[hider=Mild torture]Complete darkness. Mariette squirmed, but couldn’t force her way out. She couldn’t open a portal, that power had been taken from her. Fear. Fear surged through her veins. She could beg for mercy, but the effort would be wasted on the one who would hear them. An attack ran straight through her soul. She cried out in unspeakable pain. Her limbs trashed against the restraints. Darkness traveled across her veins from the place she’d been wounded, causing pain wherever it touched, and all she could do was scream in pain and terror…![/hider] ————- [center][url=https://i.imgur.com/Y8OSnvr.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/OPMf9l2.png[/img][/url][url=https://i.imgur.com/iLfQK1p.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/2C1b19j.png[/img][/url][/center] Mariette sat, breathing heavily, staring at the floor of her mansion. She sat alone at the great table where they’d had their meetings, turned sideways and just stared down into the floor, her hands shaking at the memory. She could still feel it in her soul, the punishment she had endured… Asengav had lost his patience for her. She’d taken a team of his finest agents, and [i]gone off on a vacation[/i], thereby [i]missing the deadline[/i]. Nevermind that it was an unsolicited vacation in a closed-off dimension. That just meant that Mariette had failed. Failed to stay focused on the goal by letting herself get kidnapped. Only because Asengav was [i]understanding enough[/i] of the fact that Mariette hadn’t been able to do anything against the power of a Patron was she still here at all… The mansion was mostly empty. The majority of the forces Asengav had spared for her had been sent on other missions that had become more critical during the time that Mariette and co had spent inoperable. Mariette had lost manpower. She had made deals which she had to follow up on, to Cindy Ford and to others, yet here she was, no longer at her strongest. She had been told by Lea that she still could borrow forces when needed, but she’d be limited to three at a time… [color=57a345]‘Mistress…’[/color] Eli, her dark slime-harpy called for her, carrying a tray with tea and sandwiches for her. The distress was clear in her voice. Only Mariette had been punished, but that didn’t mean Eli didn’t feel it as well. Her voice made Mariette snap back into reality. [color=1462ba]‘… What’s done is done,’[/color] Mariette said, turning to the table and gesturing for Eli to come over. Eli did so, and placed the tray of food in front of Mariette. [color=1462ba]‘We’ll overcome our future obstacles despite our setbacks. Thank you very much, Eli. I’m glad you’re here,’[/color] Mariette said, in a tone that honestly shocked Eli. Had Mariette ever actually said something like that to her, with that kind of tone? [color=1462ba]‘We need to get back to our meetings with Cindy and Shion. We must make sure Violet and Sakura are fine, too. This “Ascendancy” is a problem, we’ll need to watch their movements. Oh, and I suppose a visit to Amaryllis would solidify our relationship…’[/color] Mariette said as she sipped on her tea. [color=57a345]‘…’[/color] It hurt Eli, seeing Mariette like this. It wasn’t long ago that Eli had lost her sister, Deni, and that pain still echoed within her. Before that, Deni and Eli had always giggled and joked about the future. Yet, since her passing, everything had been doom and gloom around here, without Deni to lighten things up… And now, Mariette was taking on this monumental task before her, and it felt more and more likely that Mariette, too, would one day find herself taking on more than she could chew, and that would be the end of them both… Eli could but wish that some form of miracle would happen that would make everything right in the future. … [hr] [hider=In the depths of the Overcity][right][i]A slight collab with[@DarkwolfX37] in the beginning[/i][/right] Ko couldn't believe her luck. She'd just finished meeting with some older Puchuu when one of them gave her a Platinum Coin! She quickly put it in her bag, a small pouch that she carried around on her back, careful to not put it in her hammerspace bag for fear of losing it and ran off to find the nearest exit from the Overcity. However, as she ran, one of her bags got caught on a corner. Thinking it was her hammerspace bag and therefor totally fine with a small rip, she simply pulled it until it came loose. Unbeknownst to her, as she got closer to the exit, the Platinum Coin she was so excited about fell out of her bag alongside a new ID she meant to give to Shion. Finally, after about half an hour she reached the exit and prepared to go find her charge in Penrose. The Platinum Coin, bound with Ko’s power, fell on its edge rolled on over the eternal checker-patterned floor of the Overcity. It rolled, and as it did the rules changed. Did it roll for seconds? Hours? Days? Meters or miles? Straight on a plane or through multiple dimensions? None could say, but it suddenly hit the foot of a Gorelion and came to a sudden stop. The Gorelion looked down curiously at the coin for a moment. Then it was about to lean down, bite it and release the power to itself… when a Sphinx slammed down its paw at the cheek of the Gorelion, and the two giant monsters growled at each other, both wanting the Platinum Coin. The two slammed into one another, not noticing that the force of their impact had caused the coin to fly off on another journey. The coin flew and hit a Witch, who stared at it as she held it with bony fingers, before taking it with her as she flew off on her broom to a witch-meeting at her hut. She showed off the coin to the other Witches, and they were ecstatic about what could be done with the magic in it. They dropped the coin into a potion and watched as it bubbled… and then the cauldron promptly exploded, sending the coin flying out the window as the Witches cowered. A Monster Girl wandering the Overcity was suddenly hit in the head by a Platinum Coin. She grabbed it, and blinked at it a couple of times. A Platinum Coin! She couldn’t believe her luck! … Exactly, she didn’t. Something so lucky would never happen to her. If she were to use it, there was no telling what curses and terrible fates were to be inflicted on her. Disappointed, she sighed and threw the Platinum Coin into the abyss of the Overcity. The coin fell into a highway of mana, a current used by some patron to create an infinite swirl of mana directly into its mouth. It was a nice, gentle flow, which the giant leisurely drank of, and then the Platinum Coin was pulled along the flow into said mouth… The coin had more power than the Lesser Force could handle at once and the giant promptly threw up a giant explosion of mana, sending the coin flying once again. It fell into water, water in the Overcity. It sunk to the bottom, where the coin lay undisturbed for a long period of time. How long did it lie there? Unknown. But eventually, a monster fish sensed its power, and swam in to get a bite out of it. Unfortunately for the fish, the coin was tougher than it could chew through, so the fish merely swam up to the surface again and spat it out. Once again, the Platinum Coin was in motion. So the Platinum Coin, brimming with power, skipped and scuffled through the Overcity, until it came across a puddle. An unremarkable puddle which had been lying there for who knows how long. There, the coin hit down hard on its edge. It was slowed from the resistance of the puddle and fell over into the middle, a small splash announcing that it had reach the end of its journey through the checkerboard lands of the Overcity. And there… It dissolved into the puddle. … … … There was green path, and she wandered it. There were trees around, men worked the fields for crops, and she was protecting them. Ah, this was life. But then, she saw them. Foes, servants of neighboring warlord, crossing the road from the other side like they owned the place, sizing it up for their invasion. She didn’t hesitate, and walked straight for them. She passed them, and they noticed. Hands went to swords. She swung around, her sword suddenly drawn. She was faster. They fell, their swords never drawn, as she sheathed her sword and smirked at their fallen bodies. Too bad, this place is under my charge~ … No, wait, this is a dream. She opened her eyes in the darkness. Still dark. She was… nothing? This didn’t seem like anything. That’s no fun, she was bored already. She could just close her eyes, and- No, wait. She’d done that before. That’s what triggered the dream. She was locked in a series of perpetual dreams. How long had she been here? Impossible to tell. She remembered, she remembered she- Ow! Something hit her head? She could feel pain here? Something… something had landed on top of her. It felt like it asked her a question. Huff, she thought, feeling smug. What kind of question was that? Of course she could handle it! The thing that hit her head withered away into nothingness. She didn’t really understand, but- Oh. It was cold. She could feel? That was- [color=9b83de]‘Wha-!’[/color] She made a noise and sat up with a start. Her confused eyes darted over the featureless landscape. … Huh, wait. She was… in the Overcity? What on Earth was she doing- Wait. That’s right. She had been… inside someone else. Fighting… She had been hoping to lose, for she fought someone she loved. Her loved one had won, and they had shared final words. Oh. She realized with a start. She had died. But then, what was- By sheer coincidence, she lifted her right hand to pull her hair out of her face. Her eyes widened. Hold up. Hooooooooooooooold up. Something was very, very off. Her hand wandered to her forehead, then down to her face, feeling the shapes and the texture. Her left hand moved to join it, only to hit something on her side which made a metallic noise. She looked down to see what it was, but instead her eyes fixed on her own hand. It was a hand. The colour of skin. The Horror’s Darkness… no longer coated her. He had… abandoned her? Cut the connection. To avoid having his darkness consumed… No patron was connected to her. Yet… here she was. Alone. … In a human body, dressed in clothes, no longer a monster, and with a sheathed physical sword at her side. She had to feel around a bit more to ensure there wasn’t a gigantic mistake. Wait. That was impossible. Without a backer, she couldn’t have gotten these powers. Without a patron, she shouldn’t have… … … [hider][center][url=https://i.imgur.com/gmRTrWA.jpg][img]https://i.imgur.com/5ZqyPyV.png[/img][/url][/center] [color=9b83de]‘You know what?’[/color] Deni asked out loud. She gripped the sword, placing one foot and the bottom of the sword sheath on the checker-patterned floor of the Overcity to support her, and stood up straight and proud. [color=9b83de]‘I’m not gonna think too hard on it! Whatever happened, happened, and I’m not gonna dwell on it!’[/color] So she announced, lifting out a fist of determination and a smile, with the emptiness of the Overcity as her only audience. [color=9b83de]‘…’[/color] Her brow furrowed a bit as she thought this through. Eli’s still connected to Asengav. And… as she knew now, somehow… he mind-bent his minions so they had no choice. Eli was serving a monster against her free will, and with all likelihood so was Mariette and the other champions. [color=9b83de]‘Whelp, sounds like I have my work cut out for me, and this one’s gonna be a tough cookie to crack. With all honesty, I have no idea what to do,’[/color] she said. Nobody replied. Eli wasn’t here. Deni smirked in amusement anyways. [color=9b83de]‘Well! Nothing’s gonna solve itself by me just standing around here! Guess I got to find the way out. Now where am I…?’[/color] So Deni asked, before she started her search of the Overcity for a way back home… [hider=Character Sheet that has already been approved, just didn't want to spoil the surprise][center][url=https://i.imgur.com/gmRTrWA.jpg][img]https://i.imgur.com/gmRTrWAl.jpg[/img][/url][/center] [u]Name:[/u] Deni. Denise Walton. [u]Age (Magical Girl):[/u] 7 [u]Age (Before Magical Girl):[/u] 15 [u]Gender:[/u] Girl [u]Gender (Before Magical Girl):[/u] Girl [u]Appearance:[/u] Deni’s a seven year old little girl, currently when transformed gets a flowing blue and white outfit reminiscent of that which is archetypical of the samurai to wear, though Deni’s more of a tiny ronin. She wears sandals on her feet and has tied her long black hair back into a ponytail. She retains her orange eyes, and carries at her side a long blade with purple handle and a blue sheath. Untransformed, well. [hider=The same as ever][url=https://i.imgur.com/YBk7iIN.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/YBk7iINl.png[/img][/url][/hider] She’s the same as she was before. Black hair, tiny body, likes little dresses and running barefoot. Regains her normal blue eyes despite them being perpetually orange since becoming a Magical Girl. [u]Specialization:[/u] Reinforcement. Deni’s naturally a Reinforcement specialist, capable of boosting the performance of herself and others around her. She can also form small barriers to block what she cannot dodge, heal small wounds and slowly cleanse an area of curses or negative energies. That’s what she does. [u]Weapon:[/u] Melee. The [i]sword[/i], formed from who knows what, is a long straight blade which is constantly reinforced by Deni’s reinforcement specialization and will match enemies with considerable sharpness. Thanks to Martial Training, Deni wields it with magnificent skill, too. [u]Power:[/u] Twin Soul. Eli still exists out there, that magic has still been taken out of Deni’s soul, somewhat weakening her. She doesn’t see this as a weakness, however. No way that she’d see Eli as a weakness. With her recklessness, she has put her sister through such terrible things. She’s got to find her and comfort her…! [u]Perks:[/u] [i]Martial Training[/i]: Her one advantage over others is that her mind is filled with the proper usage of the sword she carries, and advanced techniques to stay alive on a battlefield. [i]Flexibility[/i]: One way or another, bending out of the way as if she was still made out of jelly still comes naturally to Deni~ [i]Fated[/i]: Deni didn’t survive for nothing. She wasn’t [i]revived[/i] for nothing. [i]Something’s[/i] looking out for her, almost like the universe itself didn’t want her to stay dead. [i]Get out of Jail[/i]: Deni’s days of having her hands tied are DONE. She found a shortcut in Reinforcement magic that actually allows her to teleport, but only if she’s backed into a corner. [i]Big Damn Heroes[/i]: Her token still lies with her sister. She can feel it. It’s her connection. If Eli’s ever in danger, Deni will sense it. [u]Patron:[/u] Solo [u]Patron Benefits:[/u] [i]Free Agent[/i]: Deni’s free! She can work for whoever she wants! [i]Genki Girl[/i]: Deni’s always been an inexhaustible girl, she basically cannot get tired. [u]Patron Drawbacks:[/u] [i]Alone[/i]: Having lost her backer, Deni has nobody but herself to rely on now. [u]Fighting Style:[/u] Deni’s not the strongest, not the most agile, not the toughest, and certainly not the most magically powerful. What she does have, however, is skill. Like the little ronin she has somehow become, Deni does her best to use her Martial Training and Flexibility to their best to dodge and attack back, using simple but effective skill and a really, really sharp blade to determine the winner of her battles. Deni will be more skilled than any girl or boy that has no form of Training perk dedicated to their ability in combat, even if they can be far faster and stronger than her. This skill is what she’ll be relying on. That said, thanks to Reinforcement magic, Deni’s physical performance is often higher than her stats would imply, and if she gets wounded she can but take a pause and heal herself. She can block attacks with barriers if she realizes she cannot dodge, and that’s just another bit to add to the skill she hopes to outperform the enemy with. Creating small barriers in mid-air for her to use as platforms helps her maneuverability, using the bare minimum of mana to overcome her opponent. That said, she’ll often be fighting as the underdog, and as such will avoid fighting those way stronger than her and seek out circumstances where she might be the most effective. [u]Stats (Untransformed):[/u] STR: 4 AGI: 4 VIT: 4 MAG: 4 LCK: 4 [u]Stats (Transformed):[/u] STR: 7 AGI: 7 VIT: 7 MAG: 7 LCK: 5 [u]Personality:[/u] Deni’s an excited person who wants to head out and do things. She’s mischievous, playful and all-around happy. She likes to tease and look good, and there’s a certain style to her current appearance that she really likes. However, now, after dying and being separated from Asengav, she has a mission. She has to make sure nothing horrible happens to her sister, who’s in a far, FAR worse position right now! The determination burns within her! Let’s see what could happen! [u]History:[/u] Denise Walton was born with two personalities within her, the other being named Elizabeth for simplicity. They enjoyed one another but struggled to live in the same body. They prayed that something would separate them… and Asengav answered, splitting them up while also making them monster-girls fighting under his command. They had no idea their minds were being bent to follow his orders as they headed off with Mariette as her underlings. So it continued… until Deni was consumed by Caroline von Visceral, drained from reality and abandoned by Asengav. Not wanting his essence consumed by the blood-soaked Father, Asengav disconnected himself from the doomed Magical Girl. … Except, after he pulled away, an unknown Platinum Coin was spent, one Asengav had not given. A similar one had been given to Eli, and if spent, Asengav would regain control of Deni. However, that was not the coin that was spent. Instead, the coin was one (accidentally) given by the caring Puchuu Kousai, the refreshing power enough to restore the young girl back to her original, intended shape. While very surprised at first, Deni was quick to adapt to her new form and embark, intending to reclaim her sister, one way or another. So, technically, Deni had a backer for a moment, that being Kousai the Puchuu. Except, Kousai doesn’t even know it, and as such Deni went straight to becoming a Solo girl right after receiving the coin. Yupp. [u]Incantation:[/u] [i]Harmony and courage, take a stand, support me as I head to where my life gains meaning! Deni! Here I go![/i] [u]Additional Info:[/u] Deni likes to visit parks and school playgrounds to play with the children around there because it’s fun, enjoying perplexing teachers as she’s not one of theirs. Deni still possesses the ability to change her body-shape at will from that time when she made a wish to the Djinn sisters. She’s not able to fight when in a different shape, this change is purely for the sake of style and appearance, though she can make herself look like an adult or a stranger to avoid people looking for her. She has to be transformed for it to work. In order to fight, she has to revert to her base appearance, though she could possibly use it for ambushing or so. She likes being adult occasionally, so it’s mostly for that. [hider=How rolls went]Origin: SMUG Age: 7 Underdeveloped: +1 Mag. Specialization: Reinforcement. +1 Str, +1 Agi, +1 Mag, +1 Lck, +1 Vit out of costume. Weapon: Melee. +1 Str, +1 Vit. Costume: Flowing. +1 Str. Power: Twin Soul. (-1 to all stats) Perks: Martial Training: +1 Str. Flexibility: +1 Agi. Fated: +1 Lck. Get out of Jail Big Damn Hero Solo Genki Girl Str: 4+1(spec)+1(melee)+1(flowing)-1(twin)+1(martial) = 7. Agi: 4+1(spec)-1(twin)+1(flex) = 5. Vit: 4+1(melee)-1(twin) = 4. Mag: 4+1(under)+1(spec)-1(twin)=5 Lck: 4+1(spec)-1(twin)+1(fated)=5 2 silver and 3 bronze coins = 7 points. … 2 on Agi, 3 on Vit, 2 on Mag. Str: 7 Agi: 7 Vit: 7 Mag: 7 Lck: 5[/hider][/hider][/hider][/hider]