bravenewworld | 003 // Action + Video

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003 // Action + Video

[ The city is burning.

Strange, then, that Haruka can't hear any screams. She can't hear anything, in fact - it's as if the world has gone utterly silent in preparation for its inevitable end. Buildings crumble unnaturally, from the ground up, and she can see the waves of fire spreading, heading towards the populace, frozen in time - she struggles to move and can't, even as the flames near a clump of civilians, near a girl with pigtails, no, not her, for some reason not her -

And then she wakes up in a cold sweat, scattering Sewaddle from where he'd fallen asleep on her chest; he curls up into a ball and rolls off the bed. The dreams have never been that vivid before. She's never had that kind of detail. Does that mean something's about to happen, or....what's going on....?

It's then she notices her hands are shaking, not from fear but some kind of heady mix of adrenaline and - power, isn't it, she feels stronger despite what she just witnessed. Her breath is still coming short from the dream, but Haruka feels a grin tugging her lips. Something's happened, all right. And if something else is going to happen - she's become more prepared for it. ]

[ Apologies to anyone who might happen to be up and about near the Divine Theater compound already. Extra apologies to anyone who lives around there and was trying to get some sleep. A newly-evolved Haruka (looking just about the same, but a bit broader about the shoulders and even more inexplicably stunning) has just decided to test her new powers by punching the ground in the outside courtyard.

Every building on the property shook, and now there's a huge crater. ] ...well, that answers that question.

[ Union really does have an Earthquake problem, huh. ]

[ video ]

The Union Divine Theater would like to reassure the populace that this morning's events were an anomaly. We're testing effects for our new show. [ Okay, so this isn't exactly an explicit apology, or an admission she was in the wrong. But Haruka's making up for the inconvenience with an extremely attractive smile, so isn't that okay? ] It'll be stunning.

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[have a smirk in return] And here, I thought you just wanted the pleasure of my company.

[...it's almost cute how you baby World Shaking. Relatively speaking, in any case.]

[ That just gets a grin since Haruka has to focus on her Rhyhorn right now. He's a rock of fairly little brain, so working with him involves simple speech and patience. ] I'm going to try some new attacks. You can attack me back if you want to. I'll dodge.

[ World Shaking chews on this. So. What does he have to do again?

....Haruka sighs. ] Let me know if you feel any of this.

[ Oh. Oh okay. Haruka closes her eyes, feeling the Rhyhorn's emotions slide alongside hers in her mind: he's always let her completely in, so that when they're racing, when they're together, she feels what he feels and vice versa. In return, she lets him feel what she's feeling - resolve, with that core of excited tension still running through the back of her head. He doesn't understand that. He just thinks she's happy.

...Well. Haruka smirks to herself. Maybe she is, in spite of everything.

She opens her eyes and addresses Michiru. ] Should I demo or spar?

[~~made of rocks and fluff~~

Yup, this is cute.]

A demo first, I think, unless you think you can control it. [Rock is still weak against Ground.]

[ Haruka flicks Michiru just the slightest soldier look - she'll control it, she has to, this is her body, she's got this - but nods and stands up straight. World Shaking shifts at her side, witness to Haruka emptying her mind of everything but the new power inside of her. She is the wind. Flowing always forward, honed but free, letting nothing drag her down. She is the wind. And this is all just a part of her now.

Her hand whips forward so quickly even she can barely see it; an arc of something filed whistles through the air and slices through a rocky outcropping. Not giving herself time to react, she spins as if dodging an attack, crouches, launches herself into the air -

and the next thing she knows she's in the middle of what's left of the rock, having landed with perfect accuracy right in the middle of what's now a whole bunch of much smaller rocks. A roil of happiness flows through her mind from World Shaking, but she brushes it aside - yes, yes. She knows how much you love beating up on rocks.

Straightening, she dusts herself off. ] So much for Flying.

[heh. Well, now.] Consider me suitably impressed.

[...maybe you and World Shaking can start up a gravel business too]

Edited 2014-05-22 17:26 (UTC)

[ Haruka smirks back - just a flashing moment of pure, cocky, calm confidence - and then examines her hands, returning to a clinical assessment of her new abilities. ] No marks. It must protect me somehow.

[ That's just as well. Much as she loves her Rhyhorn - and all Rhyhorn - she'd rather not end up with a carapace. It'd be a dead giveaway if anyone spotted her during Defense Force business. ~~Besides, it's Utena who turns into a car.~~

She looks over at Michiru and World Shaking. ] Ready for something larger?

[ World Shaking rears on his hind feet before coming down with a stomp. He has only a vague idea of what's going on here, but things are being smashed. That makes it okay by him. ]

I can take it.

[and that's one smooth step away from World Shaking, as wonderful as your Pokemon's enthusiasm is.]

[ Hey, Haruka can stop that Rhyhorn on a dime with her mind. But the security is good. She takes a few of those deep, preparatory breaths again - and grins over at Michiru. ]

Then maybe I won't hold back this time.

[ Not that she'd been holding back when she ended up with a crater in the courtyard. Anything for the quip, okay? ]

Then I suppose you better show me.

[mm. Get on with it. Somebody's getting impatient, judging by that rearing and stomping.]

[ Who, him? Impatient? Never. Look at him waiting so calmly, chewing gravel. What a magnificent creature.

But Haruka has an assessment to finish. Hm. When she'd tested just plain brute strength she'd ended up with a hole in the ground, so...if she tries to send power into the earth, what happens?

Facing away from Michiru and World Shaking (just in case), Haruka presses a hand against the dirt and concentrates. Energy shoots down her arm; she sucks in a breath, but controls it - go straight -

A crack in the ground shoots out from beneath her hand, spreading in a straight line in front of her until finally tapering into nothing. Haruka nods, satisfied. ] I knew it.

[ A passing Diglett pops up to examine the fissure. Never a dull moment in the Habitat! ]

Edited 2014-05-23 02:38 (UTC)

[lucky Diglett. That thing should've fainted.]

So you don't necessarily have to throw yourself at the enemy.

[........good thing the Ground Floor is on the ground floor.]

[ She's caused enough property damage for one day without casualties, thanks. This is a conscientious attempt to wreck the environment.

Haruka smirks at that, though. ] Care to find out for yourself?

[ Knowing how to curb one's power is just as important as letting it loose. She'll know she's in control of this if she can successfully spar one of her two "assistants" here.

Or both. Depends on if Michiru thinks the Rhyhorn would get in the way. ]

Well, if you need my help...

[throw yourself at her all you want, actually.

Alright fine, so she'll step forward, automatically shifting into a more defensive stance.

Looks like she doesn't expect World Shaking to help out.]

You're the only one who's ever managed to make me sweat.

[ The nice thing about World Shaking is that, unlike Cubchoo and Waltz, he doesn't even realize when this stuff is going on. He just stands around waiting for something relevant to his interests to happen. Watching his Trainer is relevant to his interests.

He might, however, have a hard time of it: Haruka adopts a fighting stance too, only to dart forward in a test of her speed. Can she get a kick in before Michiru knows it's coming? Her intuition has always been stronger than Haruka's. ]

[it's a close thing. She certainly felt it coming, but the time available for her to react seems to have shortened considerably. She manages to dodge and immediately closes in with a vicious elbow, aimed towards your midsection.

Her reactions are either slower than usual or you've gotten faster.]

[ Haruka tries to swat away that elbow and immediately follows up with a Gust in an attempt to knock Michiru off-balance. Just because she's learned new tricks doesn't mean the old ones aren't any good. And that determined look in Michiru's eyes has always made her want to push herself. ]

[fast. The stray thought flickers through her head as the Gust almost knocks her off her feet. And stronger. Can't just rely on old assumptions anymore. Best get further back.

She turns her recovery into a back spring, using a few precious seconds to put some distance between them. If you're rushing in to press home your advantage, you'll get a fistful of water for your trouble.]

[ Haruka catches that water right to the face and sputters - putting up with water for a good soak ~~and everything that often entails~~ is one thing, getting doused with it in a fight is another - but when she doubles back to regroup and draw breath she's grinning. The power's settling in. Really, what was she so nervous about? It's an extension of herself just like it's always been. She can relax and, just like the air itself....flow.

Air Cutter just to your left, Michiru. Then just to your right. She's trying to take a single hair off each side.

(World Shaking is not the air, however. He shook himself off as if he'd gotten the hit when Haruka got doused. Water. Water is horrible.) ]

[so much for getting a breather. Reflexively dodging the first one takes her right into the path of the second. Tch. There's a quiet grunt as she takes it on the flats of her forearms. Getting too predictable.

That's another step back, as a much more concentrated sphere of water starts forming in her palm. She seems reluctant to close in, ~~in direct contrast to 99.9% of the other interactions she has with you.~~

How to approach this...]

What's wrong?

[ Haruka knows, though: it's not an even match. So of course Michiru, when confronted with a "new" (or newly-powered-up) opponent, is going to try and think her way out of the situation. That's Michiru all over.

But she isn't about to make things easy for her partner. Michiru will get a bit of a breather, but only because Haruka's sending a mental message to World Shaking: Get out of the way.

The Rhyhorn lumbers further off. And Haruka waits to see what Michiru's up to, palm itching with concentrated energy. Maybe she can control how big the crater gets this time. ]

[yup, not going to bother answering that. Or acknowledging any of those implications.

She's surprised she got that moment, though she's not about to look a gift Rapidash in the mouth. The intensity of the sphere she's holding increases even beyond its usual and that glint in her eye seems to know exactly where you'll be.

Michiru plants her feet securely (a stray thought sarcastically wonders how long that will last) and finally lets it loose.]

[ Here it comes - but it also means you won't be moving. Haruka ducks, slamming her fist into the ground at the same time, so that the ~~world shakes~~ earth quakes and another crater erupts all around her. Did Michiru's aim account for her hitting the dirt (literally)? ]

[she jinxed it. Savior, it's even louder up close. Despite her best efforts, she falls backwards. There was no helping it, between the force emanating from the center and the distinct lack of solid footing.

She grimaces, still feeling the waves in her bones as she shifts to her knees. Need to get up. This is a terrible position to be in.]

[ To Haruka's credit, that crater stops just short of World Shaking's feet - she'd told herself she wouldn't involve him, and he's not involved. To Michiru's credit, Haruka just got knocked backwards herself and is now crouching on one knee and covered in water.

She shakes her bangs out of her eyes, gasping for breath. ] You really do....just want to get me wet, don't you...?

[that startles a breathless laugh out of her]

I like that look on you. [no extra clothes this time either, huh?

She drags herself to one knee and. Does she really have to? Can't she just stay here?

Pure willpower gets her to her feet. Almost done. A hand on her chest. That fluttery feeling there is distracting.]

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i need icons of the op where sailor moon's head isn't in the way of uranus beating up the ground

that would be a pretty awkward icon

there has to be at least one useable frame! there has to!

....hope springs eternal. Considering how sailor moon is consistently floating across the screen.

who knows....also how do you want to handle michiru's evolution? sparring haruka, npc hordes...?

HOW DO I KEEP DOING THAT

training bout sounds good to me~

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maybe? Depends on how Foresight works in rp. I may have left it vague so I wouldn't have to decide

always a good plan

mwahaha :3c