At Lilly's request, Alexander put up a force-field on Lilly. Since he didn't have anything else he needed to do, he put as much effort as he could into keeping it up at full power. Unlike his barriers, force-fields were completely transparent, so he didn't have to worry about it blowing her cover. Well...unless someone attacked her. But if she was attacked hard enough to show that she had some supernatural protection, then that meant that they had a whole slew of different problems 'I'm still not sure about this. But if anyone can convince that girl to help us, it's Lilly...probably'

Before Lily entered the Pit Stop

‘Mistress. The Sweethearts are arriving.’ Mariette suddenly heard whispered into her ear by Eli. Eli was currently hiding in a nearby tree, an artificial vegetation placed there to improve the scenery, spying there under the cover of Darkness magic for unwelcome visitors. With her she had a small portal that led directly to Mariette’s ear, and she could but feel the disappointment. They were here, huh.

‘Tell our friends they can join us, should they wish. Warn them it may not be a friendly meeting, however.’ Mariette whispered back, not intending on being heard by those in front of her.

‘Understood.’ Eli said, before turning to another portal, which had been prepared for them.

@t2wave@Shifter_Master

‘There is no ambush. You may join if you wish. Mistress warns that it may not be a friendly meeting.’ Eli told them through a portal Mariette had prepared to wherever they may be waiting, if they wanted to come. In that case then currently it was Sue and Deni in there, with Mariette through a mirror on the table (hidden from plebian eyes by darkness magic) and Lily currently heading in.

“Trust me, if Suwako hadn’t pinned Lily I would have.” Replied Penny as she easily climb up the car jack, she noted what looked to be a makeshift bed on top, old sheets and a pillow that was falling apart. “And I’m doubtful I would have been as nice. When you Redline like that it can easily go very, very bad.” She added. She was talking from personal experience as her transformation didn’t make her a Monster girl as Lily’s did, Penny would transform almost completely to a monster.

“I think most of Alex’s problem is that he has a crush or something on Lily, only thing I can think of for such a knee jerk reaction.” Penny explained as she shook that train of thought away before hopping down “Because Lily wasn’t in much danger. Between Me, you, and Suwako one of us was going to pull her out of the fire regardless.”

“Anyway, found a bed up there. So at least one person is sleeping here, any luck on your end?” She asked as she once again she scanned the inside of the building. She doubted that there would be a whole lot that they would be able to gather from this place, outside of proof that someone was living here.

Still made her feel better about her own lair, she had at least made sure it was defended and trapped. Not to mention out of the way and… Penny let out a sigh ‘Who knew I would make such a good monster?’ she mused after coming to the realization that despite being relatively new to all this she at least had a good idea on how to set up a liar. She couldn’t even pin the blame on Laat for that one; He destroyed things he didn’t build them.

@Flamelord

---

“Sounds like a party” Violet stated as she stood up from her spot on the roof “I’m slipping through” She warned Eli before she slid through the small portal they had kept open for the occasion.

She landed softly at the base of the tree, and a quick glance told her no one saw her, or no one assumed anything weird about it. Sometimes it was good to be lucky.

She quickly moved in to the diner, and gave it a nod of satisfaction as she did. It was a nice place. Upon entering she easily saw Deni and who she assumed was Sue already sitting down with someone she didn’t recognize.

With a shrug she walked over and sat next to Deni “Seems we weren’t the only friends to be brought” she said with a smile, completely ignoring Lily’s spoken request to Mariette.

@PlatinumSkink@BrokenPromise@Ariamis

Alicia Hayden

While Penny got one side of the main space, Alicia handled the other side. "That would explain it I suppose," she concurred with the assumption that Alex would not have reacted so harshly had he not been in some kind of relationship with Lily. It was unfortunate but there wasn't much they could do about it when they had not known. She just hoped that he didn't hold it against them for too long. They had enough people angry at them for no reason as it was.

It seemed they did have some evidence at least, though the bed itself could merely be the sign of some homeless person bunking there rather than a monster girl. But as Alicia prodded the piles of junk something caught her eye, earning a frown. "Yeah, I've got some stone shavings over here, and they don't look like they're from concrete," she replied as she turned around and stepped over towards Penny.

She made one last sweep of the room before nodding to Penny. "I think we can safely say there's at last one monster girl here, perhaps a gargoyle or something like that. The only question is whether they're preying on innocent people, but I don't see any evidence of that here. We may have to stake out the building until thy get back to see for sure." Not her idea of a fun night, but there was no helping it she supposed.

@Shifter_Master

@Card Captor@PlatinumSkink@BrokenPromise@Ariamis

Seeing as her sister went, Sakura followed. "Guess we're doing this." Stepping through the portal she ended up in the same spot just before someone rounded the corner, narrowly missing her sudden appearance. A sigh of relief escaped her lips before heading to the diner.

The public setting was a little unsettling, as were the two newcomers to the table. She wasn't quite expecting to meet anyone new. Though she purposed it wasn't that big a deal. At least she knew everyone else present. She waved sheepishly and took a seat. Despite the uncomfortable gesture she still had a smile on her face and said cheerfully. "Hi there. Good to see you again Sue."

Sue submitted to Lily's bear hug without a fuss. Invading one's personal space seemed to be something magical girls did. Well, Amber was never like this, but she seemed to be the exception in most cases regarding magical girl etiquette. Sue didn't mind the closeness, but it was still a little difficult to relax. She wasn't use to be so close to all these people. “I-I'm happy to see you too, Lily.” Lilly was talking with Mariette now, so Sue didn't expect a response. “Oh, Hi Sakura, you too Violet!” In truth, Sue wished that she had a bit more time to talk with the portal queen. Though her inability to do so had less to do with everyone showing up and more to do with her dwindling mana. Between testing all of those clothes on her human form and arriving early, she didn't have a lot of time left. Of course, she could wish for more time, but it didn't seem fair to make the djinn do anything. They came here to relax like everyone else after all... Right? “Um, Deni?” Sue was still locked in Lily's hug, but did her best to face the disguised harpy. “T-thanks for coming. I realize it wasn't easy, walking into what could have been an ambush.” Sue folded her hands together. It was about the only thing she could do without moving Lily. “My time is running out, but I really would like to hear more about you. Do you think we might be able to meet up again in the future?”

@PlatinumSkink@Ariamis@Shifter_Master[@t2wave]

---

Shining scale waited in the dark. It smelled a little funny, but that was pretty normal for a sewer system. She knew this was the only place Mariette wouldn't think to look. Well, she suspected that was true anyway. The portal witch had proven that she was pretty capable at laying ambushes, but there wasn't any reason for her to check below street level was there? It was damp, dark, and smelly. Even if her underlings could see in the dark, the narrow passages and vile water gave Shining scale a very large advantage. It would just be a repeat of last time, only everyone would smell like the sewers. The only disadvantage to this hiding spot aside from the smell was that Amber couldn't really enter the Pit Stop without revealing herself. That was part of what made it a wholly worthwhile place to investigate however. But this was a trap that Shining Scale hopefully wouldn't have to use. Just some extra security should her friends get attacked by the portal witch.

Amber was not ignorant of what was going on inside the Pit Stop. She had requested Sue leave her cell phone on so that Amber could get a rough idea of what was going on inside. Sue wasn't happy with the choice, but honored her master's wish. Amber couldn't hear every spoken word, as the cell phone was in Sue's pocket book. But so long as she didn't hear anything exploding or Sue crying out her name, it meant things were going smoothly.

---

Elroy and Regina were back in their disguises, walking through the city.

“So Reggie.” Elroy was picking at his teeth with his thumb. “Are you still angry with the Asian lady?”

Regina looked away from Elroy sharply.”We don't connect with them at all!” Her arms remained folded as she walked. “I understand you and Ilia like that kind of antagonistic relationship, but I expected better from Umeko.”

“Really?” Elroy tipped his head. “Maybe this doesn't mean a lot coming from an animal, but I thought Asian lady was a nice person.”

“You're not an animal.” Regina sighed. “The fact that this is all a game to her is what bothers me 'Rex.' She acts like our fight for survival is some form of enjoyment.”

“It isn't?” Regina groaned. “Ha! Look I get it Regina, you like to have everything just so, and Asian lady is a little more party girl than you'd like.” Elroy grinned. “But she knows a lot more than us. She can answer all of those lingering questions that I can't.” He rapped his arm around Regina's waist and pulled himself closer. “Who knows, maybe the two of you will REALLY get to like each other eventually.”

Regina shoved Elroy away from herself. “Why do you have to be so gross?” She grit her teeth.

Elroy laughed. “I still can't believe we're the same person. But see, we could talk to Asian lady and figure this whole thing out. I'd say it would be better than talking to a bunch of random twins for their input.”

“I do find the fact that so many twins are gathered in this area interesting. And one pair was talking in a friendly manner with Caroline.” Regina shuttered. “I suppose Umeko isn't that bad if she's offering us sanctuary from such things. I guess can tolerate her.”

“First step to love is denial, don't make the vampire's mistake!” Elroy cackled. “Anyway, I wasn't kidding when I said I'd treat you to something.” He pulled some money out of his pocket. “That old man paid pretty generously, I think we can go somewhere fancy.” Regina acquired funds by having Elroy restrain wealth people so that she could “convince” them to pay her. Their last target was an old man. Regina noticed he had just mowed his lawn, so she made him remember Elroy mowing it. Then Elroy just had to approach the man to receive his payment.

“Well, where did you want to go?”

“It's not a ton of money...” Elroy rubbed his chin. “How about the Pit Stop?”

“NO!” Regina shouted. “It's too crowded! Especially this time of day. You know I don't like those kinds of places.”

“B-but cars!”

It would seem they still had a few things to work out.

---

Another day, another chance to balance the scales of power.

It amazed Tonya how frequently magical girls started fights over simple misunderstandings or petty things like territory. Magical girls were originally suppose to embody the pinnacle of virtue. Pure, innocent young girls who knew no evil and were unsullied by the horrors of the world. She could forgive a magical girl for not being born female or past adolescence, but too often did magical girls act and think like children for Tonya to feel comfortable. Well, it was whatever.

Her goal here was simple: Ensure the Bates survive despite overwhelming reinforcements.

This was going to be more challenging than last time, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. Just another case of magical girls smelling blood, not understanding the situation, and picking sides based on who was more likely to win. Technically she could be accused of doing the same thing, but Tonya would be out of a job if the fates were correct on everything. The Bates winning a 2 V everyone without help? As if!

She decided to wait up on the rooftop of a nearby building. In time, Regina would be arriving at her exact location.

”Yay, stake out” Penny said drolly as she cast a second glance around the garage. She was tempted to just knock the building down, as that would solve all the current problems.

‘No, bad Penny’ she chastise as she turned to leave. “When did you want to set up the stake out?” She asked instead as she shoved aside her destructive impulses. There would be time to deal with them later, most likely when she and Thalia went out hunting again tonight, or if the stakeout turns sour.

“I know I sent a text about it but, you do you guys at Beacon have a bounty board or something?” She asked recalling a question she sent a while back “Now that I am thinking about it. How do you guy share information? I mean I know of the text updates, but beyond that I know nothing about how the Beacon works and I’m pretty sure I’m the only one that gets the alerts in text format now that I think about it.” She added as she pulled out her phone and waved it for emphasis.

As she did she face palmed internally, she could have just texted Thalia earlier or even called the wayward fox girl. Quietly she rectified her lapse of thought

Yo, got wrapped up in a Beacon recon, that might turn in to a stake out. What’s up on your end?

@Flamelord @Vocab

@t2wave@Shifter_Master@Ariamis@Card Captor@BrokenPromise

‘…’ Eli silently watched as the the Djinn Sisters went through her portal in the tree. So, the rest had said “this is fine”, it kind of had to be close to ground-level because otherwise they’d have the Djinn Sisters dropping out of the sky, but that didn’t change the fact Eli now felt thoroughly exposed. She did believe they were naturally lucky, but she wasn’t. So, Eli closed her eyes and focused.

Numerous seconds later a normal seven-and-a-half year old girl with black hair, glasses, a white shirt, black skirt and stockings slipped down the tree on the opposite side. Even if someone saw, it was just a child playing, probably. If anything, it was notable only because it was a lone child of that age. But, Eli moved with determination, in a specific direction with a neutral expression. The child clearly knew where she was heading.

She was heading for a back-alley, where she’d confirm that she was alone before releasing her disguise <after a short incantation> and then climbing her way up to the rooftops in her slimy harpy form. Then she’d once again resume her duty of spying around the Pit Stop using her Third Eye, and around herself just in case. Someone may have seen her slip off. While she was disguised in Darkness-magic, you never knew.

____________________

To newcomers, Mariette wasn’t actually seated inside the diner. She sat in an apartment in another section of the city, visible only through a mirror seated on a pedestal on the middle of the table. As Magical Girls, they could feel the Darkness-magic on it, it was hidden from the eyes of common people. But, with the entrance of new people… Mariette took a moment to create an additional portal on the back of the mirror, placing it beside the other one looking at her. People could now look at her from both directions, if they wished. Mariette sat there expressionless and transformed, eyepatch over one eye, long white hair, clutching a bunny, holding a cup of something in her free hand. Yupp.

Shortly after Eli’s announcement, Lily came in. Mariette could but hold a blank expression as Lily hung out on Sue, and was about to greet Deni. Deni grinned happily, looking over Lily, extending a hand to greet.

‘Well, I’m-’ And then Lily had turned to Mariette already. Deni looked the slightest hurt.

‘...’ Mariette, however, looked less than impressed, staring blankly at Lily as she went straight to the point. Good to see her, huh. Mariette was of a different impression. But, regardless. If Violet or Sakura entered her view, she’d give them a nod, but otherwise it was all to focus on Lily.

‘You’re better informed than when I last saw you. Tell me, what are you hoping to accomplish by talking to her? What will you ask her?’ Mariette answered Lily, not giving her answer quite yet, despite knowing it already. But first, she felt like gathering an impression of Lily’s intentions.

Meanwhile, Deni sat next to Sue, and for the new visitors, she was looking like-



‘Hi, Violet~! Hi, Sakura~!’ Deni waved to the sisters as they came in, recovering after having been ignored by Lily. ‘It’s me! I changed my look again. Mistress told me I had to look at least somewhat decent~!’ To explain why she’s looking different than previously. But, anyways.

On another direction, Deni was spoken to by Sue.

‘Hm?’ Deni first turned to look at her, listening. Hearing the apology for walking into potential ambush, Deni simply grinned. ‘Oh, that’s fine. You wouldn’t believe how few opportunities to actually talk to other M-girls I get in this position!’ Deni giggled at her own statement. Then… the other part. About meeting again. Deni grinned widely and happily.

‘Sure. If I can get the mistress’ permission on days off and know where to find you, we can totally meet up again~!’ She then made an exaggerated gasp of fake shock at a fake realization. ‘Don’t tell me…’

She then grinned more and shuffled closer to her, then leaned towards her, right into Sue’s comfort zone, placing her face way close to Sue’s and taking her hands to clasp around Sue’s, Deni’s eyes shining and grinning widely. ‘This was all actually an elaborate scheme all in order to get closer to me? Ooh, sweetie, all you had to do was ask~!’ Deni giggled, expecting the girl to flinch away in fright or so.

Alicia Hayden

Unaware of Penny's brute force solution to their current dilemma, Alicia had already been thinking over how this was going to work. Fortunately Beacon could provide her with a lot of materials and she had an allowance, so she had com up with an idea that would let them do their job without too much extra effort. There were some risks to it, but she figured that it was worth it.

She led them out of the building, talking as she went. "There are a few ways. In person, cell phones, and we do have a few telepathic girls with us," she began. "But primarily important information is relayed by the Beckoners to the girls who need to know it. Since they can teleport at will they're a lot better at that than we are, and they can determine if something is truly important or not. If we have a bounty board I don't know about it though." There were monster girls they wanted dealt with, but she was fairly certain they didn't do anything as crude as offer bounties on them.

Arriving at her backpack, she opened it up and rooted around for a few moments before tossing an item to Penny. "I brought these cameras with me," she explained. "We can put them up around the outside of the garage, so if they show up we'll see them arriving. The only problem is if they use illusion magic, but if they don't know they're being watched I doubt they'll keep that up forever."

She pulled out some for herself, leaving them with a total of five. Not that she expected to use all of them. "You get the front of the building, I'll cover the back," she said. With no objection she would get to just that, putting the cameras down in locations where they were likely to stay concealed. With that, their 'stakeout' could begin.

@Shifter_Master

Sue was nervous. Anyone in her immediate vicinity could tell that. Sue's cheeks were noticeably red, her breath was short, and her eyelids were wide open. Anxiety is an interesting sensation because so many different things can trigger it. She could be scared of Mariette and her goons. They ambushed her not a week ago. She alerted Amber to blades, bullets, and tentacles before being whipped unconscious. Aside from an untransformed Lily that seemed to have some kind of enchantment on her, there was little standing between Mariette and the familiar. Being afraid of that was understandable. But that isn't the only thing that could trigger anxiety in this situation. Sue was in very close proximity to Deni. Deni was also chose to wear clothes that complemented her form excellently. She was very well endowed, and her shirt didn't do much to hide that. But it wasn't just her shape, she also had an air of confidence about her and seemed interested in Sue. When Deni leaned in, All Sue could do was remain put, gazing into those ruby eyes of hers. There was little Sue could do to escape with Lily embracing the familiar Something like that could also cause one to feel a little anxious. Maybe Sue was effected equally by both types of anxiety. But all Sue knew was her adrenaline was pumping. Her fight or flight reflexes were kicking in. Sue would have to act, and with Lily holding on to her, flying away wasn't an option.

“Really?” Sue's eyes closed half way. “I... had no idea... I didn't think I even had a shot.” After Sue spoke, her entire body froze. She remained like that as her body started to turn a shade of white. Even the ever present red glow in her cheeks was starting to go away. “Wait, was that a joke?” The question was rhetorical, and Sue didn't expect an answer. She didn't want an answer. “Haha, funny! Um, anyway!” Sue chuckled nervously and turned to face the Djinn twins. “Any chance you guys are willing to grant a wish? At this rate, I won't last long enough to eat dinner, let alone pay for it.”
@Ariamis@PlatinumSkink@Shifter_Master[@t2wave]

---

Elroy and Regina were still in there civilian guises. Though Elroy was holding a bag filled with styrofoam boxes.

“I can't believe it...” He was grinning, but that didn't always mean Elroy was happy. “We could have eaten nearly anywhere, and instead you want to eat Chinese take out in some dump?”

Regina didn't look amused. “You wanted to treat me to dinner right? There's nothing quite as cozy as a lonely dinner in some secluded 'dump,' as you call it.”

Elroy rolled his eyes. “A shop IS a dump though. Especially THAT one.”

“Well.” Regina said with a chuckle. “That's as close as you're getting me to the Pit Stop.”

Before they teamed up with the beacon killers, the Bates wandered around Penrose, sleeping in vacation homes or abandoned housing. Though their last “lair” was an old community garage where the more tech savvy members of the community formed a club and funded a shop where they could work on their cars. In its heyday, they built and maintained all kinds of sport cars, vintage and newer. But all good things come to an end eventually. It wasn't in the best part of the neighborhood, and one day a lot of the tools just went missing. The club members slowly got discouraged and left one by one until there was no way to maintain it. The property has been foreclosed on, which just opened it up to even more riffraff. But it was a nice temporary dwelling for a pair of monsters.

“Meh.” Elroy shrugged. “Food is food. I guess it'll be good for a nostalgia trip.”

---

Penny and Alicia could feel a familiar presence. The same aura that made itself known at the hospital had returned. A haunting tune played in their heads, and fading into existence was a red mist that danced like the aurora borealis. It was getting dark out, so the mist was relatively easy to see. Several minutes ticked by without any activity before a relatively normal pair of teenagers showed up in front of the garage. A girl and a boy. They could have been brother and sister.

“This is why you're the boss.” Elroy said while pointing into the sky. “Those egg roles would have been ice cold by now. You were wise to let me eat them.”

Regina stopped in front of the garage property. “Elroy.”

“Yeeees?”

“There's someone here.”

“Hmm?” Elroy looked around the property. There were a few bushes, an old tree off to the side of the building, and an old chain link fence that ran around the back half of the garage. “I don't see anyone. Are you sure?”

Regina leaned against Elroy and whispered into his ear. “I can sense their minds. There's at least two of them. One in the front, and one in the back.”

Elroy's head perked up. “Oh... so we've got a few squatters?” His grin widened before he looked back at the property. “Alright guys!” He shouted. “You'd better bugger off now, I'm hungry and I don't feel like eating it in front of a bunch of vagrants. It makes me depressed.” He waited a moment before cracking his knuckles. “As much as I'd enjoy it, you don't want me to chase you out of here...” Regina stood just behind Elroy, giving a concerned glance towards the “squatter” in front of the building.

@Flamelord@Shifter_Master

---

Oh yea, this arrogant group of monster teens were going to need all the help they could get to survive. Tonya wasn't slinging spells yet, just watching her spool of thread to strategize for the upcoming battle.

Oh, hell, she didn't need that.

She slipped the string into one of her pockets and looked out. It wasn't often she got to live in the present.

It was by that point that Lily noticed her intimate proximity to Sue was making her visibly uncomfortable, so she released her grip and sat properly, facing Mariette's mirror.
"Sorry Sue, hehe~" She apologized with a bit of a blush. I'm glad Alex wasn't here to see that... Though, she also kinda wanted to tease him by doing that kind of stuff in front of him; even if his face was hidden, she was pretty sure she would embarrass him.

Lily listened to Mariette's every word, and processed them carefully in her head before she responded.
"Little birds told me, teehee~" She joked about it, and gave a wink to Sue...In a way that Mariette and her minion would notice.
"I want to ask her why she did it. I want to know what plans she has, and if possible, stop them! She's a bad girl who's caused suffering to others. As a cute and courageous magical girl, I can't let this injustice pass by unnoticed!" She bit her lip.
"I mean, we're friends, right Mariette? It should be super-duper easy for you to move an eeny-teeny pirate ship to another dimension, since you're so good at magic~" She spoke with a big smile, at first stretching a hand out but then realizing it was probably not wise to do for a reluctant, socially reserved girl like her.

“Seems I’m on the short list when it comes to info” Penny groused as she caught the small camera and looked it over, It didn’t take her long to figure it out “Might be able to tap in to these” she mumbled to herself as she moved to find a good place to put up the cameras.

She was on her way out the door when she felt a presence settle on her shoulders, and when the mist started to settle in Penny let out a soft growl. She never saw the people behind this feeling but she recalled what happened at the hospital when they showed up.

“You might want to transform, I’ve a bad feeling about this” Penny warned Alicia as the gynoid moved to a window to try and spot their potential adversaries. She grabbed a screwdriver along the way and started to mold it in to a knife as she waited.

When Penny saw the Bate twins coming up, she wasn’t sure how to feel at first. When they called out however, she put those thought aside. No need to wonder about someone when you need to dodge an attack. Cracking the window she was at slightly she called out “Give me a moment to grab my stuff and I’ll leave. Didn’t know anyone lived here”

Turning to Alicia Penny gave a questioning tilt of her head. Penny was more than willing to take the fight to these two, they were close to her own lair after all, but this was Beacon territory. Thus it was Alicia’s call as what they should do.

@BrokenPromise@Flamelord

---

“Seems I’m not the only one who enjoys the new look” Violet teased with a grin as she regarded Sue’s vibrant blush, though she felt a touch of remorse when the familiar seemed to retreat in to herself. Violet could be a right bitch, but she tried to stay away from going after real emotional triggers. It seemed petty to her to do such nowadays. “Neither of us particularly need to grant one at the moment, but depending on what you’re looking for we might be able to help” Violet answered Sue’s inquiry.

She then turned to Lily before Mariette or Sue could respond. “You don’t know Mariette very well do you?” She asked coolly with a raised eyebrow “She doesn’t many friends, and you surely aren’t one of them, especially with the pushy way you seemed to be demanding help from her.” She was sneering softly at Lily, mainly at the nerve of the girl. “So take a step back, remember you weren’t invited and try some manners and ask polietly”

@Ariamis@BrokenPromise@PlatinumSkink

Alicia Hayden

Alicia was about to begin putting the cameras down something began happening. There was some sort of tune in her head and a red mist, both of which sh quickly recognized from that attack at the hospital. Mentally she could only curse their luck, with whoever this was showing up just when they were about to leave. And from the way they were calling out, it seemed like they couldn't hide their presence either.

She nodded to Penny, stepping back and chanting her incantation as she transformed. The duo were clearly magical, and she was not going to let them get in any free shots if she could help it.

Normally she wouldn't have made assumptions, but the intelligence that Beacon had as well as the duo themselves indicated that they were probably the ones that had been camping out here, and the ones they had been sent to find. With cover blown there was no reason to not go public and see if they could handle this the easy way.

She shook her had to penny before stepping into sight of the duo out front. "Regardless of what everyone might think these days, Beacon does not approve of monster girls setting up next to its territory. I suggest you find a new place to stay elsewhere in the city, quickly. You won't get a second warning." She waited to see how they would respond, though she had the feeling that it wouldn't end well. They always fought.

@BrokenPromise@Shifter_Master

Amber continued to listen in on the Pit stop conversation, but she couldn't really make out much. The pirate girl just hoped Sue didn't do anything weird like try to flirt with Mariette. Or even worse, one of her underlings. Especially that mouthy, big breasted one. But Sue was a smart girl. No matter how cute their disguises looked, their true form would always be that of disgusting, gelatinous harpies. The pirate chuckled to herself. She almost felt bad for them, but they had it coming.

“Sea scare.” A voice boomed in Amber's head. “How doth thee fair?”

Boteg was able to communicate directly inside Amber's head via mental link. He wasn't able to see her, just talk to her. Though if Amber were feeling strong emotions while she “talked” to him, he would be able to pick up on them. The pirate did her best to ignore the fact that her familiar was enjoying a meal while she was standing in their leftovers. “Just keeping up patrols.” Amber had yet to tell the paranoid dragon about the impending war. It just didn't seem like a good idea. He would likely try to leave Penrose, which would conflict with Veronica's interests. The Ebon Vampire wanted Amber in this city for some reason, so keeping Boteg in Penrose was important. “Why, what's up?” It was actually rare for Boteg to contact Amber out of the blue like this.

“Are thou interested mayhaps in why me had thou take this most perilous journey?”

“Oh uh...” Amber wasn't expecting a chat like this. Boteg must have been very pleased for some reason. “Well yea, we've been travailing a while. I do think there were closer cities then Penorse that were just as fitting for your uh, majesty?”

“But thou art not in penrose for most splendid majesty, sea scare. Me thinks the terrifying one's scare is close.” The terifying one was a mysterious entity that Amber couldn't really understand. Mostly because Boteg couldn't properly describe it. But a scare was a universal term for a magical girl.

“Wait.” Amber couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. “We're here to confront the terrifying one's scare? Why? You've spent so much time running away from anything that reminds you of the terrifying one?!”

“Me thinks the terrifying one will back away when I bare my fangs. But thou now knows why me is in penrose.”

Regardless of what Sue did tonight, it wouldn't be as stupid as what Boteg had been plotting since her employment.

---

One of the drawbacks of not having a patron was that you didn't really know where everyone's turf was. In hindsight, eating their food in a quiet park setting probably would have been a better option. But who knew?

Regina didn't show it, but she was surprised that this was how beacon conducted their business. Throwing around thinly veiled threats was something Regina would have expected the “bad guys” to do. The succubus would have liked to have spoken with a beacon girl, but Alicia was making it plainly evident that words were off the table. Leave in a hurry or stand and fight were her presented options. Regina found such ultimatums... disgusting. This one would need to be taught a lesson.

Fortunately, both Beacon girls had revealed themselves, and Regina instantly recognized them. This saved her the trouble of having to dig through their minds to see what they were capable of. Not that Regina knew their full capabilities from their fight a week ago. But knowing their specializations and preferred fighting positions was an advantage the opponent didn't have. If they knew what Regina was capable of, they probably would have realized she was secretly relaying information to Elroy. But they probably saw her holding his hand as just a nervous tick. Elroy would soon know the plan Regina was cooking, and their opponents would be none the wiser. To anyone else, it would just look like the two kids were standing in shock for a few seconds.

“My mistake.” Regina let go of Elroy's hand. She looked just as scared and cautious as ever. “I had no idea Beacon was so close to here.” she walked backwards into the street. “I don't really want to be so close to a group of monster killers anyway. I'm sorry.” Regina turned around and ran across the street, disappearing between two buildings along with their dinner.

But Elroy stayed put. He repeated part of what Alicia said back to her.

"Regardless of what everyone might think these days, Beacon does not approve of monster girls setting up next to its territory." Elroy started to walk towards her. “But it's okay to recruit them? I had no idea Beacon was so progressive!” The grinning incubus pulled off his glasses and tucked them into his shirt pocket. “But yea, I'm glad you don't have a problem with monster men.” Elroy did not transform. There was no reason to. In the blink of an eye he could revert to his monster form. He did walk with one hand pressed against the arch of his back however. This was so that he could respond to a surprise attack by transforming and taking the shield off his back.

Meanwhile, Regina took cover behind a dumpster. In a puff of black smoke, she had reverted into her true form. Her horns poked out of her head, her hair style reformed itself, and her clothes changed under the veil of smoke. There was also a small tattoo under her left eye. Regina had no intention of leaving Elroy here alone. She allowed her body to sink into the shadow on the ally's wall and resurfaced just high enough to be able to grab the ledge of the roof. She was cloaking herself at this point, entirely invisible to the human eye. She pulled herself up and swiftly ran over to the edge of the roof. It was time to see what beacon could do.

@Shifter_Master@Flamelord

@t2wave@Shifter_Master@Ariamis@Card Captor@BrokenPromise


Little birds told her, huh. That’s the second time she heard that one. What were the odds? That the Magical Girl she ambushed, in a different city no less, would join forces with the one she tipped off. As for what Lily was saying to her… She struck Mariette as an utter fool. Also, she thought they were friends? After a single very one-sided conversation? Mariette pondered what to possibly tell this girl when Violet spoke up for her.

‘...’ Sounded about right. Not entirely, but close enough. Mariette simply looked at Lily with a less than amused expression to see if she would change her statement or question.

‘Eh?’ Deni blinked a little in surprise at Sue’s reaction, still smiling widely from the joke she was making but now touched with a significant dose of surprise. If that writing of clasping her hands went through, Deni let go of them as Sue paled, tried to explain herself away and quickly turned to the Djinn Sisters. Deni, on account of not being extremely dim, was not fooled however.

‘… Owa.’ She whispered a bit by herself as she sat back in the chair and turned back to the conversation, also momentarily pretending that didn’t happen, maintaining a wide smile and feeling a significant awkwardness. That wasn’t the intended reaction. What had she done now? Now what would she do? Ahahaha. She laughed awkwardly inside her mind, but anyways. Focusing on the conversation.

Lily wasn't sure what to think of the new girl that sat next to Deni. While she wanted to get to know everyone she knew she couldn't waste time trying to convince Mariette while she had the chance, and so didn't pay much attention to Violet until she directly addressed her.
Her eyes widened when she realized she gave a completely different impression than she wanted. Was she being pushy? She had never considered that somebody would dislike her for trying to reach out, she assumed people would want to be friends if she showed initiative. She moved her hands around as she began to panic.

"No, that's not what I meant! I was just asking, and, uhh, uhhhh-!" Who was this girl, and why did she lash out at her like this? Was she Mariette's friend? And if so, was she the unwanted element in their circle? The awkward atmosphere, the judging gazes of the other girls, the way she messed up...Lily realized these things. It was then that she seemed to subtly change; her cheerful and energetic persona began to crumble, replaced by the one of she had in her old life as an introvert with social anxiety.
"Okay, we're not friends, but I want to be! I'll return the favor, and, umm, well-!" Her tongue seemed to be tying itself to a knot by her anxiety. "MMMmmm!" She then grunted out, and closed her eyes as she bit her lips and suddenly presented something towards Mariette; it was another one of her slips of paper that had her phone number written on them.
"Please take it! And please, think about it!"

Thalia hadn't gone too far from Penny when the latter went for her phone call, but still ended up getting distracted to the point of losing her friend. Making her way across the rooftops she found some birds, and well... One thing led to another, and she chased them halfway across the city and was now somewhat lost.

Instead of worrying, she lay herself out on a nearby rooftop, taking in the somewhat unfamiliar Penrose surroundings despite having lived in the city for most her life. Phone in hand, she spread out on her stomach, legs and tails swinging in the air, and proceeded to load up one of her many games. The paws made using the device somewhat difficult, but she'd gotten used to it.

The Kitsune was unaware of how much time had actually passed since the two parted ways for the time, but she suddenly found herself thoroughly bored and lonely. Not only was Penny not around, but Thalia couldn't feel the piercing, mischievous gaze of Lothreen beaming down on her from whatever vantage point or hiding place the Goddess had found. It was a strange feeling - not because there was something there, but because there was something missing.

But as luck would have it, her phone buzzed with a text notification! The girl smiled to herself, rolling onto her back to read it. However, she found herself disappointed; it sounded like Penny wouldn't be back for a while. She would offer to go and help... But stakeouts were boring. Thalia had far from enough patience to sit watching a building or whatever for God knew how long.

Awwwwww, kay... Lemme know if you need some help, Foxxy is lonely ;-;

With that, she rolled back onto her front, and proceeded to keep playing games, desperately praying she would receive a text back requesting assistance or simply company.

---

Lothreen found herself gazing across a vast expanse of stars, an entire cosmos in front of her eyes. She had requested counsel with Laat'Alofan earlier in the week, but had only recently found herself free. An issue arose is England, where another of her Champions was stationed, which required immediate attention, and so her meeting had to wait. But, finally, the day had arrived in which she could attend.

With her hands behind her back, the Goddess spun on a dime, taking in more of the breathtaking scenery around her. Rolling fields and forests were more of Lothreen's thing, but she could not deny that Laat'Alofan's domain was truly spectacular.
"You'll have to put me in touch with your interior decorator, Laat." she teased, "They did quite the magnificent job. There's so much space!" she spun around again, gazing at the panoramic view of star systems and constellations.

"I Make Do With What I Can" Laat replied his voice no less booming here in his domain, but all the more manageable for others to deal with. "It Is Simply A Reflection Of My Station, Lady Huntress" He added as he turned away from a cloud of stardust he had been toying with when the other god entered.
"Freedom Hasn't Found Thee At Last I Take?" He asked knowingly as he changed to fit the same size his guest had taken, his domain shifting to fit him as he did.

Lothreen turned back, tilting her head at the Gods question. It took her a second to process what exactly he was asking, but she quickly giggled it away with understanding.
"Yes, my Liege, my duties hath been fulfilled, and I stand ready for thine orders." she joked, adding in a bow, "Honestly Laat, what are you, Shakespeare?" The Goddess stopped herself, taking a moment to ponder, "Actually, I'd bet you're probably the one who burnt down the Globe Theatre, huh? Can't really see you being a fan of plays." she smiled, clearly having fun with her jokes.

"Twas A Mournful Eve That I Set The Flame" Laat replied evenly "Tis A Shame None Have Stepped Forward In This Age To Write Such Tales, All We Are Left With Is the Dregs Of The Past" He said with a wistful sigh before shaking his head banishing the thoughts of what had been lost. "But I Digress, You Stated You Had Want Of An Audience. What Brings You To Seek My Counsel?"

The Goddess sighed as Laat lamented. For a God of destruction, he almost seemed nostalgic for a brief minute. However, she quickly perished the thought, secretly, if only slightly, glad that they were finally moving onto the matters at hand.
"Y'know if I wanted an audience I'd just become a stand-up comedian." she paused, "Actually that's not a half bad idea." she took a couple seconds to imagine what exactly that would look like, before giggling it away.

"No, Laat, this is... More like an interrogation!" she gave him an innocent smile, skipping up to him, "I wanna know what your plans for Bacon are! You can't be having Penny join with them just for the sake of having her there, as nice as it would be you to do something simplistic, so what's your end game?"

Laat snorted softly at Lothreens statement of it being an interrogation but replied none the less "My Plans For The Beacon Have Not Changed, They Have Grown Old, There For They Are To Be Removed. My Champion Is There Because They Approached Me, Who Am I To Refuse Such A Boon?' He asked crossing his arms and tilting his head as he spoke "My Champion Stands To Gain From This Temporary Alliance, Knowledge Of The World, How One Of Her Most Prominent Enemies Works, And Possibly Start The Crack That Brings The Whole Order Crumbling Down. What A Fool one Would Be To Turn Down Such An Offering." He explained sounding almost bored as he did. He had remained true to his station for uncountable ages, did they think he would abandon it now?

"Surely This Is Not Some Great Suprise, But That Begs the Question. Why Do You Seek To Understand My Motives Now?" He asked leaning forward slightly as he did, he couldn't help be feel he was missing something here.

Removed? Well, she shouldn't have been surprised, and for the most part, she wasn't. It was his nature as such a Deity.
"So, you're gonna destroy Bacon?" for a second, she looked somewhat distant, but her expression was quickly filled with a plentiful smile, "Okay! I just thought you might've been doing something else, that's all."

She skipped backwards, spinning 180 degrees, keeping her back to the God. Lothreen sighed, clearly having hoped he wouldn't ask her own motives. It was only natural.
"I'm sure it can't have escaped your attention, Laat." suddenly, the Huntress sounded awfully less Jovial, "Penny and Thalia. They're close, and they're both probably a hairs width away from mental breakdowns in their own right. she turned back to him, "Well, I'm only guessing for Penny. She's got you for a God, who knows whats wrong with her mentally."

"In any case, I just needed some context. Thalia is my best, and frankly favourite Champion." she looked at him with a cold expression, "...and I don't think she can afford to Lose Penny." gradually, she drew closer, staring Laat down with cruel eyes, "That means I care some deal for your Champion. This mission of hers, which, considering how Gods are, she likely lacks knowledge on, is a potentially dangerous one." Lothreen smiled, "And while I'm sure you have the absolute faith that she can defend herself no matter the adversary, if something were to happen that could... Say, I dunno... Endanger either of their mental states beyond their current instability..."

Her smile grew somewhat wider as she faced the God straight on.
"Well... I think we might end up having ourselves a little issue~"

Laat remained impassive as Lothreen softly explained herself, one could have easily assumed he was made out of stone, were it not for the shifting nature of his appearance. So when he spoke it came with out warning "She Is Closer Than That" his words were surprisingly soft "My Champion Is Currently Standing On The Razors Edge, Holding To Her Sanity With Every Ounce Of Will She Doth Possess. So Yes I Have Made Sure To Stay Abreast Of Our Champions And How They Grow Closer By The Hour" He continued his tone growing harsher as he went "Yet, I Can State That They Have Averted Destruction And WIll Continue To Do Such For Some Time. The Gray Lady's Mission Currently Is Solely To Survive, I Have Not Ordered Any Thing Against The Beacon Nor Have I Ordered Any Thing Against My Other Enemies" His tone continued to grow colder and harsher as he spoke and between one heart beat and the next he once again claimed dominance over the sky.

He bellowed his voice shaking the very foundations of his domain, triggering Novae in the distance.
Yet his stance did not waver "Penny Has Suffered Enough By My Own Hand As Is, I Would Not See Her Suffer Unduly. I Can Not Create But I Can Temper What Is Broken And For As Long As She Still Grows I Shall Not Harm Her. Can You Say The Same Of Your Champion Huntress? You Who Are Known For you Deceitful Ways? We Are Both To Blame For Our Champions. Yet You Come To Me As If I Am The Sole Person Responsible For This. Do Not Forget Your Role In This."

Lothreen simply stood in the face of the angered God as he bellowed across the stars. She sighed, and raised her hands in surrender.
"Come now Laat, I would never blame you for my own Champion's Psyche. Far from it, in fact." she shrugged, then backed off a few steps, "In any case, you understand what I'm saying; that's all I came for."

She backed away a few more steps, then turned her back to him.
"And come on, Laat~" she teased, turning her head back towards him, "I have no sense of self-preservation! Me threatening you here is no different from me threatening you anywhere else.~ she turned away, "The suggestion still stands. I don't consider your domain anything special in that regard." to herself, she smiled, and begun her exit of the realm, "I don't think I need to remind you that I'd kill you here just the same as anywhere~"

"You Are Welcome To Try Huntress" Laat hissed as she left the 'doors' to his realm closing with a resounding crash upon her departure. He stood there for a few moments longer before he his shoulders sagged in defeat "Were It Not So Needed..." He muttered to himself before returning back to the dust cloud he had been toying with earlier.

Alicia Hayden

Alicia waited calmly to see how the duo would respond to her statement. It was unfortunate that they had been discovered while they were in the middle of their investigation, otherwise things might have been more amicable. At the very least they would have had an appropriate response prepared based on how dangerous the duo seemed to be to normal humans. But there was nothing that could be done about it now, and they would just have to work out the situation as best they could.

But things seemed to be working out for a change, much to her surprise as one of the pair took her leave, walking away and leaving only the guy behind. Of course, he proved to be one of the types who could be very annoying, so she was going to need to hold onto herself more than ever. "You can't use semantics to dodge around the intent of what I said," she challenged. With Star Seraph manifested she took aim as he began to walk forward, a silent indicator for him to not get too close.

"How she became aligned with us is not your concern. But know that it is an exception which is unlikely to happen again." She wasn't sure how much he knew, but she was confident that the rumors about Penny working with Beacon didn't know all the facts. Normally she would have dismissed it as the rumor mill, at least, but with the familiar aura she couldn't do so that easily. "You were at the hospital during that attack," she noted. "See anything particularly interesting while you were watching?" Her bow lowered, but only slightly. She wasn't going to blindly trust him that quickly.

@BrokenPromise@Shifter_Master

Well, That wasn't very cool. It seemed like her attempt to cover up her panic reaction wasn't fooling anyone, least of all Deni. As Sue had suspected, the Djinn sisters weren't in a mood to be granting wishes. This was made evident by how quickly Violet snapped at Lily. Now Lily was losing her edge. What was going on? This was suppose to be a nice get together.

“O-okay violet, I understand. I don't want to bother anyone.” The familiar turned her head. “Lily?” Sue placed a hand on the magical girl's shoulder. “Please use my credit card to pay for dinner. You can order yourself something nice if you want to. And please... Please pick up my dress and stuff it in my handbag, okay? It was kind of over budget.” And then Sue disappeared in a puff of white smoke, with her clothes and pocket book falling to the floor. The diving petrel flew outside and landed on Alexander's shoulder. “So um.” She started to clean under her wing. “If she doesn't use my credit card to buy desert, I think you're going to have to buy her ice cream after this.”

@Ariamis@PlatinumSkink@Shifter_Master@t2wave@Card Captor

---

Regina walked towards the edge of the roof and laid down on her stomach. She pointed her rifle out at Alicia, but just watched things through her scope. Strange, she was sure the beacon girl would have attacked as soon as she saw how defiant Elroy was. Maybe the succubus had misjudged this one? No, that girl was clearly drunken with power. Regina might have to be a little gentler with her than she originally intended, but the beacon girl was going to suffer the consequences for her actions. It was just a matter of time before Elroy attacked. Right?

Elroy responded to having a weapon pointed at him by transforming. But he did so slowly as to not provoke the beacon girl into shooting him. A halo of black dust lowered over him and revealed Elroy's true form. The magical energies blew his tie around a bit before it came to rest on his shirt. He took his tower shield off of his back and held it at his side, not really attempting to defend himself. “I saw your stockings, if that counts. I'm very much into Zettai Ryouiki, and you're a straight A.” He lifted up one of his feet. “Socks aren't for me though. Back in the day, samurai looked really cool when they wore socks with their sandals. But now you just look like your uncle or something.” Elroy continued to walk, but it was around Alicia, not towards her. “I guess I also saw your monster friend, your battle with my buddies snake boy and Asian lady. There were also some genie twins and ghost twins. And I got attacked by a vampire girl.” The incubus had circled around to the left-most window. He was several feet away from it, but he tried to peek in and see if he could spot anyone. After his brief inspection, Elroy turned to look back at Alicia. “Why do you ask sock girl? Aren't you trying to chase me away?”

@Shifter_Master@Flamelord

Penny swallowed the growl that wanted to escape at the mention of the escaped Naga. It still irritated her that he had gotten away. She also wanted to curse at the fact that they had let one of them walk away so easily, not because she particularly wanted a fight, but because she knew tactics.

She would be willing to bet the one that left was a long range fighter, and the guy that had stayed was a close range fighter even before he had changed and pulled out his shield and by now there was most definitely a weapon aimed at Alicia from a roof somewhere. This was looking to go badly.

Then she felt her phone receive a text and quietly thanked her luck it hadn’t been form Laat’AlOfan, as he phone was on silent for everyone but him. She quickly reviewed the text and couldn’t help the small smile that formed.

Stakeout fell apart, ran in to the pair living here one guy one girl. They were the ones causing the mist at the hospital, and are friends with the snake and the witch. I’m expecting a fight soon, backup appreciated

She added the address to the end and sent off the text, she took a silent breath and refocused on the tensions at hand.

Afterwards she moved as softly as she could so she was just on the other side of the wall from Elroy. She gave him another ten seconds, before she attacked. This was starting to feel like a trap, and the best way to fight a trap is to spring it intentionally or cause it too misfire. She was aiming for the second option.

@BrokenPromise@Flamelord@Vocab

---

“Better” Violet stated firmly as she saw Lily’s mask crumble and the girl back pedaling. “Now we can talk about this if you still want too, but remember you are asking a favor and from the sounds of it Mariette has already done one for you.” She said with a touch of haughty in her tone as she added lilly’s number to her phone “My name is Violet, by the way” reaching out a hand she at last introduced herself to the other girl.

“Sue, come on now, return customers aren’t a bother.” She tried to explain to the familiar but before she could get very far, the she poofed in to a cloud of smoke and took flight. She didn’t touch the wallet but did quickly place the outfit in too the hand bag as she had requested. Violet was feeling slightly guilty now. As she did like the shy bird, she would try and explain and might possibly apologize the next time she saw her. besides she said she had a Wish she wanted and while the sisters didn’t need to grant them didn’t mean they wouldn’t.

@BrokenPromise@Ariamis@PlatinumSkink