1760/What a Riot

What a Riot
Date of Scene:	15 July 2024
Location:	Penguin Park
Synopsis:	A random youma attack while Zephyr Windstar is on patrol sparks the birth of a new, albeit clueless, Belkan Knight.
Cast of Characters:	Sequoia Maybach, Zephyr Windstar

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Sequoia Maybach has posed:
    It's been a pretty quiet day all around. Sequoia had been hanging out with her friends Atsuko and Emi for a nice little picnic. It's getting late though, and with dusk overtaking the sky in shades of yellows and oranges, it's about time for the trio to head home.
    Though it's almost funny... How a chill wind floats through the park as the girls start making their way to the exit, chatting animatedly about all the things young girls do.
    When the breeze goes still though and the birds stop chirping... That's when things start to feel eerie and weird.
    "Uhhh... Should it be so quiet?" Atsuko murmurs.
    "I don't know, I'm kind of creeped out, Emi says.
    "Mmm..." Sequoia purses her lips thoughtfully.
    Just as something darts out of the nearby trees, looming menacingly; the formless, almost gelatinous mire of darkness and fury screeches at the trio, looking for its next meal.
    "Wh- what is that?!" Atsuko squeaks.
    "How should I know?!" Emi shouts as Sequoia almost instinctively places herself in front of the pair, staring down the youma.
    Her hands are shaking. Her knees are buckling.
    But she refuses to move until her friends do.
    Too bad they're both frozen in fear.

Zephyr Windstar has posed:
    Patrol duty, especially in the wake of other Devicers heading off to deal with something on the other side of the planet, is something the Enforcer takes seriously. She flies through the dusk gloom, seeking out any signs of youma activity, since the local mahou population has taken a sharp dive.

    < Chief. Got something. Youma signal in the park. Looks like it's in attack mode. > states the axe-like Device in her hand. "Right, pivot eight zero degrees. Push to three over four. Power to offensive spell grid. Stabilize defensive spellgrid."

    She approaches, just high enough she doesn't stand out against the darkening sky, but low enough to see the three girls being menaced.
    "Lets make this one quick. Barrier." < BARRIER EXPANSION. > The oily barrier field expands, locking the youma in an impromptu 'cage match' with the Enforcer. "Just us now, smokey the bandit."

Sequoia Maybach has posed:
    There's just a problem when the barrier goes up. It's not just Zephyr and the youma when she erects the barrier spell.
    The three girls are still there-- which likely says they all have magical potential but that's a problem for another day as the monster edges closer to the girls.
    Thankfully, Atsuko and Emi seem to have fainted. This leaves Sequoia in a bind.
    "Uh..." She mutters trying to pick her friends up to drag them to safety-- it doesn't work. They're too heavy for her. And... The monster- the youma lunges--!
    Without thinking she throws herself over the two and shuts her eyes, not realizing that the shield-shaped charm dangling from her backpack is glowing.

    <ANFANG.> It announces. <SCHILDFORM.>
    In a flash of white light the charm becomes a full sized riot shield and the girl finds herself clad in all white and black Knight Armor.
    "... Uh."
    <GUTEN TAG MEIN MEISTER.> The shield announces, having responded to her desire to protect her friends.
    Zephyr will no doubt recognize the triangular shape of a Belkan magic circle forming beneat the silver-haired girl as the youma lashes out and she hunkers behind the shield, battering her and her armor as she grits her teeth and... Doesn't move for the sake of keeping the other two safe.

Zephyr Windstar has posed:
    < Chief... problem. The civies have magic potential. > announces Tenraikaze.. as the youma completely ignores the Enforcer to go for thee still present girls. "Tch..."

    < Chief. Belkan magic signal. Right on top of us! > chimes the Mid Device next. "I see it. The white-haired girl. Defensive type, unusual. Lets get in there." < On it Chief. GALE SABER! >

    The battleaxe-head glows a baleful purple as the spell takes hold, augmenting the coming strike as Zephyr shieft, plants her feet on a spell circle, then launches straight down onto the blob-like youma, swinging her attack into its center of mass to disrupt it.

Sequoia Maybach has posed:
    The youma is too distracted laying into that riot shield to notice Zephyr coming in. This is good. This is all well and good as she swoops down upon it, striking it with enough force to make its formless mass go splatter everywhere.
    But it begins to slowly reform.
    "Who are you?!" Sequoia asks of her apparent savior as the blob starts to congeal and reform.
    <WARNUNG!> The shield announces as the youma reconstitutes itself and lunges for Zephyr--
    Only to be met with that shield again as Sequoia darts in front of the more experienced mage and soaks the blow full force. She grits her teeth as the impact makes her boots drag furrows into the ground, but she and her Device seem none the worse for wear.
    <DU WILLST SIE BESCHUTZEN?> The shield asks. And, somehow, despite never having spoken a word of Belkan in her life before the girl gets the feeling she understands.
    'You want to protect them?'
    "Yes!" She replies.
    <JAWOHL!> The shield announces.
    "... You fight it, I'll cover you and the other two." The girl says, putting her faith in Zephyr to strike again as she holds its attention and it struggles to break past the glowing barrier in front of her.

Zephyr Windstar has posed:
    < KITE SHI---... > Tenraikaze announces, before coming up short. The auto-cast defense not needed, as the newly minted Knight jumps in the way instead. Zephyr's momentum has her skid on landing, kicking up sparks from the path under her boots. She turns as Sequoia tanks the youma. "Right." she agrees, sweeping her device in an arc in front of her. < IMPULSE BARRET SUNDOWNER SHIFT. > Motes of pueple light lim into existence in the wake of the sweep, then grow rapidly in size to about that of a grapefruit. "FIRE!"

    The Barrets fire... perpendicular to the youma instead of straight at it. They arc around to come in from the back and sides, each energy ball detonating like a grenade on impact.

Sequoia Maybach has posed:
    With Sequoia soaking up damage as she is, the youma only seems to get more agitated, snarling and swinging at her with everything it has. Each impact jars her, rattling her teeth, but her defenses hold as Zephyr and Tenraikaze unload.
    When those barrets hook around they find their mark, splattering the youma to a gooey mess that starts to dissipate into a dark mist as it evaporates away into nothingness.
    This is when Sequoia flops back onto her butt, panting and jittering from nerves.
    <BIST DU GUT, MEIN MEISTER?> The shield asks. She's a little too shocked to answer it.
"Uhhhhhh... What... What was that thing?"

Zephyr Windstar has posed:
    Tenraikaze unscrews a pair of vents just under its axehead, venting steam before clanking them shut again. "That is what's commonly called a Youma. They're evil creatures that drain life energy from people." explains Zephyr as she walks over, kneeling down to check on the other girl. "You hurt or just tired from the exertion?" she asks next. Tenraikaze's gem glows, and a bag full of candy of various types drops out into the Enforcer's hand, which she then offers toward Sequoia. "Take it from me kiddo... it doesn't get any easier, but the candy helps get you back on your feet after a fight like that."

Sequoia Maybach has posed:
    That sure is a crash course in what youma are. And for a good moment, Sequoia is just staring at Zephyr, partly bewildered and a little disbelieving. But then she glances down at the shield in her hands.
    <MEISTER? OFFIZIER?> The shield prompts before the girl starts picking herself up.
    "... I'm fine." She says, accepting the bag of candy.
    "... Thanks." She mutters, tearing it open and sampling a bit just to take the edge off.
    "--Are my friends going to be okay?"
    They look to be completely fine, just fainted from the panic.

Zephyr Windstar has posed:
    "Thanks to you protecting them. They'll be out for a few minutes once the Barrier I put up drops... and I doubt they'll remember anything." replies Zephyr, she stands to her towering height, resting her Device across her shoulders and hooking her wrists over the haft. "Look, I know this is a lot to take in, but you're part of a dangerous world now. I don't have the training to make this sound nice, but you'll need to be careful. There's more creatures like that one out there. More powerful ones too, and people who summon and control them for their own means."

    She sighs. "I wish Chrono or Rashmi were here. They're more diplomatic than I'll ever be."

    < What the Chief is trying to say is: Welcome to the magical world. >

Sequoia Maybach has posed:
    "Who are Chrono and Rashmi?" That's a good question, it opens a few doors considering what Sequoia has now been dumped into and getting to know other mages would be... To her benefit. Especially if things are as dangerous as Zephyr says. One more glance to her friends though and the girl huffs.
    As long as they're okay she won't fret too much. But that sure is some welcome to the magical world.
    <HURRAY.> The shield drones almost dryly.

Zephyr Windstar has posed:
    "Chrono is a Mage like me. Rashmi's a Support Mage... they're off on a really dangerous trip right now." she remembers the message she got from the latter. "I only hope they come back safe." Zephyr looks skyward, to the distorted inside of the Barrier dome. "I should get back on patrol. Here, lemme give you my cell number. It'll help us coordinate in future."