Lightning Soldier Aurelia [Lady Grimoire x Azecreth]

[Lady Grimoire]

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Lightning Soldier Aurelia
The Fallen Heroine (?)​

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White hair that had long since dried curled around the back of Rose's neck, and spilled down over her shoulder in the front. Long enough to cover half of her chest, it was really the only claim to modesty she had in the moment--for she sat otherwise bare at the desk in front of the widow, sectioned off from the rest of her studio apartment with little dividers. Fortunately, about a dozen floors up, nobody was likely to see, except perhaps a peeping tom in one of the buildings over, if they were inclined to look.

The sound of her pen softly scratching at the paper as she darkened the pencil sketch were one of the few sounds in the apartment, the only other being Rose herself when she shifted, or made her chair creak. She had no clock in this part of her room, for a clock spoke of deadlines, which were something she often missed, though the sound as they flew by was sometimes amusing. Even still, she could see from the setting sun, which had forced her to turn on one of the three lights she had dotted about, it was getting late.

For most that meant bed. For Rose, it was a question on how much sleep she would be getting tonight. Unlike her, some things didn't need to rest, and it was irritating at times. The rewards though, perhaps, more than worth it. Months ago she'd never had been able to sit like this in front of a window, let alone having left a trail of wet footprints from the bathroom in her entrance hall, leading through the kitchen, and disappearing onto the carpet. No, she'd stay in the bathroom until she was fully dressed, even when she was alone. Which she quite frequently was since she lived alone.

Up the stairs to her bed told of her other hobby--there was a low shelf along the wall lined with books. Above them, more art like the one she was drawing. Covers of comics, and graphic novels, one in particular far more than any other: Lightning Soldier Aurelia. That same style of cover was exactly what Rose was working on now, inking the large beast that sat across from the white-haired heroine, Aurelia. If not reading, or drawing, Rose was simply relaxing, laying in her sunbed next to the window, or napping. Boring was a word some used to describe her, especially when she spoke of her hobbies. If only they knew.

With a little groan, Rose stretched her arms up above her head, and set down her pen. Her green eyes scanned across the skyline, and then, she turned her eyes down as she fished up her necklace. It was a simple thing: a clear crystal with two little wings to either side. The nude woman gave it a hard stare for several long moments, and then, languidly turned in her seat and rolled up onto her feet. It was much like her hair, and Aurelia's for that matter, it changed colour, frequently. Signalling danger, or warnings. Clear meant she could crawl onto something soft for a little nap and that was exactly what she planned to do.

First, over to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water, then up the stairs to the second floor where her bed lay. Briefly, she glanced at the small framed tablet she had on an endtable nearby. It had come with the necklace, and to most people, would likely only be a point of conversation. To Rose, it meant something much more. At one point, it had been a list of tasks, all listed next to clear gems. Now, only one remained whose gem remained clear. It was a task Rose had some disdain for, but thus far, she hadn't needed whatever it might unlock, and was fairly confident it would remain that way.

Her athletic frame dropped down onto her knees on her bed, then she slithered her way up toward her pillow before setting her head down facing the window. Both of her hands slipped under her pillow to prop herself up some, and she kicked up her feet as well, enjoying the sensation of the cloth against her bare skin. Most of her days were not slow, nor boring, and it seemed this one would be--something she welcomed. She had seen far too much excitement as of late in her other life, and this was a welcome reprieve.

Letting her eyes flutter closed, she also let her legs back down onto the bed, for the moment, her biggest question being whether she should stop being lazy and slip under the covers, or just fall asleep as she was. The idea that someone might have a view of her through one of her windows was an... exciting thought that made her wish to stay put. Then, another thought occured, and she turned her head to the little box on one of the bottom levels of the bookshelf nearby. A simple thought of whether or not she would give potential voyuers a special little show.

It had, after all, been some time since she had a nice, slow night to relax, and used that night to relax in a way she had come to enjoy--quite thoroughly.

 

[Azecreth]

Lightning Soldier Aurelia. A cartoon character, a comic, but more than just that. Not that there was any way for the world to know of the dark creatures that lurked in the dark, that threatened them from every corner. Surely it would have driven many to despair had they known, but for now they could rest comfortably in their ignorance and their bliss.

But just because they did not know did not mean there was nothing out there. Monsters preyed upon people in the shadows, attacking the poor, the homeless, and growing more bold all the time as they sought to snuff out the light of the world. It was up to people such as Aurelia to fight them and to ensure that they did not triumph. It was a battle that did not end, and showed no sign of ending any time soon.

As such, for Rose it meant that she had to eke out what moments of calm that she could. She could never tell when she would be called upon to take up the mantle of the Lightning Soldier again, to fight for truth, justice, and to defend mankind from those terrors in the dark that waited. This was one such moment where she could indulge herself, and take pleasure in the comfort that she had now grown to enjoy so much. Being a magical girl had changed her, but at the moment it did not seem like it was an unwelcome change. Doubtlessly she had long since gotten used to it.

But if she was hoping that it would be a peaceful night, her hopes would soon be dashed upon the stones. It stirred in the darkness, winding out of some long forgotten corner of the nearby train station. It wound down unlit tunnels and hidden alcoves, growing more powerful until it was at last ready to strike. Then the screaming would start, the panic as people were dragged off into the shadows, attacked, and destruction was visited upon the train station. All to draw out that heroine of justice that would surely respond to the attack, as she had before.

In turn the clear gem that was hers by right would respond, shifting to a pulsing amber hue to warn her of the danger that was present, the attack that had been launched. Naturally, it was almost perfectly timed to where she had been able to excite herself without finding any sort of release. But when duty called, well, she would just have to decide how important it was

 

[Lady Grimoire]

Rose reached out toward that little box she had eyed earlier, and her fingers danced across the upper edge as she debated pulling it out toward her. Mind weighing the upsides and downsides--of which they were few--and as she finally started to tug it toward her, that necklace that loosely hang around her neck began to glow. Immediately, she frowned, and sat up while bringing up one of her hands to cup it in her palm and raise it to she could see.

Lips pressed thin, she regarded it silently for a few moments. Then, slowly clasped it into her palm while she closed her eyes. Her reaction more of concern over those who might be getting hurt over her night being ruined--the fact that something had come out, over letting those she protected have at least one more peaceful night. When she had first started out, she had to dart about the town, seeking out the danger herself, but as she unlocked more of her powers, she uncovered a new means of finding the creatures.

Concentrating, her mind reached out, aided with the help of the amulet. She watched as streets and buildings flashed by, her mind jumping from one person to the next. Inside of car, to inside a diner, to someone staring at a newspaper until it finally settled--she watched herself walking through the front doors of the train station she recognized to be nearby, and across the open floor. The gaze she shared shifted down to peer at a ticket, and then, down a set of stairs toward one of the platforms where she felt a sense of unease. Few lights, those that were there flickered, and then a scream from the darkness. Whomever the second sight had linked her to turned to run, and then, found the world turned wrong--the floor became the ceiling, the ceiling the floor. Bags fell and bounced down the stairs, another scream, and then Rose was thrown onto her back with a gasp.

For a moment, she lay there, blinking. Most times, she had been able to glimpse where it was she was needed, and glimpse what she was to face, her mental projection only ending when she ended it--yet here she had been forced out, and pushed back. It instilled within her a sense of urgency, that this was one of the more powerful threats, and made her quickly snap-to and scramble to her feet. In the same motion that she did that, she smoothly pulled her necklace free, and tossed it into the air. It flared a white light, and chased after her as she scrambled down the stairs from her bed--then leaped from still half-way up to the floor.

Mid-jump, two white ribbons of glowing light shot forth from the amulet, down, and encircled her feet. Each one wrapping a foot, and then up her leg. As the ribbon reached her calves, her boots too shape, solid, and sturdy, with a slight heel, and lined with silver, it wasn't her bare feet but those she landed upon. Her descend softened by the fluttering of the little white wings which had appeared to the side of each of her ankles. The boots continued up her legs to her knees, and the ribbn ended mid-thigh, everything passed her knee becoming a white stocking.

Then, she took off on her left foot, dashing toward the full-length window just across from the stairs. More ribbons came down, four in all, encircling her body, forming a suit of white-silver armor which hugged her form, and only accentuated her figure rather than covered it up in bulky plate. The armor extended up, covering her upper chest, and offering some protection for her neck as well as going out to each of her sides to cover her upper arms.

With blinding speed, the necklace then darted ahead of Rose, right up against the window. The long chain pulled in, and it turned into a small gem while the glass around it rippled, and wobbled, like it had been turned to a liquid. It rested at a level that when Rose reached it and ran throughi t, it was pressed into her chest, just above her breasts, where upon the armor shifted some to create a little place to hold it as Rose leaped not just out the window, but, straight through it and out into the open night air.

Fairly high up, and gravity being a thing, she immediately began to fall. Once more, a flare of white and silver threads came out from the gem, wrapped around her body, and formed a pair of small angelic wings. Two more silvery threads wound down her arms, forming white gloves which went up to her elbows, meeting the armor, while a final one went up her neck, and formed a small mask which covered her forehead and nose leaving only space for her eyes.

In all, it took no more than a few minutes for Rose to go from her bed, to gliding softly on small wings down toward where the train station was. Landing upon a nearby rooftop, just a hop, skip and a jump away from the station itself, she then crouched down and peered down toward the buildng. There she waited for a few moments, to see if it was coming out as it had seemed to be quite close to the entrance, or if it was to hide inside.

And if after a few moments it did not come out, she would hop from the building, glide down to the street and dash across, through the doors, and into the station itself in order to chase it down before anyone else could be harmed.

Normally, she would have been more careful. Transforming upon the roof, being far less dramatic, but the proximity and concern over its power urged her to act somewhat rashly--it didn't help that her mind had become somewhat... preoccupied, and even as she waited there she tried to dispel those exhibitionist thoughts and musings from her mind, in order to calm herself, and focus on whatever was threatening the people of her town. One of, if not the only, downside to these newfound powers and the effort she had gone through to unlock them was that it left her mind as far from that of a prude one could be.

 

[Azecreth]

Long had the Lightning Soldier proven a hindrance to the plans of whatever dark being lurked in the shadows. They had tried to deal with her before, and with her brief mental encounter it was not difficult to guess that they were preparing to make another effort not only to plant a foothold in the mundane world, but to take her out as well. Why else would such a being as the one she was going to face have such mental fortitude to resist her powers? Now the only question was what it was planning to do with the people that it was attacking in the train station. As experience would say, likely nothing good.

She was quick to arrive at the train station with nothing to hinder her progress, transformed into her costume and ready to fight. At least there wasn't a crowd around, since it was late at night and people were busy fleeing from whatever was inside. So she could proceed into the train station at her leisure, to face the being that waited for her within.

Inside she would find clear signs of the pandemonium that had developed. Scattered luggage, overturned furniture, doors swinging, and dull lights continuing to blaze away. There was no immediate sign of whatever it was, but the sounds from further in, of crashing, the occasional scream, and a percolating sensation of dark magic would be clear signs that she was in the right place. It just hadn't made it this far yet. Good for her since that meant that it was still contained to this area. Otherwise there would be more problems on hand.

Moving past the turnstiles and further into the station, things began to shift. The lights flickered and the appearance of fighting could be seen. Cracked marble and stone, shattered windows, blood. Black moss wound its way around in long, thin strands emanating from a point somewhere further in, back near where maintenance was done and spare parts were kept. Naturally it got darker the further she went towards there, and the punctuated sounds of people in distress emanated from there as well. Though it was starting to become...less frequent, as the oppressive sensation of dark magic rose. She didn't have much time if she wanted to rescue them.

 

[Lady Grimoire]

At her liesure was a sprint across the street, and all but bursting through the front door of the building. Breath somewhat quickened already, heart pumping, no fear to be found but certainly adrenaline, and worry. Rose's first few rushed steps within the building slowed when she saw the empty building before her, her green eyes scanning about for signs of people, or what had taken them. A click sounded with each footfall as her heel connected with the marble flooring found just beyond the entrance. The screams urged her to hurry on, her experience and position as the Lightning Soldier urged her caution, lest she run headfirst into something and let it get the drop on her.

It left Rose taking an odd pace that wasn't quite a jog, but wasn't quite a brisk walk either. Quick steps, followed by shorter, slower strides, all taking her deeper in. Half-way through the lobby, she paused, and turned on her heel--dashing back to the door as a thought occured to her. It would be horrible if someone else stumbled into this, or worse, stumbled upon her, so she set about hastilylocking the doors, putting down the door stoppers, and she even tried to close the shutters only to find it wasn't as easy as pressing a button. If nothing else, a locked door would keep anyone else out, even if it meant it kept those trying to flee inside.

As long as she beat this creature, though, it wouldn't be an issue. The delay, however, sent her running in the opposite direction once she was finished, smoothly jumping, and gliding over the turnstyles. Broken glass crunched beneath her boots, and she followed the cracked marble, hoping to find the source, the dark magic she could feel--stronger than she had felt it before--giving rise to some anxiety. Which didn't help her whole plan to approach cautiously, and not get caught with her skirt down.

It got darker, the screams less frequent, but it only made her grow more worried. What if it was going down the tracks to the next station? The platform would be loaded with people! Thoughts of her own safety fled her mind, and those small wings on her boots animated some and flapped, spurring her across rooms, and up hallways faster than any normal human could. Pushing through any doors in her way, heading toward the screams, which she assumed was the platforms, to see if that is where the beast was. Along the way, the necklace-turned-gem on her chestpiece began to glow a bright white, providing illumination, all the while making her stick out like a sore thumb.

The Lightning Warrior had beat everything that had come before, surely, Rose figured, this wouldn't be any different. It didn't mean it would be easy, but she could handle it. That's what she told herself.

 

[Azecreth]

The Lightning Soldier raced forwards, her powers providing for additional illumination as well as speed. As she raced forward the signs of combat and chaos would continue to make themselves known, the whole station in disarray from the attack that had taken place. This sort of thing had to be familiar to her, but whether that lessened the seriousness of the situation only she could determine. People were in jeopardy after all, and counting on her to save them and end this threat before it became any worse.

As she moved further in, the corruption grew worse. The tendrils of black moss grew thicker, multiplying strands that grew closer to covering the walls and ceilings on all sides of her the closer she got to the platform. There was also a growing humidity in the air, one that carried with it the potent stench of corrupt magic in the air. Also something she was likely used to, and one that would pull her towards whatever foul things were afoot here. It was her job to cleanse this after all, and that meant tracking it down to the source.

Moving on to the platform of the station, she would see more signs of the destruction that had been unleashed here. A train car was overturned, wrapped in crushing black vines and left on its side up halfway on the platform itself. Crumpled bodies laid here and there, some killed instantly while others had taken longer to depart from this mortal coil. Only a few lights flickered, leaving herself as the main source of illumination for now. Furniture was overturned, signs were hanging down, and the sound of skittering creatures would be heard nearby.

From the overturned train car a loud clanging sound would be heard before the back door that was fallen onto the platform itself swung open. A screech issued as a misshapen creature dropped to the ground. It had large black eyes and sharp claws. The being itself looked like had once been human, but flesh had melted like wax under heat to have many folds and a form that nothing living would have as it instilled a primal fear. It looked around and quickly caught sight of her before charging at her with mindless swipes. It seemed that her opponent had minions already, and that was not good.

 

[Lady Grimoire]

Rose tried to avoid the black moss--she tried her best. Running aside it, leaping over it, but when she had little choice, she ran across it. It was the people who were being harmed that spurred her forward more than anything else, defeating whatever beast would stem the tide of corrupt magic, as it had always done. When she finally hit the overturned train car, she skidded to a halt and peered around.

Grimacing at the sight, she was about to check to see if anyone was alive when she heard the clanging sound. Both her eyes honed in on the source, and she practically snarled. Instantly, her thoughts turned. The best way she could help these people would be to destroy this abomination. Her left hand came up and touched the gemstone on her chest as it charged in and drew close, with her smoothly jumping backward and gliding back to touch down on her right, then left.

Electricity crackled around her hand, then her arm abruptly snapped down--arm outstretched. The lightning still remained around her hand and wrist, but also remained around the gem--a moment later a bolt of lightning shot down the length of her arm from the gemstone, snapping like thunder, forming what appeared like lightning in her hand before her fingers closed around it. Immediately, the bolt stretched out, and formed into a solid object--a short spear. Long, white, and metal, with a large silver tip, and two little wings coming off of it.

Then, she kicked off on her right foot, the wings on her ankles flapping to send her hurling through the air straight toward the creature--spear posed and aimed right at the beast's chest. "You don't belong here--go back to the foul place that spawned you!"

 

[Azecreth]

If the creature had been taken off guard by the sudden appearance of a weapon, it gave no indication. It also did not make any move to divert itself from its current path as it moved towards her, much to its detriment. The wincing sound of the blade sinking into flesh filled the air as the thing was speared, throwing it back at the same time from the sheer force of the impact. It slammed into the wall and struggled in place for a few moments, hissing and reaching out towards her before trying to remove the spear instead. It was an effort doomed to failure, as the creature soon slumped over.

Unlike a normal human the blood was a thick black as it ran down from where it had been impaled, and once she removed her spear it would fall to the ground with no life left in it. That was one minion down, though it did not solve the larger problem of the monster that she had to deal with. A monster that was presumably still lurking somewhere in the tunnels and looking for more victims. And she did not need to be told what that would mean for her.

But she had other things to worry about. As if drawn by the death of the first one, two more of those things would appear, trying to clamber up the train car to get at her. They looked just as grotesque as the one she had fought already, though in different ways. She could always dodge past them and run down the tunnel anyway, but they were likely to be about as threatening as the one she had fought before. It just depended on whether she thought that she had the time to spare for that sort of thing, as they drew ever closer to where she was right now.

 

[Lady Grimoire]

It had always been unpleasant--the way her weapon felt in her hand as it pierced into some monster's hide, the sound it made, but Rose had long gotten over the shudders that usually followed it. Both of her hands stood ready to conjure herself another weapon as she watched the beast struggle with a steely gaze, but once it ceased moving, she relaxed some--a breath escaping from her lips at the same time. What she had sensed here, the power... she hadn't yet found the source, there was no way something like that would go down so easily, which meant--Rose turned her head aside. The implications disturbing. The only thing she could hope was that the beast was birthed, and not a person turned.

She took a few steps forward in order to retrieve her weapon when the excess noise coming from the train car caught her ear, and she gave a sidelong glance toward the other creatures rising up. Two more. It wasn't the first time she had dealt with something which had minions, but too many would overwhelm her, a thought which drew up a memory. And then, she shuddered, for a brief moment able to recall what it felt like to be on her knees, arms pinned, and creature all about her.

Pushing it aside, she clenched her fists and let her nails dig into her palms to help snap her back into reality--into the present. Bringing her left hand up to her chest again, she touched the gem, and then slowly closed her palm against it. Light radiated outward from the cracks in her fingers as she pulled her hand back, then shifted her stance, sliding one foot back and putting more of her weight on the lead foot, ready to kick off into a sprint.

Rose picked a path, closed her eyes, and turned her head down toward the ground. A second later she tossed her hand up, and released her fingers around the lightspark she held in her palm. In an instant, the entire area was filled with a blindly bright flash of light. Akin to a flashbomb, but much brighter, and she, likewise, took off on her lead foot in the same moment--eyes only opening again a few seconds later once the light had passed. She didn't intend to blind herself too, after all.

With the creatures hopefully temporarily incapacitated, Rose moved to sprint passed them, and further down the tunnel toward what she presumed was the cause of the whole mess she'd uncovered so far. If she encountered more of the creatures, she would have to deal with them, she was sure, but those two... she hopefully could just leave behind, using her speed to outpace them. Plus, if downing one drew out too, more prolonged fighting might just catch her in an escalating battle. Better to run from a fight, so she could win the battle, than get stuck tiring herself out against minions... or, worse, people. She hoped these weren't people, and if they were, there would be something she could do for them later.