374/Familiar yet new

Familiar yet new
Date of Scene:	06 September 2023
Location:	Plot Room 3
Synopsis:	Sunbreaker takes Double Trouble and La Crima out for a bit of villain's night out. A little dusk monster, a little fight with local wild life and a lot of dark magic. They even each get to take home a wonderful prize each.
Cast of Characters:	Hinoiri Kirara, Double Trouble, Norie Okana

---

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker had, well... after classes... grabbed her roommate. For a little 'trip'. It'd be 'fun' she said. A 'surprise'. Okay, a part of her just found it a little amusing to take the tiny girl for a motorcycle ride through the city... To Obsidian. And hey, she was getting better at it. They only almost died three times! Usually it looked like their inevitable end would arrive twice that! There had to be some magic at play. Of course... after they were in the tower, Hinoiri had henshined in the elevator.

So Double Trouble likely knew *something* was up. And she was testing someone... Letting them know...

<We'll be there soon.>

What was the secret? Well... she'd decided she was having trouble with her magic. It was time to bring a bit of Kirakirafantastica to this backwater magic barren land. In this case, binding the will of an unintelligent, fantastical monster to their whims. And where better than the dusk zone. She'd even managed to procure some energy assistance for the spell... for an agreed upon information on said spell. Other than that... there was just one thing they'd needed. A guide.

As the door opened, she started walking, glancing back towards Double after a moment. "Hey, Dee. Remember how you wanted to get taught some magic? Today you're going to get a real first hand experience with it. No charge."

... This wasn't going to be good.

Double Trouble has posed:
Of course Dianora went along with Hinoiri. She knew that whatever her surprise was, it would at least be interesting. She removed her necklace in the elevator, just as quickly as her roommate henshined, thus reverting to Double Trouble. They dropped the necklace in a pocket of their black, mesh bodysuit and then sashayed off the elevator after Sunbreaker.

A _magic lesson_? That is not quite what they said. Their magic is innate. They don't need a magic lesson. They need to learn how to get dark energy. But maybe that's the same thing. Whatever. Double Trouble was almost more interested in Hinoiri's attempts at guile and subterfuge. She was so cute. They mimic just their voice, to sound just like Dianora's, "Aw _onee-chan_, you're really looking out for me! What kind of lesson?"

Norie Okana has posed:
La Crima is by a water cooler. But one of the special water coolers where the water has been fused with dark energy. Specified by it's 'DarkCrisp' logo on the front. 'DarkCrisp', don't worry about the name, it's crisp water!'. Or something. She has a tiny water cup filled with water which she's drinking as she waits around in her fancy dress.

She turned her head towards the elevator, as she sipped more water and waited for the elevator door to open, looking her casually, neutral self.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker caught sight of the other girl and a grin formed on her lips. She closed her hand, opening it again to have three gems in her fingers, then closed it again so they were stored. Okay. She was ready. it had been a while since she had done this... but it'd be fun. It'd be *fun*. That was what she had the other girls for, anyway. If things went poorly, they'd be affected. Not her.

"La Crima?" she asked. "This is my colleague, Double Trouble. The third of our little excursion." She offered a hand. "Oh, and just make sure to keep yourself coated in dark energy as best you can, Dee. The dusk zone can get a bit... snippy." She offered her hand to La Crima. After all, the other girl was the 'guide' for this little excursion. So she'd let her be the director to the zone. "Is everything ready?"

Double Trouble has posed:
Double Trouble follows along, their yellow eyes immediately focusing on La Crima as soon as Sunbreaker calls out to her. And that has them spy the water cooler. They didn't survive in the Crimson Waste by passing up an opportunity to hydrate. So when Sunbreaker introduces them, they're awkwardly filling up a little cup with water. They carefully back away and then lift one hand up to wave. They remain uncharacteristically silent and down the water, then fill it back up.

Quietly, to themselves, as Sunbreaker is going over details with La Crima, they say, "Wow, it really _is_ crisp."

Norie Okana has posed:
La Crima says. "Yes. Hello. I am La Crima. I work with under Riven-senpai. Um. Hi." she says as she waves to Double Trouble. "Hi, Double Trouble-san." she says, which is a mouthful of a name. "Right, if we're going let's go now. Not like we need any special place for it." she says as she blinks and stops herself from touching hands quickly. "This uh. This may. Be a moment. Let me. Thinnnnnnnk...." she says as she takes Sunbreaker's hand finally after a bit, and then shortly after will hold out her hand for Double Trouble.

When both are holding out their hands, she'll do ahead and duskport, reality sort of drifting away before they're in the dusk zone.

La Crima has brought them to a lovely little cropping of strange trees growing duskfruit, and the ground is craggy here, with some floating islands here in the air here or there that look like they'll tip over if you stand on one side of them.

The sky is a strange reverse-sunset color through infrared color filter. It looks bizzare.

"This has some trees and some islands. We could find something here. Please. Be careful. Not everything here is friendly to me." she asides.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker couldn't help but smile when she watched Double Trouble drink the water. She made a habit of just... not. Dusk water always made her feel a little... queesy. Maybe it wouldn't affect DT the same way. If it did, well, she could laugh and enjoy their suffering. No, Sunbreaker was not the nicest.

La Crima certainly seemed nervous, she couldn't be sure why. But then, when people were in her presence she supposed it was only natural they'd be intimidated.

"So then. Welcome to the dusk zone, Double Trouble. Today is simple... getting a familiar. A fairly... simple spell for rookie mages of Kirakirafantastica. However, it is far harder due to the strange magical... nature of this world. Take a minute to look around, but not too long. This place isn't exactly... pleasant towards our kind. Things here that will do a lot of damage to you, given the chance."

She, at least, was taking a moment to enjoy it. This world was both... very familiar, and very... anti familiar. Like a reverse of Kirakirafantastica. Strange how something could be almost... the exact opposite of something else. Just to remind you of it. "But then, we can find some creatures that can catch our eyes."

Double Trouble has posed:
Double Trouble shifted to La Crima's other side, and took her hand in theirs. This felt downright familiar. Honestly, it really helped with their homesickness to feel that familiar gut-wrenching sensation of being shifted from one place to another by magic. And the vista before them upon their arrival helped too.

Sunbreaker and La Crima both say words, but Double Trouble's yellow eyes go wider than usual and they look all round them--just standing in place--and take it all in. This feels so much more like _home_. Except more dangerous. Although, the parts of home that feel the most _homey_ are the most dangerous parts. So maybe that's what it is. They do love danger.

They look over toward Hinoiri and just grin. That girl is reliably self-centered, and is being dodgy with the details. They don't trust her, but this is _fun_ and they're going to get a _familiar_? They cannot deny how cool that is. No risk, no reward.

All they actually _say_, after all that thought, is, "Awesome!"

Norie Okana has posed:
La Crima floats over to one of the Duskfruit trees and picks one, and snaps it away in her hand ... somewhere. She picks another, and does the same. She does this a few times until she has a few. Then she floats back and says. "We might need these later. and if we don't. I have things for Riven-senpai later." she says. "And myself." she says.

She huffs a little as she looks at Double Trouble's wide eyedness. "It's pretty, isn't it?" she asks. "I like it here a lot. But. Dangerous here. Be careful." she says. She'll look over to Sunbreaker and ask. "If you're looking for a familiar to bring back, we should have good luck here. There's food. And it's little a craggy. And there's floating islands. I bet ambush predators live on those. To hop down below." she says. "I've seen it before!" she says with a little neutral nod. The girl never smiles, always speaking in a matter of fact tone. Her tone may rise here or there, however.

"What are... are you looking for exactly? Something on the ground? Something flying? Something cute? Something... less cute?" she asks.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker couldn't help feeling that low chuckle bubble up inside her on hearing that 'awesome'. Oh, Dee was acting just like she had the first time she'd come here. She couldn't blame them, either. It was... nice. It was a unique experience, this world. So separate from the others. She glanced up at... something moving across the sky. A cloud. A toucan. A giant hornet. Or maybe just the weird way things seemed to be here and there was nothing at all. Who knew?

"I'm not sure, honestly. Something... special," Sunbreaker said. "Unique. I'll know it when I see it," she said before she began to slowly walk. She glanced at a small puddle of 'water', flicking a hand towards it. "Something... mmmm... mmmhmm hmmm mm..." she hummed a few bars. Unicorn thing? Perhaps. "No... not right..."

She flicked her hand through the air, a few dark lines appearing, then disappearing. "mmm hmmm hm mmm," she hummed again. This time, there was a light echo from a ping... then she leaped up, into the air, landing on another island and started walking... "No, not right. Mmm hmm mmm mmm..." she hummed, nothing. She lifted a hand again... Then heard, very softly... a strange, almost... mimicked sound? Except, distorted. Like the bars she'd hummed, if they'd been recorded poorly, then played on a broken dryer filled with silverware.

Double Trouble has posed:
Double Trouble is a _thespian_, and they do not need dialogue to convey meaning. All they need is their face. Or your face. Any face will do, and theirs is the one they have right now. They are an expert at communicating with nothing more than a glance. And when they look at La Crima, they give this grin that says it all: they're just here to see what chaos Hinoiri makes of this.

And so it is that they, too, leap up and over to that other island and keep following along behind their colleague. She's clearly on to _something_.

Norie Okana has posed:
La Crima busies herself with poking a jelly being. They're boring, and just slorph up the ground. But they jiggle and if she could laugh, she would, instead she just lets out a low. 'heh' sound as she pokes it and makes it wiggle. "Such a cutie~" she says.

She then stands back up and looks over to Subreaker as she does a few things and something repeats her sound.

"Huh." she says softly. "I wonder what that is." she says as she looks over to Double Trouble, then back softly, to Sunbreaker.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker kept walking, lightly humming the bars. Soon, the response she was getting was louder. She leaped to another island, one with lots of little grooves and it even had a little pool of black, definitely dusky water. And a tree growing out of it... somewhat... kind of? The island was tilted. But the water wasn't... but it kind of... should... have been? Maybe?

Dusk zone was weird. Where was it? She hummed again.

There was no response... At least, not a normal one. Suddenly the water THRUST OUT a... tentacle? No. It was a creature, some weird... thing. Made of that oily darkness. It tried to curl around her ankles and Sunbreaker, to her lack of dignity, SHRIEKED! It then tried to leap at her... only for a blast of fire from her hand to send it careening back, into the water. She sat there for a moment, panting. Then, slowly, a grin formed on her lips. She hummed a few more bars...

And the pond... made that sound back. "Think I found what I'm looking for. Which of you two would like to go first?"

Double Trouble has posed:
_Which of you two would like to go first?_

It all made sense now. Double Trouble understood why Sunbreaker kept being so blatantly deceptive about this. She's not trying to trick or beguile, she's trying to act like she knows what she's doing. But she's never done this before, and wants somebody else to take the risk of her getting it wrong. Best if that's not the guide who can get her home, and so here Double Trouble is, to take that fall.

"I think that one's already taken a liking to you, onee-chan," they say, sounding particularly amused. "Since it's such rookie magic, and I know you're the best, why don't you show us how it's done?"

Norie Okana has posed:
La Crima followed along as Sunbreaker walked around and soon something burst from the pond and she gasped, she stood there and stepped back as she frowned a little. "That's something." she says as she pulls out one of the duskfruits and placed it slowly onto the side of the pond.

She stepped back and see if this thing liked duskfruits.

If it did. She can bait it. If it doesn't she can do this the old fashioned way.

She looked at Sunbreaker and looks at Double Trouble as she looks over at Sunbreaker as she frowns a little. "If I can't bait. I'll go in after it." she says, firmly, neutrally still.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker glanced towards Dee. "I will be," she snapped. "But I'll need proper stabilization in order to bind it. The first two I'll be guiding you through, once I've bound one myself, I won't be able to help you two do it."

As huffy as she was, though, Dee wasn't wrong. It would have been... feasibly... possible for her to do it alone. But it was far easier for her to do it with others. On top of that, there were some... risk... doing it with creatures like these. Risks she didn't want to test on herself first. And if things went wrong... well. She was perfect. But yeah, she'd definitely rather THEY dealt with the fallout.

More importantly, the ritual left her... vulnerable... in a way. But if she was guiding it, then that would allow her to have the best of all worlds.

La Crima's volunteering, however, made the answer simple. She closed her hand and then flicked out a jewel. A bright, red magical circle surrounded the pond. If they'd seen Riventon's, they might even recognize that it was *nothing* like the ones he used. This seemed... fluffier?

The fruit didn't seem to draw in the creature... but when she had her hand down there? One of the creatures dashed out, trying to bite her wrist.

Then La Crima would feel it. Just for a moment, the creature hissing, giving a gurgling, strange sound... like a weird singing eel. But for a moment it was as if she could feel through it, see through it, touch it. Feel it trying to bite her hand.

And she could feel the connections, through Sunbreaker. Chains to bind it. But... How many chains, how tightly they were bound, in the end? Were her choice. She could bind and crush the creature's will to her own. Try something... slightly more peaceful. Just slightly. Or even tear its will entirely, leave it a hollow, empty husk. That last one... was not part of the spell itself.

That was something that Norie could do by adding her own power through the spell, if she so pleased.

Norie Okana has posed:
La Crima frowned when the the creature lunged out and tried to bite her wrist. La Crima was another darkness creature, in make up, so she was edible. She disliked this fact. She then felt like she was...connected to the creature? Huh Why? Regardless, she'd force magic into it, into that connection to help out Sunbreaker tame the monster, 'nrging' under her breath as she takes a firm frown.

"Is..is this helping?" she asks softly!?

Double Trouble has posed:
Double Trouble just smiled in response to Sunbreaker's snapping. It amused them, and confirmed all their suspicions. Even better, La Crima was right there ready to get her own familiar. So even if Sunbreaker insisted on going last--which she clearly was going to--Double Trouble did not have to go _first_. Acceptable.

They watch as the magic happens, waiting to see if it's disastrous.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker shook her head. "No. Step back, hold onto it. And bind it. Can you feel my magic?" she asked. "Let it guide you, follow, and bind it to your whims. Compress it into the gem, make it yours."

If norie did so, while Dee wouldn't be able to see the chains, La Crima would be able to. With every chain she wrapped around it, the harder the creature could fight. But the more under her control it would become. And once she felt it was fully bound enough.... she could will it into the very gemstone that had been used to create the magical circle. Now hollow in the center.

Norie Okana has posed:
La Crima was sweating. Well. In theory, she was. She didn't actually sweating, she was tensing and trying to do as Sunbreaker guided her to step back, which she did, as she tries to push her magic into the chain, trying to pull it into that gemstone as she clutched her hands a little. trying to pull those chains as she 'nrg'

"H--hard" she muttered.

As the creature fought and fought, trying her hardest as she let only the words guide her, letting her gaze fall on the creature, and those chains.

Double Trouble has posed:
Double Trouble arched their eyebrows as they watched. These creatures sure were feisty. Really reminded them of home. They relaxed their face and smiled as their mind drifted off into nostalgic thoughts of the Crimson Waste. But really, they're paying attention! For sure. They're watching both La Crima and Sunbreaker. They're very curious about all this.

They patiently wait their turn, though. Wouldn't want to mess one binding up by trying to stack another one on top of it. Assuming there were more of these creatures down in that pool.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
The creature was resisting, trying to fight... but it was quickly being bound. Bit by bit, subjecting to her whims, surrendering to them...

But, there was a new threat on the horizon. Out of the corner of her eyes, Dee would see it. Something slinking through the grooves. Small. With teeth... slowly making its way towards Sunbreaker, as she was outside the circle and focused on maintaining it. She had to keep the spell going, La Crima had to bind it...

And that meant Dee was on lookout duty. Or, at least, in theory... The little monster coming closer, opening a mouth and inky... stuff... dripping from it.

Norie Okana has posed:
La Crima would keep going as she clamped down on the chains, and started to pull them metaphorically, tugging them closer as she nrg'ed and pulled and kept pulling as she yelled. "GET IN THE DAMN GEM!" she muttered as she pulled it into the magic circle Sunbreaker had created and finally....Boomf!

That's the sound of the creature being bound into the gem as La Crima falls to her back and the gem falls to the ground with a little tink, tink to the ground.

> La Crima caught a <SOMETHING>

"A..aah---" she goes as she falls onto her but. "Sunbreaker look out!" she spluttered.

Double Trouble has posed:
Double Trouble could never be called a _coward_, but they certainly do prefer it when _other_ people take risks and get in harm's way. But, when they spot that creature coming, they know what they have to do. They're the only one free to act, and action is needed. This is the other reason a third person was needed.

They don't like resorting to violence, but they didn't survive in the Crimson Waste without getting good at it. They dash toward the little bity creature with it's ink-dripping mouth, and whips their tail around to grab it, spinning in their spot to use centripetal force to _fling_ the creature away from them as they release their tail.

This whole trip is pointless if they don't get the cool familiar themselves.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker let out a sigh of relief. Sure, La Crima hadn't been sweating, but she had. It had actually been a lot more complex than she'd expected. Sure, it LOOKED easy... but the spell wasn't DESIGNED for this world. And it certainly wasn't designed for such vicious, violent creatures. And for doing it in a place that was so inhospitable to human life. Yet another reason to be grateful that she'd decided to bring some fri-- test subjects for this spell. It--

Look out?! She turned around, not fast enough to stop it, just enough to see the creature lunge and... Double Trouble stop it. Flinging it away. Sunbreaker let out a sigh of relief. "Good. Your turn, Dee," Sunbreaker said. She flicked up a second gem. Once again, the magic circle formed around the pool.

She'd motion them into the circle. And they could feel it. In the pool. More of them. Those strange, singing creatures... awakening. Watching them. Waiting to strike. Some larger, some smaller, some vicious, some tired, some hungry. And they'd feel the chains as well... they could bind the creature. But their magic mixed with it and they felt something else... they could change theirs. Just a bit, shift it. When they grabbed it with their magic... it would still be the same. Yet... different.

La Crima could feel the one in her gem. Bound to her. Her will its will. Still a creature, inside the gem. But she could force it out, make it obey her... or let it do as she pleased. Like a youma, yet alive. Bound in her power.

Which might be nice, because they were attracting more of those... things... two. No, three of them slowly coming at the disturbance... making a slow, steady approach towards the two. And once more, Sunbreaker was focused, outside the circle...

Norie Okana has posed:
La Crima crawls upwards and takes her gem. She kind of examines it before she watches it inside and huhs a little. She can feel it inside there. She...puts the gem away carefully and got her hands off it, she then turns her attention to the other creatures she can feel coming, oh. oh they're making a fracas you see.

"Sunbreaker I think we need to hurry this up!" she'd spout, before sort of getting nervous about things. "I don't like it when they get so aggressive due to outside force..." she frowned.

Double Trouble has posed:
Of course, Double Trouble sees all the other approaching creatures. But now it's _their_ turn. They could feel the magic, and they could feel the different creatures. They reach for the most vicious, cunning creature they can find, and grab onto it firmly. As the chains draw in closer, the creature fights, and Double Trouble focuses their sorcery on changing the creature's form into something more _serpentine_. The chains finally snap shut and the creature coils itself around Dee's arm, and then across their shoulders and down their other arm.

They step back and grab hold of the stone and the serpent slithers along their arm and into the stone in their palm with a little fwoom of magic as the creature is bound.

"Alright, _onee-chan_, your turn! Please be quick," Double Trouble says. And then looks at the gem in their hand, and summons their familiar back out to do battle. They know it's a _beast_.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker wiped some more sweat from her brow. "Y-yeah, working on it. Okay, you two, just... keep it steady. Focus on keeping things off me." She was going to, unfortunately, have to do it herself. Honestly... she... was a lot more tired than she cared to admit.

But like hell she was going to stop here. This time she drew another gem, but she stepped into the circle she made...

Norie had, in many ways, acquired the one that wanted her. Perhaps it was the hunger, the willingness to strike. Or perhaps it was convenience. It, in the end, was hers.

For Dee, however, she'd gone after viciousness. Cunning. A creature to wait in ambush, changing its form a bit to suit her own whims...

And Sunbreaker? Sunbreaker wanted one thing. Power. Strength. She dug into them and she went after the biggest, most powerful one she could find. Because she was Sunbreaker and her ego would rather she burn herself out like a candle lit on both sides after being dunked in gasoline than EVER allow herself to be anything but the most powerful. The strongest. She dug deep into the nest of them, making the water let out another gurgling...

As three of the creatures were closer now, lunging out, one trying for the circle and towards the girl within, while the other two went after Norie and Dee.

Norie Okana has posed:
La Crima frowns and closes her eyes and raises both her hands forward and fires a large pulse of dark energt towards the creature that came at her. "I'm sorry little one. Run away, please?" she asks , pleads, begs with the creature, not wanting to kill it, but it can't be allowed to hurt her aquantainces here anyways.

She threw another blast, and another, as Sunbreaker worked on doing her thing.

"HURRY UP." she shouts. "And I'll get us out of here when we're done!" she said with urgent worry!

Double Trouble has posed:
Double Trouble wouldn't go so far as to call Sunbreaker a _friend_, but they do find her _very convenient_ in this world. They would not want to lose such a valuable ally. It's definitely nothing to do with anything resembling _friendship_ or any kind of loyalty. Double Trouble only has loyalty to themselves. But they also have themselves covered. They can dispatch the creature headed for them.

Their familiar darts away toward the creature headed straight for Sunbreaker, intercepting and devouring it. Snakes do _not_ move like that. But it's not _really_ a snake now, is it.

"Please tell me you found the biggest one so we can get _out_ of here _onee-chan_," Double Trouble calls out, their voice a little strained as they kick yet another approaching creature. They've definitely got Sunbreaker figured out. It's only a matter of time now.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker growled. "I'm WORKING on it!" Sunbreaker yelled. It was a battle of wills. Of opinions. She'd NEVER done this before! Sharing her power with something else, as she was, seemed like a waste. Why owuld she sacrifice any of her power to have some... minion? But now, with the youma... this was the most efficient manner. The best way to do it.

She dug in the chains, pulling the creature from the 'pond'. Dragging it inch by inch... the invisible chains pulling it closer and closer, the water rippling...

The creature singing its strange, disconcerting song. Just. A little. More.

The creatures were coming. She couldn't do it. She-- NO! SHE WAS SUNBREAKER! SHE WOULD NOT LOSE TO A DAMN EEL! Or whatever this was!

She held out both hands, the fires of rage burning. "Of course I've got it! I-- HERE!" she snapped.

And then it was just... sucked into the gem. She snagged it into her gem...

Turned, saw more of the creatures arriving.

And stumbled back. For a moment, fire formed around them in a circle, and then erupted. Covering them from sight...

And then they were gone. Appearing in the middle of... the Obsidian lobby.

Sunbreaker took another step back, the fires going away... And then Hinoiri, not Sunbreaker, dropped. Clutching the gem, hitting the ground if one of them didn't catch her. "D-done. S-see? I. Am the g-greatest. Mage. Any world. Has ever. Seen." Smug lil brat for someone who couldn't currently stand.