her shoulder, gemstone pulsing regularly. < Chief. You will wear a groove in the floor at this rate. Containment remains in place. We have time. > she pings softly, the motherly voice trying to calm the anxious teen.

    "I know, I just... I don't want you to get corrupted like Aloe-san's Devices did."

Wako Agemaki has posed:
TEXT to ZEPHYR-CHAN: Yeah she told me! I'm on my way now~

It's unfortunate that Ginga Otome doesn't have the flight speed that her fellow Star Drivers do, but nevertheless she makes good time from the station to Penguin Park. She arrives from the air, floating down to the Barrier Dome in one of her transparent spheres of pale pink light, with an action-figure sized white and gold robot hovering over her shoulder in its own miniature sphere.

"Sorry if I kept you waiting," she calls, lifting a hand in a wave. "It's good to see you without anything trying to kill us! I'm Wako Agemaki, grade 11 at RHA."

Zephyr Windstar has posed:
    < PING > < Incoming magic signature. Ginga Otome confirmed. Sending confirmation signal. >

    Zephyr looks up toward Wako as she arrives, shrugging the Device off her shoulder and spiking the end-cap into the ground. "Zephyr Windstar, Time-Space Administrataion Bureau Enforcer, Grade 3... I work at Jan Ken Pop over in the Akibahara Mall." she replies a little awkwardly.

    "Nice to see you again, yeah... times like this mean we're not often able to meet outside of beating up badguys." a shake of her head, and then she gestures to her Device. "Anyway, I sealed up core Gem, put it in a Containment Bubble too because of the corruption... do you need to prepare before using your purification? Do I need to do anything special to help you?"

Wako Agemaki has posed:
Wako considers for a moment, tipping her head to the side, and then smiles. "Not really? Not unless you have any problems with purification yourself, that you need to guard against." It's said casually, without wariness or any implied judgment, just a statement of fact.

She pauses there, then adds, "Although I don't actually know how your containment methods might block purification, or if they would? Even rooming with Rashmi-chan, I still don't understand a lot about how Devices work." She makes an apologetic face. "If you want to pull the gem out, I can hamster-ball it pretty fast and handle it like I did the other one. Except less dramatically, I suppose. If your containment won't interfere, though, I'm good to go - just show me what to purify."

Zephyr Windstar has posed:
    "I actually co-opted your little 'bubble' thing for an ad-hoc protection against corruption spread. It's basically a miniature Barrier Bubble." remarks Zephyr. "Dee. Bring Out. Red Jasper #21319."

    < PING > < BRING OUT. #21319. >

    The gem at the head of the axe-like Device pulses, and out comes a small gemstone inside a purple 'bubble' that looks and might even 'feel' like a miniature version of the Barrier Dome around the pair of mahou. "When you Bubble it, I'll drop the containment field. Tell me when you're ready."

Wako Agemaki has posed:
Wako nods, brows lifting just a little in an interested expression at Zephyr's explanation of what she did. That attention quickly shifts to the mini-barrier, though under the circumstances she doesn't take as much time to study it as perhaps she might've.

Instead she lifts her hands, adopting a preparatory pose. "We're good, right, Wawna?"

<< Yes, Miko-sama, >> comes the reply from the little robot floating above and behind her.

"Go for it," says Wako.

Zephyr Windstar has posed:
    < PING > < DISENGAGING CONTAINMENT SPHERE. >

    Once the Device finishes speaking, the bubble around the gem fades away, and the red rock, a Jasper stone, comes fully into view. It crackles a little with dark energy, but seems to be also being suppressed by a dagger embedded in the gemstone. "We managed to get it, because the persona in the core was a lot more robust than Pawn was... and actually gave us some information and damaged itself before it fell to the corruptive influence of the Crown, by stabbing itself with the dagger... it did that at the start of the fight... then again after we beat on it enough that it could claw back some sanity so we could seal it." explains Zephyr.

    "Oh, also, I didn't exactly copy your spellwork. Incompatible and all that... but it did inspire the idea to just, lock something inside its own little mini-Barrier... glad it worked out so well."

Wako Agemaki has posed:
Almost as soon as the mini-Barrier bubble vanishes, rose-colored light flares around the red gem, capturing it in a similarly-sized bubble of the Galactic Maiden's particular shade of energy - very much akin to the 'hamster ball' that Wako described it as.

The crackle of the Dark Energy off of the gem seems to dampen further, even before the inside of the bubble floods with purifying light, momentarily obscuring any sight of dagger and gem as more than faint silhouettes within it.

"That was really smart of you," Wako says approvingly, if distractedly, most of her attention on what she's doing. "I'm glad it worked... and glad the fight went well. How many more of these things are these supposed to be, do you know?"

Zephyr Windstar has posed:
    "I'm not sure... if it continues the way it is, using the game of Chess as its basis, we have... Knight... Bishop... Queen and King remaining. Rook warned us about Knight... Pawn and Rook were apparently the easy part. Knight will likely try to straight-up kill us." Zephyr replies, watching the hamster ball as well. "We need to make sure that the Prinzessen Nichts doesn't get any of these gems, too... they'll just make her even more dangerous than she already is, according to Rook."

Wako Agemaki has posed:
Wako listens, nodding along a little at the information. "Makes sense," she agrees. "And I guess they'll probably all need to be purified, huh...? I'll help as much as I can. I'm sure the guys will, too."

A bit more focus, and then she straightens, holding the pink sphere floating between her hands. "I think that should probably do it. Wawna?"

<< I sense no corruption remaining, Miko-sama, >> replies the robot.

"There you go, then!" Cheerful now, Wako offers the sphere back to Zephyr.

Zephyr Windstar has posed:
    Zephyr smiles softly. "Thank you, Agemaki-san." she replies, bringing her Device over to gently tap the gem. "Take In."

    < PING > < TAKE IN. #21319 RED JASPER. CONFIRMED. >

    The gem wibbles as if on a poorly tuned TV screen, then shrinks and flits into the Device's gem as a small red mote.

    "I'll say for myself that I appreciate your help with this ongoing crisis. I'm sure the others are also very grateful to you all as well."

Wako Agemaki has posed:
At the thanks, Wako shakes her head, still smiling. "It's a whole team effort, right? There is so much of this stuff going on in Tokyo. It's been wild ever since I got here. I'm glad to be able to do what I can. You and... was it Sequoia-chan? You guys were amazing, distracting the Prinzessin while everyone fought the Pawn statue. That took a lot of guts."

Zephyr Windstar has posed:
    "Sequioa-chan is amazing." is Zephyr's simple reply. "She's only been doing this for a few months and already she's come very much into her own as a Knight." she adds, smiling wistfully.

    "Anyway... even if I hadn't had her there, I would have still engaged the Prinzessin to buy time... it's part of being an Enforcer, the few times we deploy with others that is. We are trained to a high standard. We control our Magic more finely than other Mages... while we might not have the same raw output as others, that control can mean the difference between life and death in a duel."

Wako Agemaki has posed:
"Only a few months?" Wako's eyes widen. "Wow. She's really been tossed right into the deep end, hasn't she? That really is amazing - and she took that big hit, too."

She breathes out, brings a hand up to tuck her hair behind her ear. "Regardless of the reason, distracting the Prinzessin like that was the only reason we managed Pawn and got away with her gem. So, thank you for that."

Zephyr Windstar has posed:
    Zephyr chuckles softly. "All us Devicers got thrown into the deep-end. Especially if you ask Chrono... we're a bit underpowered by most metrics here, but that's where our support and binding skills come into play, and the fact we can engage multiple targets at a time with Barrets, or even punch above our weight by using Busters." she shrugs a little. "Not tooting my own horn of course, I'm probably the weakest Devicer in the line-up."

Wako Agemaki has posed:
"Like you said," Wako replies, "there's more to it than raw power, right? Anyway, I'm glad you're with us."

At this point, a very audible gurgling grumble of sound erupts from Wako's stomach. Her face immediately flushes bright red. "...I should get going," she says, a little too quickly. "But listen, hang onto my phone number and let me know if you need any help with shields or purifying stuff!"

Zephyr Windstar has posed:
    Zephyr chuckles at the growling stomach. "Wanna go grab something? There's a ramen place nearby that's really good. My treat." she offers, smiling a bit. "If not, that's fine too. Thanks again for the help and I'm sure we'll be counting on you and the others in the future too."