Dmex encounters Yomata & engages in battle

Caprise was quietly inspecting the peak of the mountain, content with the height of it all- he felt the winds whip from the north, chillier than usual, likely due to the height. And when his gaze sought the ocean's edge, it found misty islands in the distance instead.

He smiled, and nodded.

Once more, the symbol materialized on his forehead, making his fringe sway back and forth with its radiant energy. Then his hand dipped into his satchel, and a--

--pillow was pulled out?

Caprise plopped it onto the stone infront of Dmex, before sitting down on it, cross-legged. "Stand near me and focus cosmic mana in your fingertip, and then touch my forehead... Okay?"

Following the request, he closed his eyes, his palms meeting infront of him, still as the distant ocean. For now, he worked on emptying his mind, filtering out all emotion to become as relaxed as possible.
(Caprise)

Behind her mask, Dmex's focus was thrown from sight to sight - Caprise, the sudden buildings, the beautiful ocean view... and the clear night sky above.

When given her instructions, her eyes shut, taking in that comfortable blackness - and focusing, primarily, on the miniscule bits of Caprise's light that still made their mark on her vision through closed eyes.

Alright. Deep breaths.

"...Star, or - whatever you are - please, just this once, follow my lead."

From the air, a few wisps of starlight materialize and encircle the tip of her pointer finger. Pure Cosmic light.

And ever so gently, she presses it towards the glowing sign on his forehead.
(Dmex)
In his lax state, he felt the starlight from her finger intermingle with the pure, golden rays that beamed from his forehead. He focused on that sensation, that mana signature- trying to hone in on it...

"Spirits above, those in the cycle, those in the stars. Help to guide us, and take our mana as an offering to do so us." It was whispered out in his trance-like state, and in his deep focus, Caprise began to float a few inches off of the pillow. His eyes were still closed--he was still focusing on the connection that ran through Dmex's fingertips.

"Help Dmex's voice reach Yomata."
"Carry her words with you."

Around the two of them, etheral beings emerged, transparent and wispy- almost formless, like the wind could carry them off at any second.

(Caprise)
Although her primary focus still remained on trying to force the Cosmic energy along to Caprise, she'd heard... something, past it all.

Her eyes fell open, taking in the shape of each spirit-looking entity that arrived. Did she recognize them...?

Around her finger, the light only shines brighter - and she shuts her eyes tightly once again. She didn't want to potentially interrupt Caprise's meditation by saying something.

After all, he's made it far enough to start levitating, so that's a good sign.
(Dmex)
He repeats it again, and again... Almost like a chant, quiet but clear.

"Help Dmex's voice reach Yomata. Carry her words with you,
Help Dmex's voice reach Yomata. Carry her words with you,
Help Dmex's voice reach Yomata. Carry her words with you,"

And as he did so, the spirits around them would circle the group, staring with their blank, misty faces. Particles of cosmic, silver blue and deep gold, were starting to become more frequent around the two as the ritual progressed, dancing about them.

"...Speak to them, Dmex. Call them here," he urges, feeling that it was time.
(Caprise)
Even if it was repetition, Dmex still hung onto every word like they were of vital importance, listening past them and expecting some crack, some point this all goes wrong.

There was still the feeling of something moving past them, encircling them, but she didn't let it break her focus.

The shroud of light around one finger starts to shift, grow, meld around the rest of her shape - before she takes a deep breath.

"Yomata - finality - the dream of Eqarba -"

...Was this too far?

"With the grace of time, I welcome you - and welcome your servant above, the one who has chosen me."
(Dmex)
The spirits parted with the message, dispersing into the air- in an instant, they were gone, perhaps to carry on the words spoken. Caprise sat there silently, still in a deep state of focus as he levitated from the pillow.

There wasn't any strain on his expression- rather, he was at ease. Clear of mind, and in the moment.

A minute went by. Each second was likely painfully tense for Dmex.

But then it happened. She felt the presence she had known for so long, descending down with winds sweeping with enough force to make the flames in the fire basin falter. The overwhelming presence would feel like a heavy weight on Dmex's mind, and she'd struggle to stand.

When she finally regained some focus, Yomata was there, where Caprise once was. Cross-legged, floating, her eyes an empty blue starlight, shining in their stare on Dmex. They mirrored their contractee's form.

"Do you think you are ready?"
(Caprise)
The moment it happened felt like a snap. Something breaking inside her.

Her eyes opened with all the strength of a dying animal getting one last look at its killer, and what greeted her was... surreal.

Herself, reflecting everything except the eyes, and an uncomfortable, impossible sensation just from being near it.

Even despite its appearance baring no resemblance to the black cloud she'd seen, long ago, she knew exactly who she was facing.

Yomata - in something of a human vessel.

"...I'm so, so very sorry it took this long to meet you again."

The light surrounding her assists her to a stand, prevents her from collapsing again under the sheer, spiritual weight of the experience.

"I'm ready."
(Dmex)
In the presence of Yomata, Dmex could feel her cosmic connection strengthening, able to call on it much more easily. She was so close to the embodiment of her star, after all.

Using Caprise as a vessel, the spirit stood up, standing against the thin air. They had a plain, distant expression, two unreal blue etheral eyes above thin, straight lips. An aura of seriousness about them as starlight practically danced nearby, circling up and down.

"Then you will show me."

Thier hand lifted up, and in the center of it, a blue orb of potent etheral energy manifested...

It was to be a battle.
(Yomata)
...Some part of her knew this was how it was going to go. For a moment or two, she briefly panicked, expecting her own Cosmic mana to side with the entity that governed it - and yet, it came naturally to her side.

Taking a few more shallow breaths, she drew in as much of her own starlight as she could, feeling genuine control and synergy between it and herself.

"...I hope I'm up to the task."

One hand snapped off to the side, leaving a bright yellow trail, striking a contrast with the blue she stood against.

"Odd, standing off against its manifestation, but - time's grace."
(Dmex)
Every strike was perfect, every movement refined- Yomata was a crushing wave that had dragged Dmex under its weight, drowning her. Using Caprise as a vessel, blue starlight burned around them as blasts of energy rocketed into Dmex.

Then with a wave of their hand a jolt of lightning cracked down from above, narrowly missing but sending them off and away in the explosive impact.

Their empty, etheral gaze of midnight blue looked forward, and they repeated once more, "Do you think you are ready?"
(Yomata)
It's hard to describe the sheer gulf between their skill - strikes that Dmex landed were not properly due to the spirit's own deficiencies, rather, how unprepared Caprise's body was to be a vector.

Not that many things alive could act as a true vector for something like Yomata.

Lightning, dark-blue starlight, both blasted into her and threw her around. Illusions and Cosmic of her own felt like feigned swings against an absent target.

Still, she was still moving, still breathing.

"In all honesty? Absolutely not."

Staggering, she brought herself back to a proper stand.

"That's never stopped me before."
(Dmex)
There was the slightest hint of approval on an otherwise blank expression when Dmex said that it had not stopped her before, the entity tipping their chin back some. Dark blue lightning crackled around their fingertips then before Yomata re-enaged once more--disappearing and re-emerging infront of Dmex, to land a clean, lightning-charged punch right into her stomach.

The impact was enough to rocket her off of the cliff, spiralling down the hill... And Yomata chased them, exchanging blows as the two descended downwards, to more open grounds.

Despite being pummeled, one thing Dmex would note is that she could manipulate her cosmic magic with far more potency as the battle went in. Her connection with Yomata was improving in the midst of the fight.

It ended when the entity caught Dmex in a ring of blue ether- a binding prison that choked her arms, wrapping around her. She was too tired to keep fighting. Yomata held her up with the scruff of her neck, using the kind of supernatural strength that Caprise lacked.
"...Perhaps you are ready. Your spirit has grown powerful over the years, more resilient."

Following the whisper, the starlight dispersed and Caprise returned. He blinked up and instantly released Dmex, likely sending her to the ground beneath. The ring of energy dematerialized as he came to his senses and the star-spirit was gone.

"Did--did it work?"
(Yomata)

Impact after impact swung from one to another, and through it all - the considerable pain - she never stopped. Her movements were synchronized with starlight, pushing her onward, dragging her back to her feet when she fell.

Everything was brighter, smoother, so much better - even if it wasn't enough to technically claim victory.

In a blur of electric motion, she'd found her place in a much more open clearing, but before she had a chance to find pleasure in this - she was bound, forced to a halt.

She let out an exhausted breath when the thing's voice rose once again, only barely cracking a smile before it subsides, and Caprise let her drop.

Cosmic energy still rings around her, although - definitely weaker - and she gives him a shaky thumbs-up.

"...I think it did. I - lost, but - it worked."
(Dmex)
Caprise quickly descended down to his knees, staring at her worriedly. His hand moved for her cheek, cupping it some, as he forced a smile- while, of course, looking her over- thankful to find that there were no major injuries.

"It did? You spoke to them? That's great," he murmured quietly, "We should get you back though. Look at how dark it is-" He did as he mentioned, with the only light nearby the weakened waves of comic around her.

"Aah! I'm excited for you, anyway!"

It took him far too long to realize just how tired his own body was, as if there was some sort of delay in the impact. His mana was completely exhausted, and it made him blink once, glancing around. Yamata had went all out on him...
(Yomata)

When one of Caprise's hands moves towards her face, she flinches - fully expecting the starlight to return in full force, everything being merely a smokescreen for another fight.

...Yet, it doesn't appear to happen. She doesn't share the same enthusiasm as him, at least, not visibly. Only a slight smile.

"I'm - I'm not sure what's changed, exactly - but I'm-"

She moves one of her free hands towards Caprise's - focusing and expecting more of a delay between her own movement and the trail of light that follows behind, but the two act in sync.

"It - I saw blue light around it, and it felt - almost -"

Slowly, Dmex shakes her head, and tries to push herself back to her feet.

"...I feel like I'm about to pass out. Could we get moving?"
(Dmex)
Caprise says, "<-He smiles down at her and then offers a hand, as they likely stumble their way back->"
When the two come to a stop outside of their actual house, Dmex lets out another series of long, shallow breaths, before half-collapsing against the door.

"My head feels - kind of..."

She presses one hand against her temple, trying to probe for the right word.

"Dizzy - different. Everything feels a bit... different."

Her head tilts off towards Caprise, seeing if he had a better answer, maybe something lingering about from his own possession-type event.

"It said I might be ready for something, but - what, exactly...?"
(Dmex)
Caprise stared toward her with a hint of concern, a faint smile to him, "Just- really tired over here, the physical kind. Not like I need to sleep or anything, but my body could do with rest, you know?"

"If things feel different, maybe that's because your connection has been strengthened. And that you're ready for- mm, calling on your star?"

He took some steps toward her and, rather childishly, leaned in to pat her head while wearing a wide, toothy grin, "I'm proud of you."
(Caprise)
After a short nod, Dmex weakly grasps for the handle to the door behind her, but fumbles with it too hard to achieve anything of value.

"I don't - know how to explain how I feel. It's like - "

She attempts to stand up straighter, but only falls back and rests against the wood of the door once again.

" - I'm drained, but there's just... something else there, pushing me forward. It's just a matter of..."

Dmex takes in yet another deep breath - and extends a hand off to the side, trying to make a motion to grab for something.

Cosmic light surrounds it as she does so - and her smile brightens at the shade. Something of a deeper blue, not quite to the degree that Yomata had, but close.

"...Grasping it."
(Dmex)
"It's pretty," Caprise whispers out, staring at the starlight with awe. Gold was the common color that marked a cosmic magi, but not all stars were the same. This was something unique, that had his fingers curl down around it, squeezing, "Very much so."
(Caprise)
Her hand grabbed for his, keeping the same aura, the same dark blue color as she did so.

For a time, she was silent, simply watching it weave and dance through the air - intersped with bright yellow wisps, more befitting of her previous Cosmic light.

"It - when I saw Yomata, again, it looked almost like me -"

Drawing on the memory - and maybe, too, this new score of energy - she was able to get back to a full stand.

"But surrounded in... that. Blue light. The night sky."
(Dmex)
He watched it silently, indulging in the soothing colors that radiated off of her skin. "It is their brand of cosmic, then. The starlight. And it will be yours now that you can conjure it, mmm..."

"Interesting," Caprise concluded through a grin, before his round green eyes shifted to stare forward at her.
(Caprise)


Dmex says, "...If you don't mind, I'm also interested in sleep, right about now."

Dmex says, "I'm not sure how much longer I can hold this."
Dmex lets the shroud of starlight drop, -finally- managing to get herself through the door shortly after.
(Dmex)
Caprise says, "Aah yes, rest up! You must be exhausted."
Dmex says, "Yes, yes."
Dmex says, "...Thank you for everything, Caprise."
Caprise exclaims, "Night night, Dmex. And sh!"