Thread: For Your Smile ((Velvet Stars + Ecchi Kunoichi))

Warning massive post approaching! If I went too fardid too much on this one, I'll start over and break up the action more, I think I kinda got carried away... The strange, haunting melody continued its spread through the air. Each note was similar to a single thread in a bolt of cloth they could stand on their own, yet together it formed a very different image. Though the figure's head remained bowed, sorrow flowed freely in that voice. An undercurrent of hope trembled beneath the sadness a wish that, somehow, its isolation would end and there would be cause to forget its loss. At the same time, it was an invitation of sorts. If there were others who could sympathize with its unhappiness, who were themselves unhappy about some element of their lives, perhaps they could come together and find solace in one another's company. A listener so inclined would only need to venture closer, to where their eyes could meet. Even if no one present could share in the singer's feelings, certainly there was many a soul that would be moved by the sight of someone in need of comfort. Yet beyond the sight of the average person, there were signs that the song was not just a song. The tones used were part of a spell, one that cast out an alluring net to drag in those that heard it. To someone with the eyes to see such things, the waves of sound spread out like ripples through the otherwise silent space, and all they touched became haloed in a shimmering, watery glow. The magic beneath the music then pulled in the largest of these motes of light in much the same way that a bottom feeder sucked in its prey. If not for the late hour, there would have been countless people within hearing range as it was, the lower number of targets allowed the spell to be more focused. What might take several minutes might only last a moment or two...too short of a time for anyone to interrupt or for the sole listener to break the spell. Beneath the curtain of her hair, the being within the lake smiled as she sang, each slow step carrying her closer to the bank and nearer to the human soul that her song had captured. One hand reached out, droplets falling away from the pale, delicate fingertips as they crossed the last inches between their two forms. Then, in the split second before that hand could touch the other's cheek, a sharp, high sound blared out of nowhere. It cut through the gentle song, disrupting the melody and slicing through its spell in the same instant. Its source was...a lamppost? No, a figure atop said lamp, balanced on one foot at its tip. A ray of sunlight glinted off of the polished, brassy surface of an upraised horn as the note slowly faded. Despite the fact that it was only a sound, the figure in the water jerked backward as if struck, releasing a mournful cry. But if that person's behavior was odd, it was the person atop the lamp who truly looked strange in comparison. The newcomer was obviously female. Ribbons in a rich shade of blue pulled light blonde hair into two high-set ponytails the strands fell past her waist and nearly to the top of each leg, where the ends formed a springy spiral curl. Her face was clearly visible, revealing a pair of dark green eyes under long bangs, most swept to one side and pinned in place by two star-shaped hair clips. While a folded-back collar framed her neck on either side, the front of her clothing stood open, revealing a white shirt that covered her chest its neckline began low enough for the upper curves of her bust to be visible, displaying a fair amount of cleavage. At the waist, the outfit clung to her sides in the fashion of a corset, yet the pairing of golden buttons and white braid across the center more brought to mind the neat, crisp uniform of a marching band's members. Triangular lines swept out over her hips, the metallic hued outlines overlapping a matching blue skirt with fluffy white ruffles at the ends. Long, over-the-knee socks sported a pattern of yellow stars down the side, leading to the deep blue shoes planted upon the top of the lamp. Their visible heel didn't seem to disrupt her balance at all, despite a set of thin x-shaped straps and small star buttons being all that held them on her feet. The height of her position made her height difficult to guess at, but her face and form were quite youthful she looked about 17 or so. All the while, her expression remained serious, as if she had been the sole witness to a grave injustice in the making. Before the figure below could react, she lowered her instrument and spoke, voice ringing out in the silence that had fallen. You, who would play with human hearts and take advantage of their kindness...I won't let your treachery go unpunished! Her hands made a quick gesture, sending flared sleeves adorned with gold braid and white ruffles flickering about both arms. The instrument disappeared in a flash, and in its place, a strangely shaped wand appeared. About as long as her arm from wrist to elbow, it had the same metallic gleam as the horn, and the top of it branched into two rings that overlapped at right angles. At the bottom of each ring dangled a small musical note, while the space between the loops was occupied by a spherical jewel that seemed to float in the exact center. It pulsed with clear, bright light from the moment she took it in her hands, and that light only intensified when she pointed it at the pale figure within the lake. Shed your illusions and reveal your true form! Monster of deadly harmonies...Siren! Rage twisted the placid, mournful features into a vicious scowl as the figure backpedaled into deeper water, only its upper body remaining visible. How dare you...! No longer was her voice melodious and sweet it rasped nearly like the cawing of a crow. Even as she spoke, a ring of blue-white illumination whirled around it. It lashed out at the light, only to screech in pain and drop away, its body writhing as the original appearance melted away. The beautiful, gentle face became a vision of angular lines and a hooked, beak-like nose, further marred by the look of hatred that spread across it. Hair that was once silky and glistened in the light became as scraggly as a bit of frozen grass in winter. The small hands with their delicate fingers displayed sharp claws at their tips instead of nails, and those fingers were now webbed, inhuman things. Her flowing dress turned dingy in coloration, the fabric mere rags hiding the slick, clammy skin of an aquatic beast. You have no right to take what is mine, hissed the monster. A thick, broad tail with mottled scales thrashed beneath the surface as it completed its shift away from the shallows. Maybe I don't... In one smooth motion, the figure leaped down from her perch. There was little more than the ruffle of fabric and the quiet thump of her shoes hitting the grass when she landed, positioned exactly between the siren and the human that had been ensnared. But you have no right to steal the light and life from the people of this world just because you have no soul of your own! She rotated the wand around, holding it before her like a conductor's baton. It's time for you to return to where you belong, and I'm going to make sure you go there. This time, the only reply was an angered growl. Without warning, the surface of the water exploded upward like a geyser in one, two, three different places after another. Oh, she's mad now... the girl murmured. Then she glanced over her shoulder and shot the person behind her a quick grin. Don't worry, I'll deal with her. You just get out of here while you can, okay? Then the water came crashing downward all at once. It smashed into the ground with enough force to send dirt and grass flying into the air there was a visible crater left where the girl's feet had been. She, however, wasn't there any longer. Hey, I didn't know you sirens were slow and bad singers! she shouted from the right. This resulted in more jets of water hurtling at her, which she continued to flee from at the last possible second. It was risky, but as long as she could draw the siren's attention away from the other human, there would be a clear chance to escape. Doing this, she made her way halfway around the lake in a matter of minutes and at a full-out sprint, dodging blasts of liquid all the way. Mockingly, she yelled, Ugly old hag! You probably don't even know th-- Her sentence stopped abruptly as the smaller channel of water drove hard into her side. The sheer force of it knocked her off the ground, then into a trash can, and caused her to crash upon a metal bench several feet away. For one long moment, she didn't move, and it seemed that she might not get up until... Oww...that was pretty sneaky... her voice groaned from within the debris. She was drenched on the side that had been hit, and the water had proven pressurized enough to tear through her jacket and a piece of her shirt as well. Despite the bare patch of skin visible just above her right hip and a number of small rips in her clothing from her landing, she got to her feet with only a slight wince. I take it you don't like being called ugly? Or is it the age thing? As she spoke, her wand vanished from the grass where it had fallen, and, with a small flash, reappeared in her hand. She quickly glanced over to where she had started, making sure the person she had tried to guard was still safe. If she wasn't careful, the siren might decide to spite her by snatching up the other human and dragging that person under the water. How long have sirens been around, a couple centuries? she mused aloud, intentionally raising her voice so the monster would hear. Wow, talk about being an old maid. I guess you have to use pretty desperate measures when there aren't any lonely sailors around. Seeing the water froth up, she held her ground, prepared to leap away once more...only to stare as the liquid rose in the air in the form of a whirlpool instead. Yup, it's definitely the age thing. At least half a dozen of these waterspouts swirled about, trying to suck in whatever they could reach. To her amazement, this included creeping partway onto land already soaked by the siren's earlier attacks. Neat trick, but that's not going to stop me! She swept her wand outward in a half-circle in front of her, leaving a number of glowing dots in its wake. These swiftly condensed into many beams of light that shot outward...only to break against the waterspouts with no effect. Shoot, it's not strong enough! I could use that ...but I need to save it for the siren, not just her defenses. I need a clear view! With that, she began to run, attempting to move beyond the rippling curtain of water. Yet before she took more than a few strides, the spouts slid back into the water and followed her movements, blocking the siren from view and preventing another barrage of light from reaching the target. ...that is so not fair! The suction was too powerful to risk dodging between them more importantly, if she went into the water, she lost what little advantage came from not being in the siren's element. Her gaze darted from one object to another for a second, until an idea finally came to mind. I've got it! She spun the wand between her fingers once before tossing it into the air. Halfway through the mid-air spin, it flashed and shrunk when it dropped into her hands again, the trumpet had taken its place. Let's break apart those waves with a melody in another key! Dissonance Cadenza! A series of discordant, off-key notes came from the instrument nearly as soon as she raised it to her lips. The sound not only clashed with the natural harmony within the rush of water, but - as strange as that was - visibly smashed against the waterspouts, tightening around them in repetitive waves of glowing golden notes. Gradually, the whirling shapes faltered, then slowed...and, as the opposing force began to overwhelm it, wobbled once before bursting apart. Water tumbled from the skies in a rush of moisture, like a sudden rainstorm that lacked the clouds to go with it. In a matter of seconds, she was soaking wet, but her expression was delighted. Hah! Now, time to finish this! The musical instrument dropped down and away after a quick flip in her hands, seeming to shift in color and shape until it resolved into the wand yet again. Symphonic--! The wand was pointed directly at the lake, its gem sparkling like a captured star, but her phrase ground to a halt. Hey! Wh-where did it go? As the last drops of water hit the dirt, the surface of the lake calmed into its usual calm, flat appearance...and there was no sign of anything in the center, monster or otherwise. No music rang out to break the silence. Slowly, though, birds began to chirp in the distance, signaling the fading of sunset. ....aaaaaagh! She used the whirlpools as a distraction and ran away! It was her turn to growl in frustration now. I hate it when they do that! Not caring if she was watched or not, the oddly dressed girl shouted at nothing in particular, then stomped a foot on the soaked earth repeatedly. Now I have to spend all night tracking that siren down again! She seemed to fume a bit more before dashing off into the growing darkness, and vanished in an instant. About a minute later, not far away from the building housing the women's bathroom, there was a small flash of light. Kaori's face peeked out from behind the structure. Then the rest of her appeared as she crept out of her hiding place and began to sneak back into the building proper. Just have to go back in the bathroom and walk out, nothing to it. Careful...careful... She held her breath, not wanting to be seen or heard just yet. It wasn't like she had been doing anything wrong. Nope, not at all! It was just easier if she could pretend that she hadn't seen anything...then she wouldn't have to answer any questions about it. The bathroom door creaked audibly as she pushed it open, ducking inside as fast as she could. Whew...