Hotel work was rather inconsistent. At least in terms of work. One moment the bell boy was up to his armpits in luggage, other times they would stand by the front door for hours at a time waiting for guests.The latter had become much more commonplace with Penros’s current predicament. One of the pros of being your own boss was that you could essentially take off any time there wasn’t work to be done. Especially when your workplace was also your home.

Su stretched her arms before walking towards her room. She pictured her desk in her mind’s eye. There was a calligraphy set she had pushed into the corner and was interested in trying it out. But on her way to her room, something assaulted her nose. It was foul, yet otherwise unexplainable. Even though it didn’t smell like rotting flesh, it did bring the same sense of foreboding. Something was wrong.

“Mika?”

She could have called anyone, but Su had just walked past Mika not long ago. When Su followed the smell, it brought her towards the kitchen. She could hear the sound of metal scraping against metal, and the hallway seemed to twist and turn. It was hard for Su to discern if this effect was due to dark magic or the fumes themselves. She covered her nose and marched up to the kitchen door before throwing it open.

What Su saw shocked her to her very core.

---

The kitchen was spotless. Everything was clean and orderly to a level that was only attainable by Su or Helga’s diligence. What was so horrific was what was going on in the center of the room. Mika was watching Samantha stir a pot in total awe. The black mass she was beating was getting bigger, smellier, stronger. It would overtake everyone in the room if nothing was done.

“Mika!”

“Su.” Mika said without turning around. “I can’t look away, but that’s alright.” Her body trembled. “We don't need eyes where we’re going.”

Su took hold of Mika and pulled her backwards. She flash transformed and tried to combat the noxious smell with her wind magic. But as soon as it was displaced, Samantha’s stirring only beckoned it to return.

“Samantha!” Su shouted. “Leave it in the sink! Get out of here!”

Samantha turned around to face Su but didn't stop stirring, the abomination squelching as a result. Hers was a look of complete bewilderment at the suggestion she should leave. "Mmm?" she clearly didn't understand why Su and Mika were acting so strangely. Were they that hungry? Maybe she had better speed up the process, it would be rude to keep them waiting.

Now stirring even faster than before, the girl once again looked at the black mass that was supposed to be a meal she was cooking. "It's okay," she assured them. She poked her finger into the mass and licked what had stuck to her finger.

It was not okay.

But stubborn as she was, she couldn't admit defeat. She was a perfectionist, after all. And she wouldn't let that man from the Pitstop put her down, even if he made her a cake. But what was the silver lining in this situation? It was not a tasty meal, and she wasn't confident that it was healthy, either. She had to think.

"Look, it's not even sentient."

“Samantha!” Su repeated before pulling part of her uniform over her nose. “Don’t you smell that?”

Mika was starting to gag and fell onto all fours. “I have a mouth but I cannot scream.”

Being accustomed to the scent of death, Sam honestly didn't realize that people would find it unbearable. "Something smells?" she asked rather obliviously.

Su dropped her gaze to Mika’s form before lifting her eyes back up to Samantha. A fire was lit behind her irises, and she propelled herself forward. Su reached out and touched the mixing bowl, and the entire abomination vanished inside her hammer space handbag. With the danger gone, Su lowered her shirt off of her nose. It would take a moment to clear out the kitchen, but her magic could contend with it at this point. The scent of Samantha’s creation was forced out a chimney into the outside atmosphere, where it would hopefully disperse before causing any more damage. “I’m going to need to find an appropriate place to dispose of that. Along with everything else I had in there.”

”Uguu.” Mika rolled over onto her back. “I feel like I was stepped on by a troll.”

Su took a step closer to Samantha. “What is the meaning of this? Were you trying to poison everyone?”

Mika gasped for air. “She knows not what she does.” She managed before falling limp.

Samantha held an expression that could best be described as a half-hearted frown. In truth, she was hurt that Su had forcibly stopped her from cooking, but she couldn't say it was a bad thing that that festering eldritch abomination was removed.

She had been watching Mika's overly-dramatic demise with moderate interest, but when Su asked about her intentions, her crimson orbs moved up to her. "Poison?" she scoffed. "I'm a lot more partial to reliable methods, thank you." Her eyes then drifted back to where her meal had once been and softened. She really was incompetent, wasn't she? "I tried... well, I was trying..." she found the words to be a bit more difficult to speak than she'd have liked. "...I wanted to cook for you guys, but it seems that I'm no good. At least, I don't think chicken noodle soup is my forte."

“Is… that what you were trying to make?” Su placed a finger on her chin and scanned the kitchen again. With the threat removed, Su was able to see a box of noodles laying on the counter, as well as an assortment of vegetables that could come together to make some excellent chicken noodle soup. When Su looked back to Samantha, she folded her arms. But she looked concerned rather than irritated. ”So you’re used to living by yourself right? Do you typically do your own cooking?”

Sam shook her head. "You're correct about me living by myself, but I've never really needed to cook," she answered. "Most of the time, I go out. And when that's not an option, I just use the microwave." the deadly chef said as she eyed the pitiful carcass of Mika. Should they just be leaving her like that?

With a sharp exhale, Su turned towards Mika. “She’s just being dramatic.” She pulled Mika to her feet, who stumbled around before Su turned back towards Samantha. “But I suppose it can’t be helped. I have to apologize for earlier. While I’m convinced that it’s impossible to create that horrific thing with the ingredients present, I do not believe you harbor any ill will towards us.” She bowed. “I’ve been meaning to teach Mika how to prepare her own food. Since the three of us are present I would not mind teaching you as well, if you’d be willing.”

Mika dusted herself off and placed her hands on her hips. “Silly and I get to be classmates?”

Samantha was not sure why Mika seemed to be excited at the prospect of becoming a 'classmate' with her. She was not a fun person to be around, she'd been told on occasion. "Well..." she scratched the back of her head. A flashback to that monstrosity that was the cake she tried to make a while back suddenly came to her. It spurred her to make a decision. "I suppose that would be nice. I do tire of my cooking trying to kill me." she agreed.

“Yes!” Mika psyched herself up.

”I’m glad you agree.” Su looked at a clock on the wall. ”Seems we have a few hours before dinner. With that in mind, let's make something special. It isn’t normal for me to have this much time to prepare dinner, so why don’t we make some pizza? I have never had a bad pizza before, so I think it would be a good dish for Samantha to learn.”

“Pizza!” Mika psyched herself up even more. “If I can make pizza, I’ll be even more irresistible!”

---

---

”My Pizza recipe is easy. But like all bread products, it can be a little time consuming when made from scratch. You can’t just make bread rise and cook faster.”

Mika pouted. “What if we used Silly’s time magic?”

”I’d rather not use any magic. If I used wind magic to assist with this, how would you be able to make a Pizza without me?”

“True...”

The brown-eyed girl couldn't understand Su's reasoning behind not using magic, at least in this case. Time magic would only speed up the process, nothing more. The dish would be made the exact same, wouldn't it? But not intent on disrespecting her teacher, Samantha listened intently on Su's words, as an aspiring chef would.

Su smiled. ”In order to make the dough, we’re going to need a few ingredients namely...

1/4 ounce of active dry yeast
1 teaspoon of sugar
1-1/4 cups of warm water
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 teaspoon of salt
And about 4 cups of all-purpose flour.”

Su’s helpers quickly assembled the items she requested. To this, she gave a satisfied nod.

”First we pour the warm water into a bowl. Hot water from the tap is fine.” Su poured the water out of a measuring cup

“Hey! That bowl goes to the mixer!”

”While I don’t like to use magic, I’m fine using my Kitchenaid to mix ingredients. Though if you don’t have one at home Samantha, it just takes a bit longer to mix by hand. But let’s add the yeast and sugar before the water cools. You might want to give the yeast a quick stir with a spatula if it floats.” Su measured out the active dry yeast on a scale before dumping it into the warm water. ”Now we wait 5 minutes for the yeast to activate. If you want to get a head start on the next step, you could measure out the rest of the ingredients.”

There were a lot of steps involved in making pizza, a lot more than she would have thought. She now had a newfound sense of respect for those who made them for a living, and perhaps chefs in general. Pizza wasn't likely to be the hardest thing to make, after all. It was more than just placing an item into a microwave and pressing a couple of buttons.

"I see," she nodded. "Then I will do just that." Samantha then set out to measure the other ingredients with vigor. The act wasn't too difficult. Samantha wasn't an imbecile and diligently followed the orders down to a T. She didn't rush the step since they needed to wait, so it was about five minutes or so when she finished. "There," she said, a little bit more pleased with herself than she should be. "It is done. What next?"

Mika leaned over the edge of the bowl.“Whoa, the yeast melted!” She stated when she saw the activated yeast.

”Not quite. Active dry yeast is in a dormant state until it’s been added to warm water. The yeast is technically alive too. We added sugar in the last step to feed it, But let’s not get side tracked.” She pointed at the ingredients in front of Samantha. ”Since Samantha has measured out everything, all we need to do is add the remaining ingredients. The olive oil and salt go in first, then we can use the dough hook attachment to mix it up. If you don’t have a mixer, I would just add one cup at a time and mix it in. But since we have a mixer, we just need to make sure we don’t add in so much that it launches the flour back at us.”

In a strange display of caution, Mika used a spatula to empty the measuring cup filled with flower into the mixing bowl. Before long, a soft dough formed.

“Now we beat it up!”
”We do, but first we need to dump it onto a dough rolling mat. Though if you don’t own one, you can just lightly cover a clean surface in flour before kneading the dough.”

As soon as Su laid out the mat, Mika slammed the dough down on the mat and looked at Samantha. “C’mon Silly! Beat it like it’s scent-e-ant!

They were supposed to beat the dough up? Knowing not the intricacies of cooking, she couldn't come up with a reason for this. Until it hit her. Su's earlier words.

”Not quite. Active dry yeast is in a dormant state until it’s been added to warm water. The yeast is technically alive too.”

Ah, so that's it. So long as it's alive, it is not entirely safe. We've got to put it down in the name of the pie we wish to make!

Samantha took a deep breath in. She steeled her nerves and prepared for the battle ahead. Su did not want them using magic, so she'd have to resolve this as a human. It wasn't preferable, but it was doable. She felt no magical presence from the dough, either.

"Understood," she said. "I'm on it."

Quite obviously, there was a difference in opinion between what Mika thought 'beating up' meant, and what 'Silly' thought it meant. It was likely she believed in a bit more subtlety. That it shouldn't be taken too seriously and only done with moderate force.

Sil, however, did not believe in holding back against a dangerous foe. With as much strength as she could muster, she unleashed a flurry of blows that rained down upon the dough. Instead of doing what it was supposed to, the attacks were of such magnitude that tiny pieces seemed to be separating and getting flung about. It wouldn't be long before bigger chunks would follow.

Mika had stopped hitting the dough at this point. “You can do it Silly!”

But Su gently placed a hand on Samantha’s arm. ”Kneading the dough is less about slaying the bread and more about strengthening the gluten strands. Kneading will make the crust thick and fluffy, as opposed to flat and hard.” She stepped in front of Samantha and pushed the dough together. ”You’re done when the dough is stretchy and easy to work with.” She looked at Samantha with a smile. ”Most of the kneading is usually done by the time it comes out of the mixer, but you would normally want to fold it on top of itself, turn it 90 degrees, fold it again, and just keep going until it’s the consistency you want. If you don’t have a dough mat, you might need to reflour the surface a few times. Just make sure you don’t add so much it throws off the entire recipe.” Su rolled the dough into a ball before getting out a glass bowl. ”Now we just need to lightly glaze a bowl with some butter or a spray, and then we can place the dough inside. Make sure to turn it over once to coat the dough.” She waited for Samantha to do this while pointing Mika towards the pantry. ”Then we’re going to cover it in plastic wrap and give it some time to raise.” Su picked up her kitchen timer. ”I’ve had good luck waiting about 45 minutes. The dough has usually doubled in size by then.”

Once Mika returned with the plastic wrap, she covered the dough. “Wait, that’s almost an hour! Is there any way to speed it up?”

”Efficient Cooking is all about time management. While the dough is rising, we’ll be preparing the toppings.” Su pulled a pepper and some mushrooms out of the fridge and placed them on the cutting board. ”We have vegetables to prepare, sausage to cook, pizza plates to prepare, preheat the oven, and we can clean the mixer and the measuring cups we used too. It won’t take long but it’s a good way to make use of our time.”

“Gotcha!” Mika saluted before collecting the dirty measuring cups and dumping them into the sink.

---

---

With the three of them working, they would have to really stretch the work to make it last the entire 45 minutes required for the bread to rise.

Samantha did not seem keen on stretching out said work, however. She was able to clean their used cups and the sort in little time at all, as well as helping with the preparation of the vegetables. There were no factors left to Sil that could result in a botched pizza, so things went perfectly.

The remaining tasks did not require extra hands, so she found herself just behind Su, perhaps a little bit too close to the girl. While they weren't rubbing up against each other, the whole ‘personal space’ thing was beginning to look like it was foreign to Sam. She did not speak, but instead, her eyes were locked onto the sausage she was making.

Most would not find anything interesting with the mundane method in which Su stirred the sausage. It was just a lump of ground Italian sausage that she was splitting with a silicone spatula. She kept breaking it down, spinning it, completely oblivious to Samantha’s location. Wind users were said to be super aware of their surroundings, but Su was totally lost to the moment. She was humming the tune of “99 bottles” with a smile on her face.

A bit of grease leaped out of the pan and landed on Su’s arm, which startled her into taking a step backwards into Samantha. She soon discovered Su was wearing pumps as the heel was driven into the top of her foot. The counter in the middle of the kitchen gave Samantha no room to step backwards, forcing her and Su to stumble towards the stove. The bump wasn’t hard enough to throw Su into the stove, but it was impossible for Samantha to know that. So she hugged Su and the two of them stumbled backwards again. This time Samantha was able to keep Su’s heels off of her feet, but that was only because she was lifting Su into the air, and had to half lean backwards over the counter to do this. As awkward as this situation was, it did bring an end to their strange ballet.

Su turned her head to look back at Samantha. She said nothing, but her wide eyed expression let Samantha know that she wanted to say something, she just didn’t know what it should be.

After a puzzled expression towards Su's choice to remain silent, Samantha's first action was to set the busty girl down, though this required a fair amount of effort. From the position they were in, she was halfway to becoming a WWE superstar. Having no reason to finish the suplex, she forced one of her hands down onto the counter to push her away from it, while the other one continued to hold onto the wind girl so as not to have her just fall to the ground. Thankfully, this succeeded in placing them in a position where Sil could safely let the girl down, which she proceeded to do, then stepping away to put a minimal amount of distance between them.

Su still hadn't spoken, so she might've been hoping Samantha would instead. And she did, just not immediately. She first took a long inhale, and let loose an even longer exhale. Her foot hurt! But once that was done, she broke the silence that somehow hadn't already been so by Mika by clearing her throat.

"Is there something wrong? Why did you stop?" she asked Su as though nothing happened, with a completely deadpan stare. It was a flawless act unspoiled by any tells of the lie, except for the incredibly subtle way Sil was flicking the foot Su stepped on, as though trying to wake it. Truly subtle.

Su blinked. ”You just-” She looked at Samantha’s clapping foot before making eye contact with the assassin again. ”You startled me. There’s not much room between the stove and the center counter and-” She placed the spatula beside the stove. ”I don’t have a splatter shield. The old one started to rust, and I’m not dressed up for the kitchen.You should always have sleeves and pants if you’re going to cook anything on the stove top.”

“Oh.” Mika was leaning around a chair. “I thought you guys were going to kiss.”

Su cleared her throat. ”No Mika, if I did that, it would hurt Helga’s feelings. Samantha and I don’t have that kind of relationship.”

“Well.” She looked between Su and Samantha. “Does Silly feel that way about anyone?”

There was a moment in time the two of them could swear Samantha had frozen herself in time. She was completely still. Not the slightest sway, it didn't appear like she was breathing, or like she even seemed like she heard what Mika said. The sound of a dial-up connection was the only tell that she was still among them.

Suddenly, she came back to life. "F-feel what way? I don't understand what you mean by that."

“Like you can only kiss one person for the rest of your life.” Mika smiled as she delivered her answer. “Do you feel that way about someone?”

Samantha wasn't sure why this subject was making her uncomfortable, but it was. But was what they said right? Were you only allowed to kiss one person your entire life? She did not know these sorts of things, so she couldn't refute such a claim with confidence.

"I'm not sure..." contrary to earlier, she seemed a bit meek. "Does kissing your superior count?" she asked innocently.

Su folded her arms and gave Samantha a sideways glance. ”Only if you love them.” Su looked to the floor. ”You know, it’s something you willingly surrender yourself to. If you don’t want to, then it’s not love.” Su turned towards Samantha. ”I mean there are exceptions. I kiss Boteg and Mika from time to time. But it’s not the same with Helga. I think Mika has oversimplified it a little.” She steeled her gaze. ”What she’s asking is if there’s anyone in your life who you put above everyone else. Someone you crave to spend all of your hours with. Someone who brings you comfort in an unforgiving world.”

Samantha felt herself retreating into her scarf, despite not being cold. She wasn't sure why. But all of those things were sounding familiar. She could associate them with Veronica, but was that really it? Did she feel 'love' for her employer? She didn't know.

"I... can't say. Maybe?" she pondered a second. "I haven't really felt especially strong about anyone, not even my own parents, so I couldn't tell you for sure."

Mika crept up beside Samantha and took one of her hands in her own. “Well, if you don’t know, just hang out with me.” She lightly patted Samantha’s hand. “I think I can make you feel that way.”

Samantha couldn't say why Mika suddenly took her hand, but something she said clicked with her. "You can?" she thought back to the graveyard, and stirring in her chest when she looked upon the girl's features. That was... foreign. She wasn't sure then, but maybe she would be now. "I see. I do remember feeling something for you," she told the girl. "Let me try something, just to make sure.”

So saying, Samantha took her other hand to Mika's face, glanced intimately at her, and then pinched a cheek.

“GAH! MOMMY!”

Su raised an eyebrow. ”You kind of brought that on yourself.” Su took her time walking up to the two and separating them with a gentle push. While Mika rubbed her cheek, Su came to a realization. ”Wait, mommy?”

“Yea.” Mika was still rubbing her face. “It just came to me, should I not call you that?”

”N-no, I’m just not used to it.” Su scratched the back of her head. ”But your real parents, they’re still alive right?”

“Yea, but I don’t see them anymore.” When she moved her hand, there was a red welt on her cheek where Samantha had pinched her. “I don’t really know where they are now. Some day I’ll look for them.” She looked between Su and Samantha. “You guys don’t have parents, right Silly?”

Samantha had a dreamy expression on her face throughout the small discussion. Mika's adorable reaction sure had done what she thought it would. Sam would have to do that again sometime, but it seemed things were taking an interesting turn, so she snapped out of it. Mostly.

"No," she told them with a small grin still on her face. She must have still been on cloud nine. "I don't know if they're dead or not, but it does not change anything if they aren't." she explained nonchalantly. There was nothing more she felt she needed to add, so she turned to Su. "And you?"

Su smiled briefly. ”Well, I’ve been around for a while. My parents aren’t magical girls, so naturally I’ve outlived them.” Su kept her arms crossed.

“But what about Boteg? Isn’t he your dad?”

Su’s eyes shot open. ”Mika! What did I tell-”

”It’s okay!” Mika put on a big stupid grin. It was like the welt on her cheek wasn’t even hurting her anymore. ”Silly is one of Harmonica’s, erm, Var-Monika’s agent people. I think she calls Silly a top agent.”

Su’s head swung over towards Samantha. Her eyes were wide for a second or so, but then they quickly narrowed to slits. ”I see.” Su placed her arms at her sides. ”That explains a few things, at least.”

The happy expression existing at all was probably the most important thing. That fact that it did not last too long was not as much. But the reason being was, of course, Mika. Not that Samantha was too upset by this, because she knew it had to happen eventually. It was in Mika's D.N.A to do that.

"Mika, can I have your other cheek for a second? I need to make sure of something else." She threatened the cheek by pressing her thumb and her index finger together in a pinching fashion. Honestly she wasn't sure if Mika did that on purpose or not, but either way, she'd feel it soon.

”Mom!” Mika hid behind Su.

Samantha turned to Su. "The Overcity wasn't a good place to reveal that, and it never got brought up here. Sorry for that." she tried explaining to Su. "But yes," she said. "I'm considered Veronica's top agent, and I was there to personally witness your... event, so to speak."

Su placed a hand on her head and nodded. ”The overcity was not the best place to talk about the past, yes. I came to the same conclusion, especially with Rina present. It’s a comfort to know who you work for though.” She turned to look at Mika. ”And since everyone present knows my secret, I can talk a bit about my parents.” She bent her legs and placed her hands on her knees so that she was the same height as Mika. ”I’m a familiar, so I was not born like humans are. Boteg came to this world scared and confused, and he wanted a guide to help him navigate it. So he created me.” Su patted her chest. ”You may know that when magical girls die, they struggle to acquire enough mana to recreate their forms. They don’t always get to do that though, as it’s strenuous work. Quite competitive to boot. But I’m told that I was made from the soul of a departed magical girl.

”So this isn’t the first time you’ve been a magical girl?” Mika’s eyes lit up.

”Mmmmm, maybe? That’s kind of a hard question to answer. Su stood back up. ”I have a lot of memories from a lot of different people. That’s the point of a familiar, to have lots of memories across various experiences to make everything ‘familiar’ to them. That’s why familiars are such great guides. So I’m not sure if I can take credit for every memory I have, or even which ones belong to my original soul. She chuckled. ”That’s why my age is such a tricky topic. I’ve only existed as Su for about fifty years, but some of these memories go quite far back.

”Mommy got to be several magical girls?” Mika winked. ”Mommy is so lucky, I bet you got a lot of friends.”

Su blushed a bit before changing the topic. ”It’s a shame I can’t talk about myself more openly with others. That was fun. She turned back to Samantha. ”I’m sure Veronica must be proud of her top agent. After giving her a small bow, Su looked at the time. ”The dough should be ready any moment now, and we still have a few things to prepare. So let’s get back to it.

Samantha's gaze lingered on Su for a moment. So it was fun to speak of things you typically couldn't? Yeah, she supposed so. It was also nice to hear a bit about Su, her origin was interesting.

"Very well," Samantha nodded. "A finished pizza is sounding more appetizing by the minute."

---

---

Su looked at her two apprentice chefs. ”The dough is just about ready, so we need to make sure we have everything to top the pizza. For that we’ll need…

Pizza sauce (pasta sauce works too, and is what I use most of the time)
Enough mozzarella cheese to cover the pizza
1 bell pepper, any color you like
4-6 medium portobello mushrooms (If small, just use more!)
ground Italian sausage (I tend to cook a lot and use it for a lot of meals.)
And a few slices of pepperoni.”

So let’s make sure we have everything in order.

“Samantha did a good job with the veggies!” Mika gave her Superior chef a salute while standing beside Samantha’s handy work.

”I’ve also browned the sausage, pepperoni comes cooked, and I preheated the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Something else I did was tear out two sheets of parchment paper that were roughly the size of the pizza pans.”

Mika scratched her head. “Why do you do that again?”

”Because when I preheat the oven, I leave the pizza pans on the racks so that they heat up as well. This makes the crust under the pizza crispier because it doesn’t need to heat up with the pizza.” Right on cue, the timer for the dough sounded. ”Alright Samantha, I want you to peel back the plastic wrap and punch down the dough.” She raised a finger ”B-but one punch is fine, it’s a weak opponent. And don’t break the glass bowl.” Su looked just a bit nervous.

"Affirmative." Sil nodded to Su, looking at the bowl with a fire in her eyes. She would best this foe properly, so that Su would be pleased with her. This pizza would be excellent!

And so it was that she laid bare the dough, unhindered by plastic. With its vital open, Sam attacked decisively. "Haa!" she pulled her fist back and let loose a... normal punch, not particularly loaded with a great deal of force.

Glass bowls weren't very durable.

The bowl rocked a bit, but when Samantha pulled back her hand, the dough had deflated a bit, and had an imprint of her fist on it.

Mika frowned. “It got smaller!”

”That’s okay!” Su encouraged. ”It’s supposed to do that. When you punch the dough, it collapses it so that it can raise a second time. It improves the flavor too. If we were gentle with it, there would be a lot of air bubbles. That’s not something we want in pizza dough.” Su used a knife to divide the dough in half and place each half on a piece of parchment paper. ”Alright Samantha, I’m going to let you handle this one, and Mika’s going to have this one.”

The two apprentice chiefs stepped up to their respective stations. “So we just push it out like a pancake?”

”Just work from the center out and make it as thin as you can. If it tears, you can knead it back together. You can leave the edge a little fat since that will be the crust.”

After working the dough a bit, Mika made what looked like a pizza shell. “I think I got it!”

”Very good.” Su smiled. ”Now you want to lay down the sauce. It’s not too hard, just scoop it out and smear it all over the center of the pizza with your spoon until it’s evenly covered. It’s okay if there’s a few light spots. Then you want to top it with cheese, and add all of your vegetables. Well, half of them. Samantha is going to need the other half for her Pizza.”

“And then you add the meat!” Mika used her hands to sprinkle the sausage and pepperoni on top of the Pizza. Su had to step in to prevent her from getting too carried away. But it was looking pretty good.

”That looks really good Mika.” Su turned to look at Samantha. ”Are you making out alright?”

Samantha was quiet for a second but nodded. "Yes, I believe I am."

She was lagging behind just a bit, presumably because she was being extra cautious of the steps. But once she was done placing the sausage, she gave a thumbs up to Su.

Su returned the gesture, even if it wasn’t something she normally did. ”So now we just need to cook them. The Pizza pans in the oven should be sufficiently hot, so we just have to transfer the pizzas onto them.” This was pretty simple. Su just got an oven mitt to handle the hot pizza pans and used her free hand to pull the parchment papered pizzas onto them. ”Just don’t burn yourself. I have two racks set up so we can cook both of the pizzas at the same time.” After getting the Pizzas all situated in the oven, she shut the oven and turned back to the others. ”Cooking time varies a bit from oven to oven. Even though mine has a thermostat, few ovens are 100% true to what you set them to. Like I noticed when I set mine to 400, it actually cooks at about 430. Sadly the best way to find out what's the most ideal is simple trial and error. I find 16 minutes works great for me.” Su turned back towards the oven. ”Another thing you want to keep in mind is that once the oven gets hot, all of the walls radiate heat. So certain parts of the oven are hotter than others. Because of this, I’m going to swap both pizzas and rotate then 180 degrees half way through the cooking process.”

---

---

”Alright they’re coming out!” Su Pulled out Mika’s pizza and placed it on top of the stove.

Mika clapped her hands together. “It’s beautiful!” Mika eyed the finished pizza with delight. Her eyes wandered over every glossy piece of meat, her nose took in the aroma, and it was plain on her face that she felt a sense of accomplishment seeing something she helped create turn out so good. “How did the other one turn out?”

”Let's find out.”

Samantha's pensive stare at the oven betrayed her anxiety. Would she mess things up again? Or would they be alright? Mika's pizza looked fine. She imagined it would taste great. So, having followed Su's directions as well, that should be the same for her, right?

"...!"

As her pizza was pulled from the oven, Samantha couldn't contain her surprise, and her lips curved upwards. The pizza looked... absolutely delicious! She'd done it, she'd really done it! An edible food, no eldritch abomination!

"Thank you," she nodded to Su. "It seems to have come out fine." she turned back to the pizza, and couldn't take her eye off of it, it still felt unreal.

And then it felt chilled.

...leas...ki...e...*gh*...p...l...m...*gh*

"...who's whispering into my ear, please stop that." she looked at the other two, but they weren't really in a position to do so. She glanced both ways, but nothing was there. Strange.

“Was that my tummy?” Mika placed a hand up against the side of her head.

”Wait, someone’s coming!”

Sure enough, they could hear someone approach the kitchen. The door knob turned, and in stepped Boteg, dressed head to toe like a man. But his head was still unmistakably draconian.

”Sky scare! Little scare! Time scare?” He briefly inspected Samantha before looking at the pizzas. ”Didst thou slave over most splendid meal? Me thoughts I doth smell yellow melt!”

”Right, I almost forgot.” Su turned to look at Samantha. ”Boteg loves cheese. He must have smelled the pizzas we made. ”

The golden dragon walked over to the two pizzas, eyeing them with a pleased smile. ”Tis a most pleasant surprise! Me thinks I can’t verily go long without a taste.” He looked at the girls. ”At thou behest.” His fingers danced over the pizzas.

A well-dressed dragon was not the strangest thing Samantha had ever witnessed, so she simply rolled with it. The fact that Boteg liked cheese was honestly more surprising. "They just came out of the oven," she warned. "We were going to wait for them to cool down."

Mika looked at Samantha. “We were?”

Samantha narrowed her eyes at Mika, and in an instant, she closed the small distance between them. "Mika," she said, tugging at the girl's cheeks again. "How do your cheeks feel?"

“Very sore!” She cried.

Su folded her arms and kept her eyes on Boteg. ”While we all made the Pizzas, Samantha put most of her effort in the one on the right. She’s new to cooking, but I feel like she learned a lot, and I think it would do a lot for her confidence if you tried her Pizza first.”

”Tis a most splendid idea!” Boteg took a Pizza roller and cut the Pizza into 8 slices. When the blade rolled through the toppings, they parted like the red sea. The pizza let out some steam with every cut, and Boteg looked like he was starting to salivate. He lifted a slice off of the pan and held it up in the air. ”I doth partake in time scare’s wondrous creation!” He opened his maw and lowered the pizza into his mouth, eating almost everything up to the crust. When he pulled his head away, there were strands of cheese going from his lips to what was left of the pizza in his hand. He chewed the food slowly, but then suddenly stopped. His eyes started to dilate while the rest of his body was perfectly still.

“Boteg?” Mika’s cheek was still pinched between Samantha’s fingers.

Samantha slowly let go of Mika's cheeks. "Does he usually do this when he eats cheese?" she asked the other two.

Nobody answered Samantha’s question, and instead stared at the golden dragon in absolute horror. He turned his gaze to the door behind himself and pushed it open. Naturally, the three magical girls waked after him. Now they were standing in a hallway. There were no remarkable features, aside from a short table holding a vase, and a window on the wall opposite of the vase. Boteg walked until he was standing between both of these objects. Using both hands, he placed the Pizza crust on the table before turning to face the window. Mika and Su walked back into the kitchen, leaving Samantha alone in the hallway with Boteg. But he did not acknowledge her. Instead, he threw open the window before hopping onto the window sill. Then, without any hesitation, his body leaned forward and he fell out of the window.

Samantha threw out her hand as if to stop Boteg, but she wasn't quick enough. The poor man (dragon) had left them.

She was not sure where she heard it from, but she could swear she heard a 'thanks' coming from inside. Ignoring it for now, she turned around and hurried back into the kitchen. "Why did he just jump out of the window?"

Samantha would have her question answered when she heard what sounded like a dragon belching fire into the sky.

Su was crouched down in the corner of the room looking at her feet, and Mika was reaching for a slice of pizza, seemingly oblivious to what was going on. Though she was picking from the one to the left that Samantha had less involvement in. “This tastes great!” Mika had two plates, each with a pizza slice on it. “Thanks mommy! I’m going to show this to Lupa!” She hurried off without saying another word.

Su looked up from her corner. ”H-he’ll calm down soon.”

---

Mika was as proud as a peacock. If there was one thing all of her friends liked, it was Pizza. Now that she could make Pizza, the possibilities were quite possibly endless. She was confident she could become the president with her pizzas. But for now, she’d keep her expectations modest.

“Oh Lupa! I want you to try something!”

She was quite confident that Lupa would love her forever and ever if she even just smelled this Pizza. Of course she’d have to find her first.

“Do you smell it Lupa? I know you smell it!”

This was really strange. It wasn’t like Lupa’s room was very big. Aside from the bed and closet, there weren’t any places to hide.

“I know what you’re doing!”

Mika giggled and ran over to her room, only to discover she wasn’t there.

“Lupa?”

The door to her room swung shut. The pizza would get cold if Mika waited too long. Before she could choose her next course of action, she could hear a window open in Lupa’s room.

“Lupa!” Mika ran to Lupa’s room and shoved the door open. Sure enough Lupa was closing the window behind herself, and shaking the snow off of her feet. “Lupa I made Pizza! Come have a slice!”

”Really? So that’s what you’ve been shouting about?” Lupa took the plate and examined the pizza. ”It looks really tasty. Way better than the criteria garbage I use to eat. No contest.” She set the plate on her dresser before strolling over to her bed. ”I’ve got something kind of heavy to tell you Mika. Wanna sit down for a bit?” She wore a wistful smile.

“Sure?” Mika wasn’t too sure how words could be heavy, but did have to admit there was something hanging in the air. A sense that she was going to hear things she didn’t want to. “What did you wanna say, Lupa?”

“Well, Mika.” Lupa looked at the floor. “The other day I attacked Helga. We weren’t play fighting, there was a real chance one of us could die. Had another magical girl not intervened, that might have been the case.”

Mika blinked. “Well, nobody did die though!” She giggled. “You’re just being silly! You’d never hurt Helga.”

Lupa shook her head. “You don’t understand. My true patron is a primal force that lives inside of me. It drives me to do things to sate its hunger, and with every passing day I become weaker to its influence. If it can make me attack Helga, there’s nothing stopping me from trying to kill you.”

“We’ll just get it removed then!” Mika sprung to her feet.

“It’s not that easy.” Lupa turned to Mika. “The only people with the power to do that is Beacon, and, well.” Lupa pointed outside. “They appear to be more interested in killing monster girls than redeeming them, despite what the PI reported a few months ago.”

Mika’s legs suddenly felt weak. “W-why are you being negative? No one has to die!”

“Remaining here is just going to cause trouble for everyone.” Lupa took her younger companion’s hand and gently pulled her down to a sitting position. “I’m going to leave Penrose. I heard the Beacon branch in New York is more tolerant of monster girls.”

Mika bit her lip. “NO!” She sprung to her feet and ran over to the window. “You’re not going to leave!” She locked it before running over to the door. “I-Im going to make sure you stay!” With all the exits locked, she ran over to her Pizza. It was kind of warm now, but that was fine. “A-and if not, I’ll come with you!”

“Mika.” Lupa fret her brow. “I’m not even Lupa, I’m one of her clones. She left Penrose hours ago. She isn’t even aware we’re having this talk, only that she wanted me to have it with you.”

The pizza fell to the floor, only moments before Mika’s hands and knees. “B-but, I-” She lifted her torso up and clasped her hands together. “I-I love you! Tell me where she is! You gotta.”
“Lupa” sighed. “No Mika, you don’t. Not in the way you’re implying anyway.” She stood up. “When we were at the beach, you barely spent any time with me. You were darting between as many girls as possible, from Hilaria to Rina to Kimble. It isn’t even an isolated event. I’m pretty sure you were trying to put the moves on Samantha too. There has to be more I’m not even aware of.”

“You gotta...” Mika whimpered and sunk to the floor.

“Don’t be sad Mika.” Lupa placed her hand on Mika’s head. “You just have a lot of growing to do. Someday you’ll realize It’s impossible to share your heart with everyone. Just like a pizza pie, really.” She bent over and picked up the pizza. “You can’t share pizza with just anyone. You need to make sure each of those slices goes to someone you want to feed.” Lupa consumed Mika’s food in a single bite. “Mmmm.” She licked her fingers. “I gotta say, she would have loved that.”

And then, the clone dissipated into smoke. Mika’s fist was fully extended through where their chest had been, and a mix of tears and sweat trickled down her face. Her fingers trembled as she lowered her arm back to her side. She was still in total disbelief that Lupa would have left her like that. But it made sense. Kimble worked for Beacon, likely in an attempt to weaken her relationships. Even Abigail did this when she promised to get Mika closer to Alicia. Beacon was also trying to hurt Helga and Su. Rina even said she didn’t like Beacon, comparing them to the Mint.

“Why didn’t I notice sooner?”

It was clear as day. Beacon was trying to ruin her life. They were just a bunch of unpleasant people who prayed on the happiness of others. That was the real reason why they drove Lupa to say such hurtful things. She’d show them. She’d show all of them. By the end of this she’d have more friends than anyone.

Mika walked back into her room and laid in her bed. She’d go to Brittany’s shop tomorrow. There were tools there Mika could make use of.

It had only been a small period of time since Alicia had departed the rooftop with one half of Penny in tow. She had chosen to walk rather than teleporting back, figuring she would give her companion time to adjust to everything before throwing her to the wolves of the Ascendancy and the rest of Beacon. It was only fair.

So for now they walked, a supportive shoulder offered to the machine girl when it was needed. There was a lot to think about, a lot to take in. Chloe might be having an easier time of it, but Alicia was not.

She had been silent for a while, but eventually she spoke up. ”So, which Penny are you? I mean, besides the one that has the Spark. There has to be some other kind of distinguishing feature, right?” Her curiosity could not be sated for very long, especially on a subject this important.

“I’d like to say that I’m the smarter half” Penny would reply, she sounded tired and she accepted the offered shoulder for the time, as she let her native magic work on bringing this new form into tolerance. “But I don’t think that’s what you meant”

A few dozen different distinctions blitzed though Penny’s mind as she worked to find the right answer. In the end she went with the one that was the most honest, something she hadn’t really been to Alicia. “A thing to realize about us, me and my other half, is that we’ve never been fully integrated with each other, we’ve both been here since she was dragged into the magical community.” It was something that Penny had always known even if she didn’t really do anything about that fact, other than try to ignore it. “This split broke along that division, and the witch worked within those parameters as well. What that ends up meaning is that you got... Me” Penny would say somewhat lamely. She was obviously uncomfortable but there was also a look of confusion on her face. “The easiest distinction. Is that I am a machine, and always have been. The Monster” She'd grimace at that but that too was quickly replaced with confusion. “That was within. She’d call me the Engine at times, but I always viewed myself as Penny.”

Alicia was silent as Penny responded to her question. She wasn’t sure what she had been expecting honestly. Some completely different individual, some long repressed twin inside her mind. Whatever it was that she had wanted to hear, it was not this.

As Penny went on her head fell, slowly, not by much. Her pace slowed as well, even though it did not need to. ”I see,” she replied once Penny had finished. So that was how it was? It did explain a few things, she supposed. ”You also answered the other question I had, so we can skip that one.”

Instead she found something different to ask. “Is that division why only you ended up with the Spark, rather than both halves of the soul?”

“No” Penny would answer with a smile that faded slowly, but this time confusion didn’t replace it, resignation did “I sought to keep the Spark, Reasons were irrational and selfish. No prior data suggested that it could not be split amongst the two of us as well. Yet logic dictates that the witch would not have bothered to acquiesce to her… possession” She nearly spat the word venom dripping from her tone “To also be housing it. Nevertheless, the Spark you help me obtain freed both me and my other half from the tyranny of our prior Patron. It means far too much to me to be willing to part with it.”

As Penny spoke it would become increasingly obvious that her inflection and cadence were changing. Monotonous wasn’t the right word, but emotionless was.

”Yeah, you’re probably right,” Alicia agreed with the beginnings of a sigh. She didn’t know Chloe that well, but it seemed entirely possible that she would have tried to do something like that if faced with that particular situation.

Well, at least they could be together in being angry at Chloe. She deserved it after all.

Alicia did her best to keep them moving forwards, even with the fall in her mood. ”So what’s the plan now?” she asked. ”Go on a world spanning quest to find yourself? Defeat the other Penny Highlander style? Take up knitting?”

Penny for her part was fully functional, easily able to walk on her own if she wanted, but she didn’t break away from the support offered as from her perspective it was Alicia who now needed the support. “Current objectives are to work through the backlog of trauma that was being ignored. Continue my services to you and Beacon. No plans to fight my other half, though your reference is apt as in the end there can be only one of us.” A small ghost of a smile at the movie reference slipped through the passive look on her face

“Degradation of my soul is at risk if too much time is spent separated. Reformation will be simple however.” Penny would go on to say as she raised up her free arm and a Red coin slowly emerged from it “Mental and emotional trauma needs to be dealt with first. That way I’ll stop being an idiot” She let out a huff at her last statement obviously annoyed at herself.

Well, at least this Penny would be staying with them, that was nice. Unaware of the silent support that her friend was providing, Alicia would take on a surprised look at the Red Coin. For a moment she thought to ask, before deciding that she didn’t want to know how that had happened.

”That seems easy to say, but what if she doesn’t during her time with Chloe. It doesn’t seem like it would solve much if only one of you resolves your feelings,” Alicia pointed out. After what had happened, she was not prepared to take any chances when it came to how things with Penny would go. Now that she knew it was a risk.

Penny saw the question on Alicia’s face but chose to wait on that one “She won’t. She never did, but I am rather skilled when it comes to integration. It is part of the reason why we remained a Monster girl after the usage of the White Coin. I accepted and adapted to the Beacon’s magic” She would explain simply as she let the coin slip back into her frame “I will make sure that our traumas remain dealt with.” The conviction in her voice was subtle but as strong as steel.

“I was handed this Red coin by Cindy. Due to an agreement made at the Beach” Penny would go on to say “She had contracted me to start building safe houses and refuges for Dark magicals and Monster girls. It was something that I had already started doing in fact. My idea was to give them a place of safety and someone they could turn to that wasn’t the Mint or others that would take advantage of them. Or to act as a halfway house, before purification if they wanted it. Now it’s already filled with those who are in hiding from the Ascendency”

She couldn’t help but shake her head softly at that, her plan usurped so completely by someone that she didn’t fully trust. Part of her wondered if that was Cindy's plan all along. “I will not keep secrets from you anymore, I did that far too often before.”

Simply saying the ‘trauma would remain dealt with’ was not the most reassuring thing, but Alicia supposed she would have to take Penny at her word. It wasn’t like she had the ability to go into her soul personally and make sure one way or the other.

More interesting was the story that Penny provided as to how she had obtained the Red Coin. ”I...see,” Alicia replied after a few moments, her head falling. ”It’s odd. I had a similar idea some time ago. Things just kept coming up so I could never actually do it. And now that I’m in charge of Beacon I doubt anyone would show up if I did do it.” Once again, it seemed like the Ascendancy had taken the decision out of her hands.

She flashed Penny a weak smile. ”Thanks, I appreciate it, even if it might not mean all that much at this point.”

“If the girls out there knew that it was you who was running it, I think you’d have your hands full within a week” Penny would say softly “I wish I hadn’t been so afraid to bring the idea up to you before.” A small shrug and a shake of her head, it was too late to contemplate what if’s. “Once we’ve gotten Penrose back on it’s feet we can revisit the idea.”

“And the information I have is not yet obsolete. I know where to find Cindy, and know of at least two people she has contacted and made deal’s with other than myself. I know something about Veronica, and possibly have a way to contact her if you need, though I would advise against such an action. I know of one Mint held location. I know of a headquarters of the Penrose Independent along with the name and appearance of the Boss of said organization.” She would explain keeping eye contact with her friend, one who she had never treated with the honesty she deserved “I am very well connected, and any information that I know is yours. It is the least you deserve in return for staying by my side, even as part of me was throwing it all away.”

Alicia wasn’t so sure about that, but any consideration she may have had about her own ideas was lost in an instant as Penny explained the other things that she knew. The Penrose Independent stuff was less relevant, beyond Rebecca’s mission, but she knew where Cindy was, and a Mint location too? This was….unbelievable.

Their eyes met and Penny would see a glimmer in them. There was sadness, a bit of anger, even while she tried to make it appear like she was taking it all in stride. Then she flinched, breaking eye contact as she looked away. ”Well, we should probably look into the Mint location at the very least.” They couldn’t just let the Coin Brokers run around doing whatever they wanted. ”We can talk about that more when we get back to base.”

“Alicia” Penny would say, quietly bringing them to a stop so that she could face her friend “I am sorry, even if that doesn't amount to very much right now. I know that I might never truly earn you forgiveness and I recognize that is entirely my fault. So if you want to rage at me I understand, I deserve it. If you want me to find Aurelio or Kimbel or Serenity to help console you I will and I’ll stay away until you feel better” She would say softly “And if you have any questions for me, about anything, I will answer them the best that I can.”

“You are my friend, but I’ve not been a very good one. Just let me know what I can do to help you, even if it means giving you space.”

Alicia was silent, motionless once Penny had brought them to a halt. Emotions crashed against the barrier of her mind, threatening to wash over and consume her as the other girl spoke. Her vow of patience was as much of a hindrance as it was a help, for in many cases she wanted to hold back and restrain herself as much as it might be nicer to let go.

She remained motionless, lips trembling and fingernails digging into her palms as her mind went around again and again. Eventually something presented itself. The only thing she could ask in a situation like this. The only thing that she had to know.

So Alicia spoke, her voice low and almost plaintive in a sense. ”How long. How long have the two of them been….”

Together

Penny wanted to sigh, she knew that the mess with Chloe was going to hurt someone, she had just always thought it was going to be her. “That topic is more complex than you would think at first read.” She would start slowly, her eyes never leaving Alicia, she wanted. No. Needed to see how this secret affected her friend. “Full relationship, somewhere in the range of hours, shortly after the stage performance. We moved into her Apartment about two weeks ago from our perspective. My other half has harbored feelings for her for approximately Four months prior to this status change.”

“Chloe was the first non hostile that either of us had encountered in the magical world, and in a lot of ways she was our first friend in the magical community. Thalia was our second and you were out third, to add a bit of context to that. When we first met her, we were in critical need of repairs mentally and emotionally. We had spent the five and a half months leading up to that lacking any relevant data to the situation at hand, due to that I spent a lot more time in control then my other half did.” It would be the only time she paused during her explanation, as she recalled those fear filled months. Those were dark times for Penny and likely the cause for a lot of her issues.

A slight shake of her head and she would return to answering Alicia’s question. “Laat’s first reveal started with him forcefully uploading information to us so that understanding could at last be reached. The asshole also showed up just to give us orders to come here to Penrose to meet up with Chloe due to a deal that he had made with the Dragon that Chloe works for.”

“After the incident at the park, Chloe vanished, our access to her apartment was denied. It wasn’t until after the installation of the hover module that she appeared. It was also the beginning of the division within us.”

“Personal preference would have been Chloe never returned.

It was both better and worse than Alicia had expected. Better in that the full relationship had only happened fairly recently, after the stage show proper. It was worse in how much had been going on in the background for months, and she hadn’t even noticed. Had never suspected. There had not been a reason to, but that did not make her feel better.

”I...I see. I guess it’s true what they say,” she lamented with tightly clenched fists. ”You never really know someone…”

Frustration rose, threatening to surge to the surface. She wanted to hit something, break something, even though she knew nothing here could stand up against her strength as a magical girl. ”All the things we did, the sleepovers, the upgrades, the stuff with the Spark and getting rid of Laat, I guess it didn’t mean anything in the end compared to that murderer’s whirlwind romance.” And now she was left with the machine, who very well might have been obligated to come with because of that spark. It hurt to think about.

“If it meant nothing then I would not be here” Penny would reply, laying a gentle hand on Alicia’s shoulder. “Logic dictates that my greatest chance for survival would be with Cindy at the warehouse. Not with you and Beacon. I don’t care. Logic dictates that Chloe held the highest chance of fixing the damage to my soul or at least treating it. I don’t care. You have proven time and again to be a friend and I will not ignore that again” Penny’s mind was churning, at all the moments that her other half ignored or sought to forget due to such a pitiful reason as her feeling not being returned.

“It was a poorly thought out plan to ignore what it was I had gone through and a worse one to hide those things from you. I spent too much time feeling and not enough time thinking.” She would shrug lightly “Kimbel is lucky to have your eye”

Alicia flinched at the hand on her shoulder, her head slowly turning as Penny went on and refuted her claim. It was reassuring to hear it, to know it was not merely the Spark which compelled her to be here rather than genuine feelings. It did not put everything at ease, but it helped.

”She’s changed, actually,” Alicia admitted to Penny. ”The rest of us got put on trial for heresy while you were here. She and Serenity, Sylvia, Sally, myself. But we made it, and we got the ShineSpark too.” The corners of her mouth rose in an amused smile. ”She’s mostly not a catgirl anymore.”

For a small moment Penny’s features would nearly wash away as even diminished as her emotions were, the depth of her anger was still notable. But a moment later she would force a blank and shortly after she would return to normal. “Seems it was best that we were out of communication for as long as we were. I doubt storming the HQ would have gone over well for any of us.” she would say with perfect calm as she turned to continue the trek back to base.

“Question. How is she ‘mostly’ not a cat girl?”

”Verbal tic,” Alicia explained with a shrug of her own. ”Considering up to the trial the Ascendancy viewed the White Coin as witchcraft it’s definitely a strong step forwards. There’s just everything else that I have to deal with now that I’m running the local branch. And this on top of it, it’s all a bit much.”

She then sighed, shaking her head. ”I’ll be alright. I just need some time to process things.

“I understand” Penny would say with a nod “Take all the time you need and don’t forget that I am at your disposal”

The duo resumed walking, now that things were out in the open between them. It might hurt, it might take time, but hopefully they would come out the better for it. ”Thanks,” Alicia replied. ”But I’ll try to not take too long. I’m sure we’ll both be pretty busy soon enough.” With that, they headed on their way once more.

---

Entering Beacon HQ, Alicia couldn’t help the small jitters that ran through her as she neared her destination. A nervous energy had risen, overwhelming all the things that she felt as a result of her encounter with Chloe and Penny. There was one preoccupation that held her mind right now.

This was it, after all. Her first full day as the leader of the Penrose branch of Beacon. It still boggled her mind to think like that. She had so recently become a Seraph, and had barely earned her wings. And now she was in charge of all of this? Sure the Ascendancy was an issue, but that did not dampen her amazement or enthusiasm.

Coming to a stop at her destination, for a moment she merely lingered and looked at the door handle. All of the times she had come to this office to speak with Sylvia. Now it was hers. Taking a deep breath, she reached out and swung the door open before stepping inside.

Now it was just a matter of waiting. As her first day, she intended to meet with Sylvia, and have the former leader detail what she was supposed to do, the gaps that she might have had from mere observation before. So she busied herself with exploring as she waited for the other girl to arrive.

Alicia had seen the office a couple of times before in her career as a Beacon magical girl, usually when she had come to give out a report to Sylvia. Back then, it was a busy room, with plenty of decorations scattered on the walls, and a messy desk full of papers and documents. Now however, it was all gone, tucked into boxes marked “Sylvia” that were yet to be moved out. The desk was also empty, with only a small pile of empty papers stacked to the side.
After a while, Alicia heard a knock on her door, followed by the familiar voice of Sylvia. “Alicia, may I come in?”

As expected, there was not much to see. A lot of boxes, shelves, and a desk. Some papers remained, but those all seemed to be empty and ready for use at the moment. In lieu of something else to do, Alicia decided to test out the chair that came with the desk. As such she was quick to answer when asked for. ”Sure, come in,” she replied. ”I thought about keeping all those boxes for myself but I guess I’ll change my mind.” She wore a slightly teasing look, ready to get to work.

Sylvia made a lighthearted chuckle as she came in. "Hah. Very funny. Acting all big the moment you get a nameplate on a door," she joked back. "I thought about hauling my stuff with the Handbag, but then realized what an organizing mess that would be. Anyway, let's get started on this Boss Baby sequel of an orienteering day." She pulled out a thick book out of her Hammerspace, and dropped it on the table kicking up a cloud of dust. It was titled 'Beacon Common Way of Working For Dummies: the Comprehensive Guidebook.'
"Now, Beacon protocol states that you must read this whole book cover to cover. But that's baloney." She tapped the book. "This is best used as reference material. As for actually learning to do the job, there's two rules; practical experience is the only way, and realize you don't have to manage everything. I learned those two things way later than I should have, and all because I was simply following the word of the letter."

She activated the projector on the back wall. "You got your basic paperwork like shift schedules and inventory, and handling any family situations; the latter should be strictly left to Beckoners. As for the rest, delegate tribes to handle accountable duties on a squad basis, forget that actually exists and make up the plan of action on the spot. This is important: use continuous agile scrum waterfall systems thinking devops buzzword monster hunting as your manifesto, starting with a turnaround title and changing the name every few months until the fourth month when you switch to just assigning available people to get the job done."

She brought up an organizational chart. "Don't try to learn this until your second year when everything's completely changed, then forget the entire thing cause it's pointless anyway, pretending to remember names as necessary." She then brought up a training video. "Never use these; rookies only listen to live instructors. Use a stamp system if their score fails by twenty or more points cause you don't want to hear them cry about how much they've failed. Also never use live monsters for training, especially in HQ. And get someone on coffee brewing duty 24/7 to survive the horrible soulsucking grind." She suddenly turned quiet.
"Right, been rambling a while now. Uhh, any questions?"

”Of course,” Alicia replied to the joke in turn. ”I have to get it all in now before I become old and jaded.” But she fell silent afterwards as Sylvia began her explanation,

The book being deposited on the table earned a series of coughs, and frantic waving to get the dust out of her face. For a moment Alicia was intimidated, at least until the girl went on. The same could be said for the complex jargon, though she also as quickly caught on that that was a joke. In the end it seemed simple enough. ”Sounds simple enough. So just try and find ways to do things that work for me, don’t set loose monsters in the base, and get a taste for coffee.”

After a moment she leaned forward, hands clasped in front of her. “So how do we, you know, get information on things going on? Obviously big monster attacks with the ominous weather and spooky auras are easy. But if we’re going to put this city back together we need to get ahead of crises, not just react.” Hopefully Sylvia had some insights into that.

“Glad to see you get it,” Sylvia noted with a smile, and closed the projector. “It’s something you gotta figure out for yourself, really. Otherwise you’ll never be able to grow into the role.” After Alicia shifted the topic, Sylvia turned a bit more mellow.
“Remember our talk back during the whole beach getaway? Turns out the Ascendancy had the same idea. It’s not much, but they have set up some basic surveillance over Penrose downtown ever since they arrived.” She pointed out some files on her computer. “Elora shared these just now; it shows the current network of cameras and microphones, as well as the patrol routes the Ascendancy uses to cover between the gaps. Impressive work, I gotta say; explains the statistics they so proudly presented.” She rubbed her chin with two fingers. “We could adopt that strategy as well, maybe even add in some drones for better adaptation. But with the resources we currently have, we’d need to borrow tech from the Ascendancy. Which means you'd have to request stuff from Rachel.”

Alicia nodded as Sylvia went over the system that was now in place. So, the Ascendancy had beaten them to the punch? It made sense, so she couldn’t be too surprised by it. Of course that just left the fact that so long as the Ascendancy was here they would have to use their system rather than making one for the local branch.

”Something tells me she would rather have a tooth yanked out than help me,” Alicia mused with a sigh. ”Well, I guess it’s better than nothing.”

Sylvia shrugged. “Probably.”

Alicia nodded, shooting Sylvia a grateful look. ”Thank you for the help. This transition would have been a lot harder if I had to do it on my own. Now I just have to come up with a plan to restore peace and order to the city without everyone else thinking we’re just killers at the end. Easy as pie.”

“Just doing my job, boss. But thanks for the appreciation,” Sylvia responded with a smile. “A part of me is sad I can no longer make sure everything’s working, but...A bigger part is happy. You see, my true passion was always in engineering. Now I can devote myself full time to what I like to do best.” She gave a thumbs up. “You’re gonna pull through, Alicia. Anyway, you have any other questions?”

Alicia stiffened for a moment before recovering. ”Man, getting called ‘boss’ is going to take some getting used to. But I’m glad to hear you’re taking things well. I was kinda worried about that after how rough the trial was.”

Fingers drummed a momentary drumbeat on the desk before she added on to what she had said. ”I guess I’ll look forward to seeing what sorts of crazy things you come up with. As payment for saddling me with your job, of course.” It was mostly good natured ribbing, though she was curious to see what Sylvia came up with now that she could focus all her attention on it. Given what she had done for Penny in the past, it was sure to be worth it.

She was about to wrap things up when one thing did occur to her. ”Actually….what’s the word on the White Coins? I know back during the trial Rachel said she had Binky, Janet and Jenna locked up, I’m just wondering if anything has happened since then, and if they’re letting us have access or not.

"Yeah, that…" Sylvia looked unsure. "The Ascendancy put a hold to White Coin production when they occupied HQ. But since you and the Cardinal convinced Rachel that they're not witchcraft, she let those three to continue making more...On the condition she has exclusive access to them from now on." She sneered. "You should talk about that as well. We still want to upgrade the rest of our members, and they're real valuable on their own too."

Well, it was better than Alicia had expected. She had been worried that they would still be locked up. Rachel having exclusive access was more problematic, but once she saw that they weren’t some sort of trick she’d probably be more willing to part with them. Making the organization more protected wasn’t a bad thing after all. ”Alright, I’ll do that,” she agreed after a moment. That was another fun conversation to have.

”But I think that’s all for now. If anything comes up I’ll find you.” Neither of them would be going that far after all.

“Alrighty then,” Sylvia noted with a casual wave of her hand as she turned to leave the room. “I’ll start working on the drone implementation, and maybe some equipment for our soldiers on the field too. See you later.” She lifted up a box from the floor, and carried it out of the room.

Alicia nodded as Sylvia took her leave. ”Alright. See you around,” she called after her friend. She let the door swing shut before picking up the handbook that had been placed on her desk. Now where was she going to put this thing….

---

It was a dark night at the gates of the Beacon headquarters when the two guards looked up and spotted something moving in the sky; the black shape resembled a bat as it’s wings floated it up.
Then, the two Beacon girls let out a horrified scream, for they recognized the person addressing them.

“Bring me the leader of Beacon. I wish to meet with them,” Justine stated, her arms crossed before her as she looked down on the guards. She now wore the same dress she had back when she attempted to change the world, her smile evil and posture dignified, though curiously she lacked her hat.
“Quickly! My patience runs thin.”
It didn’t take long before a messenger rushed to Alicia’s office, dread apparent in her visage.
“B-Boss! You gotta come see this! It’s...She’s back...Justine is back!”

Eyes widened as Alicia rose from her seat. ”You’ve got to be kidding me.” Reaching over she grabbed her Scrying artifact. With a wave it sliced through the air, creating a small rift that let her see the present. And indeed, as she had been told there was Justine outside the base and looking very annoyed.

”You weren’t kidding,” she huffed, placing the artifact back before moving around her desk and for the door. She’d tell the Ascendancy but she suspected that Rachel knew already. Justine hadn’t been particularly subtle.

A few minutes later the door swung open as Alicia stepped out. Her black dress flowed around her, though she did not have her bow out yet. ”Well, I guess no one ever claimed you didn’t have a lot of guts. Either that or a death wish,” she called out. Keeping a respectable distance, she folded her arms over her chest. ”Talk fast. I’m not in the mood to play games after what you did.”

Alicia saw that the Ascendancy had already made a welcoming party to Justine; led by Rachel, they had their weapons out and pointed at the monster girl. “You’re Justine von Visceral, correct?” Rachel shouted, her hammer summoned and hoisted over her shoulder.
“Did you come here to turn yourself in?”

Justine laughed.
”So this is the infamous Ascendancy? A bunch of fanatical nutjobs without any common sense.” It was at that point that her eyes spotted Alicia; she seemed to recognize her.
”Oh, and who is this? You seem familiar, though I don’t think we have met...” It took her a moment before her eyes flashed.
”Oh, now I remember. You were the one who worked together with Mariette Pedersen.” She chuckled.
”The Reflective Witch had an odd sense of picking allies, it seems~”
Rachel now looked at Alicia. “Wait, is she referring to the assault you made on her castle?”

Well, this was going about as well as could be expected. True to Alicia’s guess the Ascendancy was already there and waiting, though Justine seemed fairly dismissive of them. Not that that was much of a surprise.

Teeth grit as annoyance rose, with Alicia taking a step forward in turn. ”She is,” she confirmed to Rachel.

”Justine here had Janet blow up our HQ while she was brainwashed. Desperate times called for desperate measures. A mistake I won’t make again!” Her voice rose as she finished, making it very clear just how she felt about that ‘alliance’ with Mariette. Being used like that, it was one of the major regrets she had over that whole series of events.

Anyone would have expected Justine to react negatively to Alicia’s threatening words, even if just with a small scoff or aside glance. Instead, the monster girl grinned, looking pleased. ”Yes...That is the exact kind of hatred that I wanted to see!”
Rachel looked confused, and adjusted her glasses as she grit her teeth. “What do you want? Surely you didn’t come here just to taunt us?” She asked, to which Justine sighed in response.
”That would be very entertaining, but unfortunately no. What I want is something you will benefit from.” She created a red sphere of blood in her open palm, and let it slip from her hand, causing it to drop down. However, instead of splashing, it seemed to bounce, morphing into the shape of someone Alicia immediately recognized.
”You will help me find and kill the Reflective Witch.”

Tsuki swung her staff aggressively. “Never! We will never help a horrible fiend like you!”
Hudie had her palms open and arms crossed, looking like she was ready to cast magic. “You are foolish to think we would even consider such an option.”
Rachel however didn’t look as angry; in fact, she looked calm as she looked up. “You have ten seconds to surrender yourself. Then, we will attack.”
Justine rolled her eyes as Rachel began counting, and put her hands to her hips.
”So that’s how you want to play? Very well then. In just a short moment, you won’t have a choice.”
The air was tense as Rachel continued counting, the Ascendancy’s weapons gripped tighter and tighter, their faces in tight scowls. But, when Rachel got to nine, Justine finally spoke:

”I know the Reflective Witch’s Bane.”

Rachel was in the middle of spelling ten when she stopped with an inhale. The rest also looked surprised. Justine smiled, and descended slowly towards the ground.
”That’s better. Now, listen closely, children. I will only say this once.”
Once she was hovering a couple of feet above Alicia and the others, she stated:
”Broken mirrors, and candlelight. These are the true identity of Mariette Pedersen’s Bane.”
Rachel still held her hammer, but she turned it to point the heavy end down, one hand resting on the pommel. “Why should we believe anything you say, you lying snake?”
Justine flipped her long hair back.
”You will, once you use those items against her. You and I are not so different you see,” she looked at Alicia.
”Deny it as much as you will, but we both share a grudge against her. She had used you, and she had destroyed Penrose. It is something I cannot forgive.” She looked up at the sky.
”Before I can return back to my peaceful, quiet life, I want to see her beg at my feet before I crush her like the aggravating insect that she is. Surely you want the same, no?”
“...” Rachel looked pissed. Yet, she couldn’t help but continue listening to the vampire girl.
“...Go on.”
”So you are listening. Very good. To further satiate your appetite, I shall tell you what I have come to learn since our last encounter. Not only has she stolen my fortune and slaves, she also stole the Black Mirror, a priceless artifact with the power to create a pocket dimension. I believe she has chosen to make her lair there. But fortunately for you, I have access to dimensional magic. Given the proper resources, I believe I can open a pathway there. What you do with that is all up to you.”

For a moment it seemed like a fight might break out. It would be a big one, no doubt, but Justine was at the seat of Beacon power in the city. That was a fight even she could not win, yes?

Fortunately it resolved itself as Justine revealed why she was here. Alicia stiffened, her attention fixed now as the topic of the conversation turned to Mariette. Smouldering anger lingered, and she couldn’t help but remember asking Chloe about this very fact earlier. If she was offering a way to find Mariette and stop her for good, that was a very tempting offer.

”She does have a lot of the magical girls that Justine had brainwashed, as well as a lot of money. In the hands of a servant of someone like that, it’s a very dangerous combination. Especially since we never had much luck tracking her down afterwards thanks to that portal magic,” she pointed out to Rachel. It was at least worth considering the idea.

Still, there was something nagging her, and her focus returned to Justine as she took a few steps closer. ”Why now?” she asked. ”It’s been months since that fight happened. Why wait until now to show up again and finish what you started before?”

Justine stifled a little giggle.
”Until now, I was content with living a simple life away from the drama that so surrounds the magical world. But as it was willed by the whims of fate, I found myself back here.” She looked around, as if reminiscing.
”On its own, Penrose is worthless; just a torn battlefield fought over by desperate people. But, it is still a home to someone I respect. And to see it torn asunder by that cyclops...” She had an unnerving smile to her lips, her sharp teeth glistening in the moonlight.
”...I must admit, it makes my blood boil, ohoho~”
Rachel interrupted. “So if I understood correctly, you want to use us to get revenge on Mariette Pedersen?” Justine scoffed.
”I suppose, if you want to put it in such plebeian terms. But I’d rather not waste my time discussing semantics. Will you accept the help I graciously offered to you?” She stared at Alicia.
”This may be your last chance to catch her. Will you let it slip by, like it has once before?”
Rachel’s knuckles were white from how tightly she held her weapon. “Grr...” However, she was not quite ready to call the negotiation over, evident by the fact she did not attack her.
“Seraph Paladin Alicia, you were involved with this demon...” She muttered. “Is she trustworthy?”

For a moment Alicia was silent, looking into Justine’s eyes as if trying to see into her soul itself. To see to the truth of the matter. ”Trust is a strong word I’m not sure I would use,” she replied after a bit.

She then turned, looking to Rachel instead. ”But from everything I’ve heard about what happened in that last battle, I think she’s being sincere in this case. And, well, it wouldn’t be the first time she tried to kill Mariette.” A modest shrug accompanied that. It was what had prompted Mariette to approach her in the first place after all.

Rachel was deep in thought after listening to Alicia. “We should burn this witch at the stake...” She spoke. “...But if you co--operate with us, we shall instead grant you a purification. Take it,” she lifted her hammer up, ready to strike. “...Or leave it.”

Justine’s smile turned wide, in fact just wide enough to look creepy, before it turned back into a courteous one.
”We have a deal.” She elegantly stepped down on the snowy ground, and offered a hand for Alicia to shake; if she were to accept it, she had to be careful not to cut herself on the monster girl’s unnaturally sharp nails. Afterwards, Justine snapped her fingers, and Sonia suddenly arrived with a teleportation next to her. Rachel and the others flinched, but Justine giggled.
”This is my maid, Sonia. She will aid us in gaining access to the hole Mariette has dug herself in.” Sonia curtsied without a word, and summoned a phone in her open hand. Justine took it, and then offered it to Alicia; she saw that it was a crimson red in color.
”Unlike the communication crystal I gave to Mariette, this one unfortunately lacks the capability to explode into a sphere of ruinous energy,” she explained, chuckling.
”However, it will have to do if we are to keep contact for the time being.” She then turned away, taking Sonia’s offered hand.
”You lot may be disgusting brutes...But when it comes to eliminating unsavory characters, I can imagine no better. Well then, until next time...” She leaned her head back, smiling at Alicia.
”Goodbye~” The two then disappeared, followed by the statue of Mariette dissolving into a pool of blood that stained Alicia’s shoes.
Rachel de-summoned her weapon with an angry grunt. “That witch! Who does she think she is?”

Taking the phone, Alicia could only marvel at how fast things had turned around. Here they were, allying with the very person who threatened everything, to stop another person who could very well do the same in the near future. She glanced at the phone before slipping it into her pocket.

”A magical girl of untold age who once nearly destroyed the world,” Alicia responded with a shrug as Rachel expressed her frustrations. She was going to need to get new shoes now too, great.

Idly kicking her feet to try and scrape off the blood that way, Alicia remained calm. ”You know she’s never going to take that purification. We may have to be prepared for the time after Mariette has been defeated. There still needs to be a reckoning for all of our Sisters that she killed.” And if Justine didn’t expect that, then she was more foolish than the Paladin gave her credit for.

Rachel, despite her anger, managed a smirk, adjusting her glasses. “For once, I fully agree with you, Paladin Seraph. I trust that you will handle this matter.” She gave a salute, and then turned to return back inside with the rest of the Ascendancy.

”Yeah, I’ll handle it.” As Justine had so autely noted, she had her own score to settle. One last look was given to the horizon, before she turned and headed inside as well. It was time to start planning.

^{Eating More Than One Can Afford}

Winter being winter, and Penrose being evacuated, meant that few places were open to eat. McDonalds and other fast food joints remained running, of course, because heartless megacorporations cared little for the supernatural danger they put their employees in, but as for the boutique cafes and family-run restaurants that Amaryllis enjoyed having her clandestine meetings in, there were only a couple.

The Rice Bar, thankfully, was one of them.

A small restaurant tucked in the suburbs that neighboured Penrose Technical College (also shut down due to building repairs after a purported gas line explosion damaged 40% of its infrastructure), the Rice Bar specialized in a variety of East Asian eats, featuring curries, seasonings, and toppings of all sorts. While Amaryllis usually didn’t overindulge when patronizing this establishment, considering all that had happened and all that will happen, she went pretty hard this time. Conveyor belts carried small bowls of toppings or stews to be taken by customers, while a special bell was pressed to order steaming bowls of rice. Water and tea, of course, was regularly refilled by the 40 year old auntie whose service was fast but not entirely pleasant. Didn’t really matter though. With no college students around, Amaryllis had the place to herself.

Well, herself and one other. As she dug into a small pile of glistening barbeque short ribs, the sweater-wearing woman said, “So, um, Nuncio...what’s your story here?”

Nuncio was dressed a bit more casually during this outing. Rather than looking like a mobster, he wore a stylish black T with jeans and knee high boots. His eyes were focused on his giant feline Rossa, who wasn’t allowed in an eating establishment for obvious reasons. The staff were nice enough to let Nuncio keep his pet in the waiting room outside the dining area, where the big cat would be able to stay in the warm interior of the building while not bothering anyone who was eating. But Rossa looked a little sad that she couldn’t be by Nuncio’s side.

”Hmm?” Nuncio looked back at Amaryllis. ”My story? I suppose ya mean ta ask why I haven’t blown this joint?” He lowered his gaze. ”Lotta reasons why. Sammy thought there was somethin’ goin’ on here. Bigger than just Binky, and that was big in her mind. Now that my dame’s up and vanished, I’m certain she was on ta somethin’.” Rossa licked her lips and thumped the floor once with her paw, and Nuncio grabbed a fish plate that was circling his way. ”Beyond that, my patron ain’t done with Penrose, nore the Outer Alliance. Couldn’t leave even if I tried. Not that I’d go anywhere without her.” He pushed the fish plate off to the side and grabbed a beef n’ rice bowl. ”Nice place to eat, I’m takin’ Sammy here when I find her.” He used a pair of chopsticks to eat some rice, but it was clear they weren’t really agreeing with his fingers. ”Where did ya friends go? Are they late?”

"They have spoons," Amaryllis pointed out, her eyes briefly flickering towards the cheap plastic stacked up in front of the counter. "And, for Hilaria and Sophia… I ate with them earlier, so that’s that."

Nuncio looked to the spoons, and threw up his hand. Universal sign language for “I must be some kind of idiot to not notice that.” He stabbed the chopsticks into the center of his bowl and reached for the spoon. There was a Chinese woman looking on in horror as he did this, but he didn’t seem to notice. Once he had his spoon he was able to eat much more naturally. In contrast to Amaryllis, he ate very slowly. Every bite was savored, and he likely wouldn’t need a napkin when he was done eating.

”Shame about Hilaria, but I woulda made things worse. Beacon ain’t too friendly with Cindy or her allies.”

She snatched a plate of glazed eel, dumping it into her already beef-saturated bowl, and wolfed it down in a couple of ravenous gulps. Even in her unpowered form, the barrier was pulling at whatever shreds of magical energy she regenerated, and though her Sword was still in post-euphoria, Amaryllis wanted every bit of energy she could get. Dabbing her lips with tissue after cleaning out her bowl, she rang the bell for another serving of rice.

Her hands rested on her stomach, and she asked, "You're not an official member of the Outer Alliance then? Just something like, hm, a subcontractor? What even is it?"

”We’re just friends.” He said between bites. ”We got mixed up in some nonsense. Binky was experimentin’ on all’a us and we retaliated. Sammy and I were a cell apart.” He pointed into the sky with his spoon. ”The real big wigs are Faith and Lotus. But we all wanna see an end to Binky and those red coins. Sammy tell you about that yet? Word is Beacon still has her makin’ em.” He took another bite of food. ”How about you and yours? Ya seem like the leader of your outfit.”

Amaryllis flushed at that remark. Leader? Her? The bespectacled girl shook her head fervently, cheeks rosy pink. "Oh, no no. I just sorta know the others, but like, not even that well. My whole deal is mainly just working alone and all, so it's not like an alliance or anything. Maybe friends? But not like we've done any really friendly stuff..."

She recovered soon though, downing a glass of ice water, before snagging a bowl of marinated bamboo shoots. Back to Binky though, she certainly had encountered the girl back in the beach dimension, and while there was something off about a magical girl whose powers produced fast food, she didn't really get the vibe of 'evil scientist' either. Even Annabelle had a more threatening aura than her, and she had been a brainwashed ditz.

"Beacon's having her make Red Coins? Huh, but I saw her back in the beach vacation, and wasn't Beacon focused on the production of the White Coin more?" Amaryllis thought for a moment, recalling further instances. "Do you happen to know Betty and Tetrad, Nuncio? During my… vacation, they were the ones that wanted my help in finding Binky, but I'm certain they aren't Beacon."

”Really now?” The white tiger plopped its paw against the glass door and licked its lips again, and Nuncio grabbed the next item on the conveyor belt without looking at it. ”Mosta my information is second hand from Sammy. She tends to deliver her claims dramatically. But the way I understand it they did make both coins.” He removed the chopsticks from his bowl, much to the relief of the Chinese woman watching. ”Those names sound familiar though. Ehh…” He whipped out his phone and started scrolling around. ”Yea yea, they post on the Cradle.net blog. Guess that makes ‘em Veronica’s sort. Unless they just like ta shitpost.” He closed down his phone and resumed eating. ”Wouldn’t that be interestin’? If Binky was a product of a former coin broker? That would mean Sammy’s been barkin’ up the wrong tree.” Rossa licked her chops as another plate passed by, but Nuncio gave the tiger a dismissive shake of his head. Rossa reacted by slumping to the ground, resting its head on top of its paws. ”Coulda just been her friends though, suppose even evil scientists have those.” Nuncio leaned forward. ”Meant ta ask, was that Mariette you was fighting with? When ya beat up the necromancer? Ya ain’t friends are ya? Bet she could find Sammy pretty fast.”

“Scarlet’s a coin broker?”

”Former one, if ya believe their Glimmr page.”

Amaryllis thought about it a bit longer, chewing slowly now that she had some food for thought. “So...Binky worked for Scarlet, and thus the Mint…”

”If she still works for ‘em..”

“During this time Binky experimented on you, Sammy, and the rest of the Outer Alliance? Once you broke out, Binky either ran to Beacon or was captured by them...and now she works for them, but is still being searched for by Scarlet’s people.” The girl frowned, leaning back against her chair.

“...or they could just be magical friends.” Betty was alright, but she could definitely imagine Tetrad having unethical magical scientists as friends. Not that Amaryllis was in any place herself to judge others on the company they keep. “And yeah, I can ask Mariette about that. Not, like, too sure what the extent of her divination abilities are though.”

”Glad to hear it.” Nuncio exhaled. ”Some days I think I lost her, but I can’t stop lookin’.”

“...uh, Nuncio, what sort of experiments were being run on your group anyways? Is this related to the construction of the Red Coins?”

She paused further.

“And wait, what even are Red Coins? You’re not talking about Ruby Coins, are you?”

”They ain’t ruby coins, though I’m sure they are related.” Nuncio pushed his empty bowl to the side. ”She used red coins on us. Made us take ‘em. I was a dame after my transformation. But as I was a boy before it, I am happy with this new development. It shuffles ya magic in random ways, she told us.” He grinned. ”But we was trapped. She wouldn’t let us go. Savior turned slaver overnight.”

“Hrm…”

Figures that a former coin broker would be interested in the creation of a coin that enabled the remaking of one’s magical self. She never had dealings with them personally, but Amaryllis had heard the rumors, at least. The Ebon Mint was basically the magical mafia, and in this case, the Red Coins were the plastic surgery you’d need to get them off your tail. She snagged a couple more plates, meat juices all soaking into a new bed of fluffy rice.

“Ever heard the reason why she kept you there?” Amaryllis frowned. They were straying somewhat, and her own focus was to find Sammy, not to judge whatever crimes Binky had committed. “Nevermind that. In case any of the larger factions in Penrose’s gotten a hold of Sammy, will the Outer Alliance act? Or is this a clandestine operation, Nuncio?”

Nuncio took one more look at his hungry tiger. ”She’s beautiful, ain’t she?” The corner of Nuncio’s lip twitched upward for a moment. ”Did ya know white tigers are a symbol of man’s cruelty?” He folded his arms on the table. ”In the 1950s, a hunter spotted a white tiger and brought it back home. Every single one you see today’s a descendant of the first. A constant string’a inbreeding that’s lasted 70 years. Their white coats make it difficult to hunt, and they gots all kinds’a health problems from compromised immune systems to physical deformities. They are bred for a life of captivity.” He scoffed. ”Not all the cubs are born white. For every white tiger, it’s got 30 brothers and sisters who are orange, but are just as broken as they are. They are ignored or euthanized.” He placed a hand on the side of his head. ”If we told ‘em the reason we did it, do ya think they’d be content with what we’ve been doin’ all this time?”

Well, that wasn’t a factoid Amaryllis was aware of, but it certainly sounded like it matter to Nuncio, and it was also certainly interesting. She ate thinly sliced beef and soy sauce-dipped rotisserie chicken as the cat gangster shared his anecdote. “Probably not,” Amaryllis replied, “But at least they’ll understand more, the motives of their enemy. And from the discovery of motivation comes the possibility of manipulation…”

Amaryllis trailed off. This was really just a lot of assumptions on the intelligence and thirst for vengeance that tigers had, huh?

”Weird dame.” Nuncio chuckled, and his expression softened. ''Sorry for goin’ on like that, but the point is no one belongs in a cage. Those was horrible quarantine conditions. But gettin’ back to ya about the alliance: Faith and Lotus are good people. Sammy was a ‘founding mother’ along with me and them, and they want to see her back. Though entertainin’ Cindy has taken priority. I’m sure they’ll be more interested in finding Sammy after the party.”

Amaryllis breathed out, sipping on some tea. “Alright, that’s good. My Sword’s always gonna be down for taking on any foe, no matter how large or wide-spread, but I’m not nearly so dauntless. If there’s a raid to go for, I’ll contact you then?”

”Yah, I’m ‘BlindTiger’ on Glimmr. Forgot my phone number, but it’s on there.” He watched Amaryllis drink for a bit before going for his wallet. ”Ya bought Sammy a spa visit, I’ll cover the bill when we’re ready to go.”

Amaryllis waved her hand and shook her head. “Really, no need to pay. I sorta basically got those tickets for free anyhow, so, like, yeah...”

”Don’t worry about it.” He said with a wave of his hand. ”I know ya type, Sammy won’t let me pay for her food either, just let me treat her best friend. It can’t be that much, can it?” Nuncio got up to walk to the counter, where the cashier quickly ran up their table and shot him a polite smile. The boy simply shifted his eyes between the total and the cashier before slowly opening his wallet to look inside. Afterwards, he trudged back over to his seat and practically collapsed into it. ”So uh.” he rubbed his nose. ”We’re doin’ this again right? Like, maybe next time ya could treat Sammy and I?” He pointed at the counter with both hands. ”Say we split the bill 50/50, and just ignore who ate what, that sound cool?”

Amaryllis tilted her head quizzically, even as she inhaled more food. “Yeah,” she said, after clearing up her last bowl and deciding that she should head out to get more work done. “Hopefully all the problems ‘round Penrose will be cleared up when we do eat out together again, right?”

”I’ll be happy if Sammy turns up.” Nuncio grinned before picking up the two dishes he set aside for his tiger. ”See ya later, Amaryllis!” Rossa stood up when she noticed her food coming closer. The big cat licked its lips one last time before Nuncio opened the door to feed her.

^{Moonlight Rendezvous and the Exchange of Cake}

Winter nights were colder than summer nights, but Amaryllis was out and about regardless, white breath escaping her mouth as she dashed underneath the starry sky. A meal, a break, and a conversation was what she needed to get herself back on track, and with school stalled until construction repairs were completed, she certainly had time now. Time to catch up to everything she missed, and time to kill all that had spawned in her absence.

But first, she had other things to do.

Landing atop a water tower with a click of her heels, the Knight of Rose sheathed her Sword and summoned her Backpack, catching it as it popped into existence in front of her. She unzipped the bag, pulled out a small, white box, and took a breath. How was she going to word this again…

“Sage of the Mirrored World,” she spoke, cold moonlight reflecting off silver ornaments, “I beseech thine presence. If dost hearst mine call, arrive, ‘fore errant eyes gaze upon this tryst.”

Well, probably should have called Mariette instead, really.

The first thing to meet Amaryllis was silence. The silence of the night as silent as it could begin an almost abandoned town, for just long enough that one could perhaps assume her words had reached no soul…

‘Knight of the Rose. You seek me?’ Mariette asked, her voice being heard before the hole in reality actually opened, allowing the girl in a dark dress, white eyepatch and clutching a stuffed bunny to tread out in front of Amaryllis. Appears she'd been heard, after all.

Amaryllis was glad she waited, and the relief almost showed on her face as Mariette popped into existence before her. Portals really were great, huh? The Knight of Rose moved her hand away from the sidepocket of her Backpack, where her smartphone was, and then offered the white box to Mariette.

“Indeed I do, Lady Mariette,” she spoke. “I’ve called you, bearing gifts in recompense for your assistance with that lich early this day. T’was unfortunate that the Ascendancy arrived so soon after our vanquishing of the monster, but it’ll certainly be unbecoming of me to isolate you from post-battle celebrations for a mere interruption.”

Amaryllis blinked, realizing that, even for herself, this was way too long-winded.

“Basically, what I’m saying is thanks, and what I’m giving you is actual, edible thanks.”

‘Edible?’ Mariette asked, looking a little confused by the word. Rearranging so one of her arms held Bunny, Mariette curiously reached forward to pick up the white box and then placed it on top of a small portal she formed in mid-air. If Amaryllis looked straight down, the other end of the small portal was on the surface they stood on, creating an impromptu table. Being very interested in what it contained, Mariette wasted no time carefully opening the box, leaning a bit forward to look on closely.

The contents of the box turned out to be a bunch of cobbled together slices of cake gathered in the same box, ranging from light fruity stuff to dark chocolate cheesecakes, and-

Mariette closed the lid. She was… feeling strangely excited about this. How would they taste? How sweet would they be? … She couldn’t let the others find out about this. … Maybe Eli. Eli could have a slice.

‘… I gratefully accept,’ Mariette said after a pause, looking back to Amaryllis, holding back her slight giddiness and maybe coming across somewhat awkwardly because of it.

Amaryllis smiled. Even in the darkness, she could see a glint in Mariette’s singular eye. It really was a good idea to bust her ass off to another town with a bakery that was actually open for business, huh? Though she hadn’t been the one to select cake slices, in the end it worked out. “I pray you enjoy this small tribute,” the Knight of Rose replied. “Now, I’ve…”

She stopped mid-sentence, blinking. Wait a second, wasn’t this like...super standard scumbag manipulation techs?

“...got a request for you, but it like, totally has nothing to do with that gift I just gifted you with, so if you don’t want to do it, that’s totally fine,” Amaryllis babbled. “Basically, like, you can surveil the entirety of Penrose, right? Could I ask you to look for someone for me, Mariette? Sorry if I’ve been asking a lot outta you recently…”

Mariette stood up straight again, looking at Amaryllis as she gently sank the white box into a portal to an unknown place _{(her hammerspace handbag)}. Better not have the temptation too close while talking requests. … Mariette tilted her head a bit. Was Amaryllis sure that box of treats wasn’t intended to butter her up before coming to requesting?

‘“The entirety of Penrose” is an exaggeration, as much as I’d like to I don’t know what happens every moment everywhere, but wide-spread surveilling is indeed one of my abilities. Who would I look for, and why are you looking for this individual?’ Mariette asked, staying formal.

Amaryllis took a moment to gather herself, but after a breath, she too was in her formal, Knight of Rose mode. “The one that I seek is Sammy, Elucidator of the Amplified Scope. Within the dream realm of Dan, her presence was missed, and outside in the realm of Penrose too, she has yet to emerge. Her companion, the Feline Mafioso, seeks your aid in discovering her whereabouts or, if foul play manifests in the most dreadful manner, her burial grounds.” A pause. Rusted petals were spontaneously beginning to bloom around her again. She touched one, watching it disintegrate upon contact.

“I too, would like your help in this endeavor, Mariette, as do the rest of the Penrose Outer Alliance, which sought me as a middleman for such a contract.”

‘Ah. The detective…’ Mariette commented, considering for a bit. ‘Looking for someone that has vanished from the streets is different from simply keeping watch on the members of society that are currently moving about. It will require… actual detective work,’ Mariette said, thinking on the matter.

‘Hm. Very well. I’ll surveill Penrose for her, as part of my regular surveillance. I’ll do that simply because it’s a request from you. To actually go out of my way to seek her out, however… What would the Outer Alliance offer me?’ Mariette asked.

“Thank you kindly,” Amaryllis said, with a small bow and flourish. “As for the offerings of the Outer Alliance, I must confess that I’m not wholly certain, as they’ve requested me to engage with you to simply test whether there was any hope of a partnership to begin with.” The Knight of Rose paused briefly, the gears in her head turning. “That being said, if it pleases you, I could certainly accompany you on investigations that would require you to be on the streets and even fund it. Perhaps when it is necessary to venture into places such as amusement parks, arcades, and cafes?”

‘…’ Mariette had to pause there for a bit, staring silently at Amaryllis. Was she just asking to hang out, or…? … Mariette filled the empty space with something she was wondering. ‘Given that they’re coming to me, that would mean they’ve already exhausted their own resources, correct? They are the ones who should have contacts that knew where Sammy would be found and who saw her last. They should already have done some manner of asking around, I presume. The first step would be learning what they’ve found so far, and after that I can focus my somewhat more powerful surveillance magic for them. Right?’

“Though I’m uncertain about the extent of their own information network, seeing how they’re small enough that I didn’t even know they existed until today, I presume that would be the case, yes.” Amaryllis pulled her phone out of her backpack, flipping through her contacts until she found Nuncio’s entry. She showed the details to Mariette afterwards, saying, “Best to get in touch with this gentleman here; he’s the one that tasked me to...task you with this...task.”

Mariette accepted the numbers, pulling the phone she’d obtained to write it down on, and nodded to Amaryllis. ‘Very well. I’ll contact Nuncio, and I’ll also notify you if I’d like to head somewhere potentially dangerous to investigate. That should do, should it not?’ Mariette asked.

“Indeed it shall,” Amaryllis replied with a bow of her head. “And I do hope you enjoy the sweets. Tell me your thoughts on them though; I mostly just took wild guesses at your tastes, Mariette.”

‘I certainly will. I’d have had to make wild guesses of my own, when it comes to my taste in desserts…’ Mariette replied, nodding a bit. Okay, so she’d been tasked with finding this detective girl… … …

‘… Who is Sammy to you?’ Mariette asked, simply for curiosity’s sake.

“A...friend, I suppose.” Amaryllis looked off to the side, her eyes narrowing slightly. “They all seem to die or disappear recently, so I do what I can for them while there’s still a chance.”

Mariette gazed at Amaryllis, contemplating the words for a bit. She knew of at least one of those the knight spoke of. Regardless… she took a moment to envision that perhaps it was similar to if Eli had vanished from Mariette’s side, after the pain of having lost Deni. Perhaps. Viewing it like that…

‘Alright. I will do what I can, and notify you when I’ve made progress,’ Mariette told, an additional tone of decisiveness in her voice.

“Thanks. I’ll be off then.”

And with that, the Knight of Rose stepped off the tower, back into the darkness.

Mariette watched her jump off, and…

Well, now she’d promised that. Sort of. Now, guess she’d better produce some form of results. It was unfortunate she couldn’t just Absolute Direction to Sammy’s current location… or?

…

Yeah, figured as much.

7 pm. Thursday. The fire station roof.

Sporting her magical girl outfit, Alicia found herself seated on the edge of the low roof as she waited for Lily Lightning to arrive. They had worked out this meeting during the eternal vacation, and now that they were back she intended to follow up on it. The question was whether the presence of the Ascendancy had caused her to change her patrol route or not.

Her legs kicked with an idle energy, the magical girl distracting herself with the small clouds of whitte that appeared in the cold air from her breathing. Some things you never outgrew, and with things as they were the little pleasures became a bit more important than ever,

For now she waited. She was here, now it was just a matter of Lily doing the same.

Soon enough, Alicia would hear the sound of a whirring engine, and saw Lily driving a motorcycle, jumping off a roof and landing right on top of the fire station. The impact caused the back of the vehicle to lift and the front wheel to grind against the concrete as Lily braked, lifting up a small black cloud before the vehicle stopped completely. Lily waved the smoke away, smiling widely.
“Whoops, a bit less space than I thought. You okay there, Alex?”
She looked behind her to check on her boyfriend. She then noticed the other magical girl.
“Hi Alicia!”

Alexander grumbled “Eh, I’m used to your crazy driving.”

Rising to her feet, surprise flashed across Alicia’s face as she eyed the duo. "You didn’t mention the flying motorbike when we met during the eternal vacation,” she said to Lily as she stepped over. She also hadn’t mentioned that she’d be bringing company, but that was fairly easily adjusted to.

"But it’s nice to see you again,” she added with a smile. It was a dynamic arrival, but better than her not showing up at all.

Lily smiled widely as she came over and took Alicia’s hand, slightly shaking it.
“I wanted to leave something as a surprise, tee hee~” She joked, though her smile didn’t last.
“Yeah, same here. It’s crazy what’s happened to Penrose. I mean, not only did we skip right to winter, the city’s crawling with creepies; and not just monsters, either.”
She put her hands to her sides.
“There were some girls who helped us out with monsters, only to immediately turn on us the moment we won! Isn’t that just mega rude? They said they were the Ass-”
Lily’s eyes widened upon realizing her spelling mistake, and she put a hand to her mouth to cut herself off from giggling. “-Mmh, Ascendancy, and they sound just like you Beacon people. Do you happen to know something about them?”

Alicia held back a sigh as Lily revealed that she had run into the Ascendancy already. Not that she was surprised by that fact, but it was a bit disappointing to hear. At least it looked like things had worked out that time.

“They sound similar because the Ascendancy is Beacon,” she replied after shaking Lily’s hand. “Up until now you’ve only had to deal with Beckoners from the local Penrose branch. The Ascendancy is a part of the central administration.” Hands clasped behind her back, she slowly paced around the rooftop. “When the eternal vacation happened, there weren’t enough magical girls left to keep the monsters under control. So Beacon deployed the Ascendancy to get a handle on the situation.”

Turning, she looked between Alex and Lily while shooting them an apologetic smile. “They mean well, they’re just very...orthodox.”

“That’s what you call it?” Lily looked dumbfounded, and made a pouting face.
“They tried to kill Su and Silhouette right on the spot. They’re acting like some kind of inquisition!” She crossed her arms.
“At least they do hunt monsters too, but I think they’re going too far.”
She then blinked, as if she remembered something.
“Hey, can you do something about it? I think you mentioned being pretty high-ranking in the organization. Or did they ‘assume direct control’ Mass Effect-style?”

“The fact that you consider that orthodox doesn’t really say good things about your organization. I mean, the locals seemed to have chilled out compared to that...peace rally? Truce meeting? That...thing where one of your’s got brainwashed into suicide bombing the girl holding the thing.” Alexander added. Lily nodded to that, looking wide-eyed as she remembered the event.

“I’m not sure what else I should call it,” Alicia admitted with a wince. “The mindset that I’ve worked under isn’t actually the norm for Beacon. I’m as frustrated with it as you are.” For the moment she refrained from mentioning the trial. It likely wouldn’t help her case.

Instead she focused on the request made of her. “Nothing that drastic. For the moment we do our own things separately, and I’m supposed to stay out of their way while they restore order to Penrose. Not that that’s going to stop me from having our people out patrolling too from now on.” Now that she was the one in charge, she intended to do whatever she could to uphold those beliefs of hers.

Alexander sighed “Well if these guys are from your HQ, then I guess it makes sense that you wouldn’t be high up enough to tell them to fuck off. Because I guess that would be too easy for us.”

“Bleh...” Lily stuck her tongue out, and caught a snowflake.
“At least they’re not running the whole show. Anyway, want to go grab a bite somewhere? Doesn’t look like there’s trouble, so we could take a break.”

“Food sounds good,” Alicia agreed with a nod when it was suggested. “Getting promoted and having to manage this crisis, it really builds up an appetite.”

Walking back over to the motorcycle, she eyed it for a few moments. “Will three people fit on this? I can fly if I need to.” The more she thought about it, the better a break sounded. Especially with a friend.

Lily leaned her head to the side as she examined her motorcycle.
“Maybe if you sat on the wheel cover on the back...Nnnnnah, too dangerous. We’ll go slow enough for you to tag along.”
She hopped on the bicycle, waited for Alex to get in, and then took off, at a speed a regular motorcycle would move in heavy traffic.
“You’re also not the only one to have wings. Check this out!” She announced, and drove off the rooftop. A second later, Alicia saw Lily and Alex gliding thanks to metal fins that flanked the vehicle, allowing it to descend at a much slower, if still dangerous, pace.

“By the way, did you mention something about a promotion?” She asked as she parked before the Pit Stop. While many businesses were closed thanks to the mass evacuation, some fast food joints such as this one were still operational.
She untransformed, only to turn to Alicia and giggle, blushing a bit.
“Oh yeah, this is how I look out of costume. It’s a bit embarrassing, heh.”

Alexander raised an eyebrow as he too untransformed “How is it embarrassing? I think you look fine.” he asked as they entered the diner. “Or...do you just feel kind of exposed like this? I mean, I can kind of understand that, since we can’t use our full power like this” Ah guessed as they all grabbed a seat.

The flight was easy enough, especially with Alex and Lily slowing down to allow her to keep pace with them. Glowing wings carried her through the evening sky until they reached their destination at last.

She came in for a landing before joining the others in reverting back to normal. “It certainly is vibrant,” she agreed with a small grin. After a moment she glanced down at herself. “I always feel a bit plain when I’m like this. I guess I could dress up if I wanted to, but it comes down to finding the right occasion for it.”

Lily sat next to Alex, fidgeting in place with her hands clasped on her lap.
“No, you look really pretty, Alicia. Meanwhile here’s Miss Disaster...” She mumbled the last part to herself, and then covered her face with the menu.

They moved inside then, Alicia taking a seat across from the couple before reaching for a menu. “And yeah. When you mentioned me being high placed, as of a couple days ago I’m actually in charge of the Penrose branch of Beacon. It’s taking some getting used to.”

She then leaned a bit closer to Lily, almost conspiratorially. “Though admittedly I’m more interested in hearing how you got him to come along for this. I figured you’d be on your own.”

Alexander scoffed “Like I would let her wander around on her own with crazy zealots crusading here, no offense to you” He quickly added “Lily has a berserk mode that makes her a little bit beastly. One of the Ascendancy girls became almost hostile to me after I healed her because she saw my beast magic form and my tentacles which look like fluffy tails, and thought I was a monster boy. If Lily gets caught like that by them, I fully expect them to try and put her down like a rabid animal.”

Lily felt a bit better hearing Alex grumble about how much he cared for her.
“You’re so tsun, Alex. It’s super adorable.” She also got hype upon hearing Alicia’s story.
“Wow, congratulations on the promotion!” She yelled, and called for the waitress.
“Three milkshakes for this table, please!” She then sipped on her own milkshake, having scooted a bit closer to Alex.
“My treat, tee hee~ So how’s it like being big boss? Do you have to shove the meanie Beacons away with a stick?” She asked with a giggle.

Now holding on to a strawberry milkshake, Alicia thought for a moment whilst sipping at the dessert. “Well, obviously there’s some hard parts, like the Ascendancy and how everyone else feels about them. Since I do have to work with them after all.” After all, those who were already hostile probably wouldn’t mark much of a difference between the local branch and the Ascendancy itself.

Lest they think it was all bad, she went on. “But at least now I can try to promote my personal philosophy and try to extend that change beyond just Penrose.” That was the hope anyway, and she would do her best to make it happen.

“It’s just a matter of dealing with the current problems,” Alicia mused while glancing out the window. “I’ve been thinking on things we could do besides just fighting, but it’s still a bit of a work in progress.”

Lily listened intently, her eyebrows furrowing at the mention of the Ascendancy.
”Yeah, you talked about doing more pre-emptive work back at the beach. I think what you really should do is raise more awareness of Beacon and it’s goals.”
She sipped, thinking about it.
”Oh, I know! Hold another one of those public announcements, like you did with the White Coin. But this time, extend a hand of friendship to the magical girls in town. If you could form a proper peace treaty with Cindy, I bet that will improve the lives of everyone! Isn’t that right, Alex?” She turned to look at Alex with an excited look; she didn't seem to notice that her glasses were a bit crooked on her nose.

Bothered by the sight of her crooked glasses, Alexander reached out to correct them “The problem is...” He began, mid glasses straightening “...The new girls, not the local Beacon. I feel like the last few huge events have kind of mellowed out the locals enough to live with. I mean, I’m not worried about them trying to kill me if I use my Beast magic and look kind of like a monster boy. The new girls however, don’t sound like they answer to the local Beacon. Which kind of handicaps Alicia’s ability to do anything. Since they might just piss away any goodwill you manage to build. They might call themselves the Ascendancy, but they’re still clearly Beacon. I feel like you’ll only be able to make any real progress on PR stunts once the new girls stop Crusading around here.”

“A peace treaty? I didn’t realize we were at war,” Alicia noted with a lofted eyebrow. More of her milkshake vanished, slowly eaten up as Lily and Alex provided their viewpoints. “Still, a general callout could work. The Ascendancy will leave once they feel order has returned to the city, and I doubt Cindy is as eager to have monsters running around attacking people all the time as we are.”

Lily blinked as Alex corrected her glasses, and then blushed afterwards.
”Geez, Alex...Even when I’m like this...”
She then continued listening quietly to Alicia’s thoughts; though she normally hated politics, she found Alicia’s thoughts on it interesting enough to follow.

Of course Alex had a point, but Alicia knew that already. It was part of what she was struggling with when thinking about how to proceed. “I could always appeal to the Beckoners directly, though things will probably have to get better in Penrose first.” She gave a small wave out the window. “And a lot of my ideas were also not with this kind of situation in mind. Like tutoring. Not much use in that when the schools aren’t open.”

After a moment she regarded Alex again. “Still, I’m glad that you’ve gotten over what happened at the hospital. It was an accident, and things were hectic enough as it was that we didn’t really have the time to explain.”

”It’s fine, it’s fine!” Lily interrupted, looking a bit tense.
”I told you already that it’s fine, Alicia. No need to bring it up. Just promise that something like that won’t happen again, okay?” She took hold of her cup with both hands, taking a long sip while glancing at Alex to see how he thought.

Alexander shrugged “Honestly, what really soured my opinion of Beacon was when back at that peace rally when one girl’s Patron suddenly appeared out of nowhere to threaten her to stop thinking that maybe peace with the more beastly magic users was a possibility. That was what made me think of Beacon as new age Nazis, and I’m probably not the only one. The incident at the hospital only just confirmed what I thought.”

A hand rose in a modest ‘stop’ gesture as Alicia looked between the duo. “Alright, alright. I get it,” she agreed. Better to just drop the issue, and let the bygones stay that way. They hadn’t come here for an argument. “It won’t happen again.”

Returning to normal, more of her milkshake vanished as she let the sugary taste provide a momentary uplift for her thoughts. “Anyway, before I forget we should probably trade phone numbers. Since we didn’t get to back at the beach.” Not that she minded repeating this meeting, but they might as well get to it while it was on her mind.

”Sure thing! Let me show you mine!” Lily seemed to jump a bit too eagerly at the chance to change the topic as she scrambled to get her phone out. It was a flip phone with a yellow case, decorated with stickers, sparkles, and with a heavy set of keychains dangling from it depicting various anime characters and imagery.
”Ta-daah! Isn’t it super cute? Now let me get my number...Here!”
She showed the number to Alicia, energetic thanks to the milkshake she had.

“It definitely fits its owner,” Alicia agreed. She pulled her own phone out of her pocket, though it was fairly tame in comparison. Looking between it and Lily’s, she wrote down the phone number and saved it before turning the device around so the duo could do the same thing. “If you guys ever run into monster trouble, feel free to let me know. The Ascendancy has their own information collecting methods, but they won’t be around forever. I’d like to be able to find the bad guys before they become world ending threats once in a while.”

Alexander scoffed as he pulled out his own, plain looking, phone “But that would get rid of the only thing that makes us special” His voice was drowning in sarcasm “Penrose: Doom capital of the world! Come take a trip to the place that reality keeps trying to destroy! See the sights, fight the monsters, save the world, visit the gift shop!” He sighed “This entire place is nuts.”

Lily’s thumbs tapped away, quickly collecting Alicia’s number.
”Got it! And you can call us too, whenever you want!”
She took Alicia’s hand, about to say something else, when Alexander commented on the unique state of Penrose. She sighed.
”It is a bit nuts, hah.” She let go, and sipped on the last of her milkshake.
”But that’s why we’re here, right? To prevent things from getting even more loco. But we’re gonna bring peace back to Penrose, right Alicia?”

Numbers were quickly exchanged, Alicia returning the phone to her pocket once she had both of their contact info. That would be useful, or at least she hoped that it would be. Even just hanging out wouldn’t be that bad.

"I’ll keep that in mind,” she agreed, before sitting back in her seat. "That’s the idea. How does that curse go, ‘May you live in interesting times’ or something like that?

Her milkshake was nearly finished as well, and she limited herself to one or two sips at a time to try and prolong it. "And I’m certainly not going to argue with peace. We just have to take things one step at a time.”

"Yeah!" Lily lifted her fist up into the air.
"One step at a time!" But as she said it, it only then occurred to her what she repeated, and she slumped back to her seat, adjusting her glasses.
"...But maybe not, like, every step? Skips and hope should be fine, too?" She took a look at her phone, and pouted.
"What, it's that late? That sucks-a-tromboni." She smiled at Alicia.
"Let's meet sometime again, okay? Give me a call, and I'll be there!"

"Skips and hops are fine. You need to take advantage of opportunities when they arise,” Alicia assured Lily as the other girl sank into her seat. She could understand the sentiment. After all, she wanted this over fairly quickly too. But if they moved too fast they were just setting themselves up for failure.

Glancing at the clock, Alicia held back a snicker of amusement at Lily’s exclamation of annoyance. "That sounds good. I’ll be in touch," she agreed with a nod.

Alexander simply waved goodbye as he and Lily left the building.

“Connie… Connie…” a gentle voice whispered.

“Hmmm?” Connie mumbled as she slowly opened her eyes. She was greeted by the sight of Mia in her magical girl form, her nymph-like friend smiling warmly down at her. Mia’s emerald hair cascaded in lush waves to cover her like an extra blanket, while colorful butterflies flitted around her.

“Rise and shine, sleepyhead,” Gaia said with a giggle. “We have a big day ahead of us.”

“We do?” Connie asked, still quite sleepy, and not at all comprehending what her friend was talking about.

“Mmm hmm,” Gaia confirmed with a nod. “After all, you were kind of the one who suggested it.”

“I-I did?” Connie asked again, still utterly confused.

“Yes, when you asked if we could step up your training. You know, to help you gain more confidence in yourself and so you could learn to use your powers better? Well, I got to thinking, and there’s this nice little forest clearing that should prove most acceptable for some combat practice.”

“A-And we’re going there today?”

“That’s right!” Gaia announced, pulling Connie out of bed in a graceful swirl of motion. “After all, there’s no time like the present, so hurry up and get ready!”

“O-Okay!” Connie said as she stumbled over to the bathroom to freshen up.

Gosh, Mia’s really fired up today… Connie thought to herself as she stepped into the shower. I’m really happy she’s so passionate about helping me, but I’m still kinda nervous about what’s gonna happen today… I really do want to get stronger, but… but… I’m always… No! I’ve gotta stop thinking like that! She admonished herself as the warm water flowed over her. Mia believes in me, and I can’t let that belief be for nothing! I have to get stronger. I will get stronger, for her, as well as for myself.

Drying herself off, she quickly got dressed, combed her hair, and brushed her teeth. Then, summoning the power hidden inside her, she uttered the words of her incantation, and, after twirling in the center of a whirlwind of amethyst and obsidian energy, became the Empress of Nightmares once more.

Gaia was lying on the bed, idly kicking her legs, while she gazed serenely at a butterfly that had landed on her finger. Upon hearing the bathroom door open, she turned to see Connie in all the dark majesty of her magical girl form, and a bright grin spread across her face at the sight.

“All right, Mia,” Connie declared, with all the confidence she could muster. “Let’s do this.”

---

Violet Covington awoke with a demure yawn and a languorous stretch. Smoothly slipping out of bed, she glided across her lavish chambers with perfect poise and exquisite elegance. Entering her bath chamber, she swiftly set about readying herself for the day ahead. Other wealthy heiresses might have been accompanied through these morning rituals by an army of servants, but not Violet. Oh, she could certainly have had them, if she were so inclined, but as it was, Violet Covington preferred her privacy, something her security-minded father respected, even if he didn’t possess those preferences himself.

The only exception to this was her loyal butler, Winston Stewart, who had attended to her every need ever since she was a mere infant. He was one of the exceedingly few people Violet fully trusted, and she knew with complete certainty that he could be relied upon to carry out any task she chose to entrust him with.

Confident that her beauty had been fully perfected, Violet emerged from her bath chamber and called out in a clear voice, “Winston, I have need of you.”

“Yes, Miss Covington?” responded a refined voice. Its source was revealed a moment later, when an impeccably attired man appeared from a hidden passageway at the back of a small alcove.

“Please convey to my father that my presence at R&D shall be somewhat delayed. Inform him that important matters have made themselves known, but that I shall tend to them in as swift a manner as possible, and shall join him in no later than ninety minutes.”

“Very well, milady,” the butler said with a nod. “I shall inform him thusly.” With that, he disappeared into the alcove once more.

Yes, Violet mused, there were indeed important matters to tend to. Foremost among them was the “communication device” Al Scarp had bequeathed her. It’s promise of new insights just waiting to be gleaned could be postponed no longer. Retrieving the device from where it rested on her nightstand, Violet activated it and began the introductory tutorial. Something of a prodigy in the realm of advanced technology, the young heiress quickly moved past the basics to thoroughly explore every facet of the device’s functionality. Truth be told, in less than thirty minutes, she had fully mastered her new “Smartphone”, having familiarized herself with dozens of fascinating applications, and discovering an entire mystical cyber-realm hidden from the eyes of those who browsed the mundane internet.

One site, Glimmer, was particularly intriguing. It was apparently a social media platform for magical girls and other mystically attuned beings, and if it was anything like more mundane social media, it would provide a treasure trove of valuable information, such as this upcoming event here, for instance. This “Monstrously Dark Rave Party.” From what she could ascertain, it was going to be a gathering of mystical beings of the darker persuasion, organized by some internet celebrity known as “Vi-Chan.” Now this was interesting. Most interesting indeed… If someone was launching attacks via dreams, then clearly they were attuned to the darker forces of the mystical realm. Therefore, it stood to reason that, based on this rave’s obvious popularity there was a very good chance that this individual would be in attendance.

What a fortunate turn of events… Violet thought to herself.

But wait… There didn’t seem to be any mention of a location… No matter, she now had ways of acquiring that information. Opening the device’s contacts list, she tapped a slender finger on the only name currently listed. Placing the device to her ear, she waited for a brief moment before hearing a voice on the other end.

Soon enough, a familiar voice greeted her. “Good morning, miss Covington. As expected, you learned to use the device in good time.” It was the voice of Al Scarpe. “What can I do for you?”

“A good morning to you as well, Mr. Scarpe. I would like to converse with you further about perusing possible assets for use in the upcoming investigation and neutralization operation. In particular, would you be so kind as to provide me with the dossiers of those you consider to be most capable of undertaking such a task? Additionally, I have a need of informative resources via which to properly acquaint myself with the workings of dream and nightmare magic. Specifically, I would like to peruse the pages of The Dreamscape Almanac. During my research, I found that this tome in particular was considered to be one of the best ever scribed on the subject. Do you happen to have access to it, by chance?”

Al Scarpe made a light chuckle. “Very well then. Now let’s see...Here.”

At that point, a holographic screen emerged out of the device, forming an image before Violet; it was a scrolling list of agents, with mugshots on the left side and information labelled on the right side. Violet could tell that they each carried a dangerous aura about them; whether it was in black clothes, tattoos, or expressions unfit for young faces, ranging from stoic and emotionless to unsettling smiles. “I hope you do not mind that I have activated the device’s functions remotely. It is purely to expedite the agent selection process.” Al paused in his speaking, and Violet heard a puff of smoke before he continued.

“As you can see, each of our agents are unique in their talents and skills. Some are specialized in intelligence gathering, others in sabotage, and even assassination. As we have agreed, you may select a certain number of agents; they will obey any order except those that are impossible to achieve or have negative consequences for the Ebon Mint or their interests. Their contact information will be added upon selection, and deleted when removed from service.”

He paused for another smoke.

“The initial package is three agents per month, but you may upgrade your subscription at any time for an additional fee. Now, you notice that we have a tag system for categorizing agents based on their skills. In your case, I recommend the Intelligence Gathering and Assassination tags.”

Al paused to let Violet browse the agent list for a short moment before he spoke again.
“Regarding The Dreamscape Almanac, I have both good news and bad news. The bad news is that the Ebon Mint does not currently possess the Almanac in question. The good news is that I have confirmed the location of the tome; it is currently in the possession of a dark magical girl named Mariette Pedersen. Her current location is currently unknown, but we have confirmed she has been recently seen in Penrose engaging local monsters. Given a proper investigation, we believe it is possible to acquire the book. We also believe copies of the book exist elsewhere.”

“I see,” Violet replied as she scrolled through the list of agents, seeking out those with the highest success rates. “If this ‘Mariette Pedersen’ is known to have a copy, I should think seeking her out would be the most expedient option. Are you capable of making contact with her? Perhaps arrange a meeting? I only have need to acquaint myself with the tome’s contents. After I am finished, she may have it back. If she is amenable to this, I am sure I can provide her with some form of compensation.”

“Might take some time since she has space-traversing magic, but it is possible,” Al responded.
“You can discuss details with the agents you choose for the assignment.”

As Violet browsed the selection of agents, two profiles caught her eye, codenamed “Viper” and “Vermin Killer”. The former seemed young even by magical girl standards, with silvery hair bound in twintails, but nonetheless had a smile and a sharpness in her gaze that left a lasting impression. The latter on the other hand had his face shrouded in shadow, his expression a complete mystery. Both had mission success rates above 95%, with abilities suited for spywork and precision elimination.

“Very well,” Violet replied after Al had noted the difficulty of tracking down someone like Mariette. “Although I trust it shall not take too long. As for the agents, I think I should like to employ the services of both Viper and Vermin Killer. It is my hope that their mission success rates are more properly indicative of their competency than their overly pretentious codenames. Can you arrange a meeting with them so that I may personally inform them of the specific details of their tasks?”

"Those two, huh? Can do, Miss," Al replied. "I'll send them your way. I assume the meeting time the two of us had is suitable?" He asked, while low sounds resembling the crackling and wooshing of fire could be heard. "Same place too?"

“Yes, I believe that shall be most suitable. I assume that they can safely bypass the security as you did?”

Violet heard a laugh-induced cough from Al. “Do you take us for mere amateurs, Miss? As I’ve stated, we work with full confidentiality.” He paused for a puff. “Anything else, miss?”

“Yes, there is one further item. It has come to my attention that a social gathering of so-called ‘dark magical girls’ and ‘monster girls’ shall soon be taking place somewhere in Penrose. A ‘rave’ I believe they called it. If possible, I should like to know the location of this event. Is that information you are capable of providing?”

"That is correct. I'll have the agents confirm it and hand it over when they arrive," Al replied.
"But I gotta say, I didn't expect you to take an interest in something so vulgar, Miss Covington," he noted, his tone of voice a bit intrigued. "It is no ordinary social gathering, and certainly not an event for any proper person, I assure you."

“I am well aware of its nature, Mr. Scarpe,” Violet informed him, “and that is precisely the reason for my interest. I should think someone who attacks others through their dreams would most certainly be considered ‘dark’ and ‘monstrous’, so it would stand to reason that such an individual would likely attend an event of this sort. If they are to be found there, then I should like to personally see them suffer the repercussions of their offenses toward my family in full view of the other attendants. I hardly think such a request is too much to ask.”

Al Scarpe was silent for a moment, until he answered: “That can be arranged.” The sound of him sipping on something could be heard before he continued. “But for now, I shall see to it that the agents you have selected are briefed and ready for your orders.”

“Excellent. I believe that covers everything, Mr. Scarpe. Thank you for your time.”

With that, the line went dead. Her tasks complete, Violet checked the time and was slightly alarmed to find her ninety minutes had almost completely expired. She only had a mere five minutes to reach R&D, where her father would be waiting. Giving an exasperated sigh at her less than exemplary tracking of the time, she strode purposefully out of her chambers in the direction of Covington Industries' renowned R&D lab.

‘Woah-!’ Ronin dodged beneath the arm of a crystal-based monster looking humanoid yet built of what appeared to be black quartz. There were quite a few of them, and they were faster than they looked, but she could smirk. They were nothing she couldn’t handle! One of the quartzmen jumped at her, and-

‘Nope! That’s a wall!’ Ronin called happily as the creature hit her Reinforcement wall, and Ronin’s hand went to the sword sheathed on her side. With one quick stroke, the sword swept through the core of the crystal creature, and it was blown apart as if crushed by extreme force instead of sliced. Even so, more of them jumped at her.

Deni smirked within. It had taken some time finding monsters that the Ascendancy hadn’t already taken care of, but they were so numerous that even she could eventually find some. And this, here… was just what she wanted. A fight against a bunch of weaker monsters to practice her new body. Also, the skill embedded within her… it was as if she could see the movements of every monster before they even committed to it.

Confident in her abilities, Ronin sent Reinforcement magic through herself to boast her own physical capabilities, and then threw herself right under multiple of the quartzmen’s blows and sliced through numerous at once with one fell stroke, but still wasn’t taken by surprise when two new quartsmen formed from the shards of their defeated kin formed to her left and right, Ronin deftly backflipping to avoid their blows before she came to let her blade fall upon them, too. Aaah, this was bliss.

Mid-way through the delicate dance of combat there would be a loud engine roar as one of the quartzmen was struck by what seemed to be a cannon round as it shattered violently. and although the party responsible did not directly join in the fight, they continued to lend firing support from a far, each round accompanied by the same roar. Ronin jolted in surprise at first, but them smiled widely. Yeah, fire support!

A few minutes later, the quartzmen had been dismantled, and Ronin breathed out happily over their shards, smiling in confidence where she stood. Yeah, she still got this! Not being made out of slime anymore wasn’t holding her back! And she’d probably still have got this even without the help, but regardless, it was very cool to have support!

Once the fight had come to it’s inevitable conclusion the mysterious assistant would reveal themselves, albeit cautiously ”Salutations.” She’d say as she took a step closer to Deni, her voice was notably synthetic. A trait that was blatantly apparent about her entire body, as every part of her was obviously mechanical is some fashion.

“Do you require further assistance?”

‘I absolutely do! … But not with this, hahahaha!’ Ronin said, laughing out loud, as the small girl in a clearly samurai-inspired attire spun around to look at her help. ‘… Ooooh, Penny!’ Deni said, without thinking. She looked a bit different, but it was definitely Penny! Deni would know, there was a time in the past she’d stalked the various magical girls in Penrose one at a time! The little magical girl smiled happily at the mechanical one, giving her a salute. ‘I’m Ronin! New girl on the block! Thank you very much for the help! You’re, like, famous! I’m honoured!’ Ronin claimed, not actually knowing if Penny was famous or not but she was using it as a cover for that she already knew her name.

“Greetings: Designation Rounin.” Penny would reply, very robotically before she would tilt her head to the side as she registered the rest of the tiny girl's words “Correction; My full self is well known. I am not. Misunderstanding is acknowledged.” She would stop and blink a few times before furrowing her brow in the first open display of emotion. “Apologies, the separation was not fully equal. You stated a need for assistance in additional tasks. Would you elaborate?”

‘Eh?’ Deni made a confused noise as she looked over Penny for a bit. Whelp, guess she had been away for a while. How long had Penny been like this? Um. ‘Woah. Is this a “dark twins” situation? Sudden twin souls, maybe? Or just regular twins? Hahaha. Weeeeeeeeell~!’ Ronin said, smirking a bit. Was this the right person to ask? Eh! She totally was! ‘Do I still call you “Penny” or do you have a different designation? Besides that, I’d like a status-update! What’s been going on in this town, lately? Why’s everything a mess? Any teams or factions to keep track of? Where should I go if I want to make lots of friends? Can you be my friend?’ Ronin asked, rapid-fire, curious to see if Penny would keep up in a computer-like fashion.

“Soul separation, rather than true Twin Soul, my other half is also about” Penny would reply in the same robotic tone “We both are still designated Penny. I would require an accurate time frame for proper status changes. Current status is due to forced vacancy of the majority of magicals from Penrose due to a rogue Patron and then the subsequent arrival of The Ascendency. Factions to monitor are Cindy, self proclaimed queen of Penrose, and her band of dark aligned girls. Second is Ascendency, Beacon fundamentalists. Current projections show that a confrontation between the two factions is inevitable.” She stood still as she answered all the questions Deni had asked, speaking with the same robotic manner. She would stall out at the last two questions however, her brow once again furrowing.

“Gather locations are unknown at this time.” Penny would say slowly as she looked over Deni, closely, gauging where or not she should trust the small samurai “I would be willing to be your friend however” she would conclude with a soft smile.

‘Woah,’ Deni had to take a pause, just to process all that Penny was saying. Sure, she’d done the rapid-fire questions, now she had to prepare for all the answers, and then just try to remember the questions that occurred to her as the answers piled up. But, most importantly, Penny agreed to be her friend. Deni’s look of surprise switched to a wide, happy grin.

‘Wonderful! Thanks for being my friend, Penny!’ Ronin said, reaching forward two hands to take Penny’s, clasping hers over her new friend’s who went along with the gesture. ‘I have a bunch of follow-up questions, but I need to start with worrying over my friend! How’s things with other-Penny? How’s things with your other friends? Do you have any other problems or enemies? Can I help?’ Ronin asked, happy, energetic and curious.

“You are welcome” Penny would reply, a hint of mirth coloring her tone at Ronin’s exuberance. Sadly her face would fall slightly at the first of her new friend’s questions. “My relation with my human half is strained. A lack of consensus, nearly brought us to mutual ruin. It is why we split. It occured four day ago.” she would take a small moment, little more than a second but enough to be noticed before she would move on answering the rest of the questions that had been posed. “The friends that I have made in Beacon have been supportive. Those outside that social circle have not yet learned of the separation, but last status has them all reading green. No current threats identified. One pending task. A mahou, Designation: Sammy has been abducted by the Mint. Currently objective; identify subject’s location for extraction. Any information or assistant would be appreciated”

‘Wow, just four days ago? … So you’re basically as new as me! Kinda! Well, I’m happy to meet you!’ Ronin called happily, overlooking a great deal of stuff to arrive to that conclusion. ‘Don’t worry, we can unstrain relationships with time! If any of your other friends minds, they’ll answer to me!’

‘Huh, missing girl captured by the Mint,’ Ronin commented, considering it without a smile. ‘Not something I know anything about, I’m afraid, but I’ll totally help saving her if we track them down!’ she said, regaining said smile. ‘Oooh, if we rally Cindy and Ascendancy behind the common cause of saving this abducted girl, think they’ll stop fighting!?’ Ronin suggested, smiling excitedly. Yeah, Deni knew internally how naive and improbable that level of thinking was. But, she was free now. Free to think however she liked. So she wanted to think optimistically!

“Doubtful” Penny would reply but the smirk on her face showed that she at least found the idea humorous. “Single members within either organization might be able to assist however.” she would add with a minute shrug.

“The rectifying with my other half will take time. True. Separation necessary for further advancement. True. Discomfort at loss. True. Your willingness to adjudicate on my behalf. Unnecessary, but appreciated.” Penny would gently smile at her new friend. at the tail end of her statements. She enjoyed the small girl’s optimism.

“You are recent in Penrose or magical circumstances?” Penny would go on to ask, tilting her head to the side as she asked. Rounin mentioned she was new, she was curious about how that was the case.

‘Ey, “doubtful” does not mean “impossible”!’ Ronin said with a smirk. Then when Penny said the next part, she chuckled a bit. ‘Unnecessary, hahaha. I’m unnecessary. Tell me if that ever changes~’

‘Yupp! I’m new, both in Penrose, and as a Magical Girl!’ Technically not a lie, she was a Monster Girl previously, and new as a presence! ‘I somehow ended up without a patron. I’m honestly not sure myself how that happened,’ Ronin said, referring to the fact she clearly got power from somewhere new, but she did not know from where. ‘And with this obviously eastern-inspired Magical Girl look, that makes me a tiny masterless samurai! Hence, “Ronin”~!’ she told, an excited smile on her face as she placed a resting hand on the hilt of her sword to emphasize the samurai-look.

‘And now I’m on a quest to make as many friends as I possibly can, and make up my own web of contacts! But, huh, there’s a conflict starting here, huh. I really don’t want to make unnecessary enemies, so I don’t want to be roped into a faction, but I also want to make friends and take on assignments. Hmmm, what to do…’ Ronin told, thinking on matters towards the end there. ‘Eh, I’m sure it’ll work out!’ she ended that, grinning widely.

Penny would take a moment longer to reply this time and there was an odd glint in her eye for a moment before she did. “Logic surrounding your chosen name is sound” She would acknowledge with a nod “Penrose continues to be a hot spot of magical activity both good and ill. Ascendency and Cindy are the third such major event. There is a scattering of un-affiliated mahou, advisement to stay away from Chloe Irving, seek friendship with Lily Lightning and Amaryllis. If affiliation with a faction is required; Beacon, local faction, is prefered. Current leader is Alicia Hayden. She is a good person, and a friend.”

“Regardless of choice” Penny would go on after a moment, reaching into her leg compartment to pull out a slip of paper “My contact number. Caution; Other half shares the same contact information.”

‘Yay, approval~!’ Ronin called happily about the sound logic of her name. Afterwards, she paid attention to Penny’s little row of names. Avoid Chloe Irving eh? Oooh, the lovebird is still around, and a major player! Amaryllis, eh? Never heard of her! And, Alicia made Beacon leader!? Well done, her! Moving up in the world! Ronin grinned so happily as Penny offered the slip of paper.

‘Ooooh, thanks!’ Ronin called as she quickly drew her own phone that she’d obtained pretty recently, and quickly sent a message to the number. ‘Then you and your other half are about to get a message happily introducing me! With that, you can save my info, too!’ Ronin called happily, very much intending to send the message. The message read “This is the number of solo samurai-themed magical girl of Penrose, the Tiny Ronin! If I can help with anything, don’t hesitate to give me a call!”

“Message received” Penny would say once she got the text. “Final note about Penrose, two new types of coins have recently begun to circulate. Red and White. Reds are more common of the two and shuffle ones magic. White are rarer, practically Beacon exclusive, result in rapid purification and shifting affiliation to that of the Beacon.” While Penny had her doubts about just how new Ronin was, she was honest about being friends with the tiny warrior, thus she felt it was a good idea to let her know about the possible strange Coins that were now out and about.

‘Nice!’ Ronin grinned as the text was received. Then she heard about the new kinds of coins… and got a bit wide-eyed. ‘Huh? People can just… make new kinds of coins?’ But then she heard about the kinds, and… ‘Eh, I’ve not gotten bored of my current magic yet, I’ve barely started with it! And, yeah, while Beacon’s alright, I’m not interested in becoming one myself! But, thank you so very much for the information! You’re the best!’ Ronin said, grinning happily as she skipped up to take Penny’s hand again with both hands to shake with appreciation.

‘So, what do we do now? Patrol and fight monsters together? Solve the Cindy Ascendancy problem? Have a sleepover? Follow any clues we have to find Sammy? Go to a dark spot and tell ghost stories? Find more magical girls to befriend? Get existing friends and play Magical Girl tag? Honestly, I’ve been fantasizing about that last one, it’s got to be a blast!’ Ronin grins as she happily suggests things they could do now~!

“I am currently on a patrol route assigned to me by Beacon.” Penny would say slowly as she mulled over the options that Ronin had put forth “I would not decline company if you wish to follow. The Cindy Ascendency problem will likely reach critical long before we could stop it. A sleepover is outside of my capabilities, as I don’t require sleep. I lack the strength of emotion to properly enjoy the telling of ghost stories. Finding more friends would be appreciated. And..” Penny would pause before a large smile would play across her features making her look like she had back when she was one person “Tag is as fun as you think it is. Played a game of it before.”

Ronin just grinned happily as Penny went through the list of things Ronin had suggested they do, and then finally, she arrived at the final one. ‘Yeeeeeeeeeeeessssssss…!’ Ronin closed her eyes and arm-pumped with both arms in sheer excitement over how amazing Magical Girl tag had to be. ‘Alright! For now, we’re patrolling the city together! They won’t be able to resist the might of D-’ “Deni and Penn(i)” had a nice ring to it. ‘Penny and Ronin! Alright! So, I’m Reinforcement-specialized, so I can enhance myself and make random barriers to stop enemies and such! Now, then, we’ll do the tag later, for now let’s go!’ Ronin called happily, and was already on the way.

Penny just shook her head before following after the excitable girl so she could get them on the correct path, her more robotic mannerisms slipping back into place as she went.

---

^{Phone Calls and Stealing Styles}

‘… Find out what you can from your end, and I’ll do what I can from mine,’ Mariette said into her phone. ‘Yes, I know. I’ll make sure it’s worth something,’ she told, before ending that particular call. She was seated on a couch inside a mostly empty apartment, Penrose being in a semi-abandoned state made it so there were a lot of those for Mariette to hide out in. Eli was in the kitchen, the slime harpy humming something as she used some leftover ingredients from the fridge to cook something for them both. She’d been learning recently, using food people had left behind as they left the city, and it had produced some decently nice edibles. Anyways. Mariette had more business to tend to.

In order to find out what she could… Mariette dialed the number she’d gotten from Amaryllis, and then gently held the phone to her ear.

The phone didn’t ring two times before she was greeted by the voice of a young man.

Nuncio speakin’. Who might this be?

‘I am Mariette Pedersen, Sage of the Mirrored World. I received your contact information from Amaryllis Evenings, Knight of the Rose,’ Mariette told him. That title of hers was actually straight from Amaryllis’ mouth, and Mariette had no idea where it came from, but she was using it. ‘I’ve been requested to find your Sammy. Since it’s Amaryllis asking me, I’ll at the very least keep a lookout. However, finding her will require that you tell me everything you’ve found out while searching for her, and that you provide me with some form of incentive.’

She paused there, allowing Nuncio to consider what she’d said.

”The dame came through for me eh?” Mariette could feel Nuncio smile through the phone. ”Did Amaryllis tell ya anythin’? Everything I found says she was last seen at the Pit Stop. Beyond that, she only really searches for missin’ animals and details about Binky. Occasionally she’ll track down missing people, but that’s rare. Also talked to Brittany at the magic shop. Gotta speak with her again ta see if she knows anythin’. Been meaning to look at all the zoos in Penrose since she likes those.” A tiger roared into the phone. ”You’ll eat later Rossa! Where was I? Yea as far as incentive, what kinda stuff interests the ‘Sage of the Mirrored World’ eh? Cuz the ‘Feline Mafioso’ ain’t exactly rich.”

Mariette considered the sounds of the tiger decently interesting. In any case.

‘Amaryllis told me that the “Elucidator of the Amplified Scope” was not present for our impromptu unsolicited vacation, and that she remained missing now, and that you were searching for her. I was told Sammy was her friend, in a world where she’d lost a considerable number of those lately. And, I was also told you were a member of the Outer Penrose Alliance, which was beseeching this of me?’ Mariette asked. ‘Surely, an Alliance has some resources to spare. If you have monsters or magical girls you no longer need, I will gladly take them off your hands. I also accept magical artifacts that could be of use to me. That, or… I’d also accept a single Red Coin, if you could find me one of those. Or more, if you’d like me to look upon you more favorably in the future,’ Mariette said, a little amused.

”I pay more favorably for favorable results.” Nuncio sounded a bit irritated, but Sammy was missing, and a tiger just roared into his ear. ”But yea, glad she told ya all that. Saves me from havin’ to do it. A red coin shouldn’t be too hard to find. You’re talkin’ to the guy who swept em up during his escape. I’ll talk to the others and see if we have any to spare.” He chuckled. ”Barrin’ that, I make pluses. High quality ones. Ya can see my handiwork at Brittany’s shop. Cheapest one is like 5 gold coins. I could make you a plush of anything ya want a lot cheaper. Skip the middleman.”

Mariette positively froze.

Red coin… or plushie.

A red coin was something she’d been hoping to get her hands on, not to use but to examine closely for its functions and simply analyze in greater detail. The research of actually having it and knowing what they could about it could potentially be a great advantage to Asengav and her entire faction. The choice was obvious.

But… plushie.

High quality plushie.

Especially made for her.

Now, she’d never betray bunny. Bunny was her one most important possession, and this would never change. That said… plushie.

Cute, adorable, custom-made plushie. Just for her.

Mariette was frozen.

”Hello?”

‘A-ah,’ Mariette made a mildly startled noise, but refocused her thoughts. ‘I-I'm… obligated to request a Red Coin. It is for the benefit of my patron…’ Mariette said, her tone with regret. ‘… but, um, is there any way I could convince you to make me a plushie, on the side? I-I, would love to, um, I'm… rather fond of bunnies, and my bunny could use a companion… Could I… somehow sweeten the deal for you to…?’ Mariette asked, momentarily reverting to a somewhat younger age in her tone.

”The coin ain’t a sure thing ma’am. But all the same, I’ll work on tryin’ for one and makin’ a plush for ya.” Mariette could hear the sound of something snapping, followed by some chewing noises. ”That okay for breakfast, Rossa?” He cleared his throat. ”This bunny, should it be big? Maybe one floppy ear? Gotta color preference? I’m fine suprisin’ ya too.”

‘…’ Mariette would have commented on the coin not being a sure thing, but currently she was overwhelmed about the other subject of the conversation. ‘The size should… match mine.’ Mariette said, and then looked down on bunny, and also had an Eli peeking in from the kitchen looking a bit surprised. Now, unfortunately, Mariette had no idea how to actually convey size through words. ‘Um, let’s see, this thing can take pictures, right?’ Mariette said, and then had an Eli run in to guide her in how to actually use the phone to take pictures. Eventually, Nuncio would get a picture of bunny sitting on a table with a helpful set of items nearby to get a sense of scale. A plate and cutlery, a couple books, a couple fruits they found, a milk carton with a specific size…

‘You can… surprise me with the rest,’ Mariette said, sounding a bit embarrassed. The bunny in the picture was well-loved, to say the least.

”A bit biggah than my normal requests.” He let out a long, endless sigh. ”But it sounds like ya really want it. And I really want Sammy back. So it’s gunna be my goddamn masterpiece.” Mariette could hear some beeps on his end. It sounded a bit like her own phone buttons, maybe he was saving the picture? ”I’ll need a moment ta form a concept, but it’ll be the next one I make. And thanks again for helpin’ me out. I hope it leads to somethin’ good in the future.”

‘Yes… thank you,’ Mariette said, nodding. ‘I will do all I can. I’ll call you when I find something,’ she said, ignoring the curious looks of the slime harpy to her left.

”Ya got my number. Buh-bye, Mariette. Take care.”

‘… You too,’ Mariette told, a slight blush on her cheeks as she ended the call, and then took a long look at bunny. Bunny would possibly have a friend, soon… … … Oh, and there was Eli looking at her with very large, interested eyes to her left. Mariette slowly gazed towards her, slowly regaining her usual stoic persona.

‘… Not a word of this to the others.’

‘Wouldn’t dream of it, my mistress.’

Quietly on behind Miriam, The Boss turned, and stepped towards the access door. A mere few steps passed before Penny’s reply flashed across her face from the blue lit screen in her hand, drawing her attention, and pausing her gait for a moment. Deftly, her numb fingers took to drawing out a reply. With each keypress, her steps quickened, until she reached the door - her left hand outstretched to push it inwards, allowing a flood of white-flourescent light to leak onto the exposed rooftop.

The very space at the top of the stairs, of the access corridor to the roof of a financial building just beyond the centre of the city, bathed in artificial light, bent and rended. The light flickered and dimmed, and finally darkened, the bulb shorted out by a cloud of black that wafted beneath the door and swallowed the stairwell atop which The Boss stood.

I’m very well acquainted with the owner of a restaurant in Western Penrose, called The Nerine Vista. It’s a short walk from the Beth Lamnnid Memorial Library - it’ll look closed, but the door is open. I’ll have the chef on standby, so we can eat, and talk.

I can be there shortly.

Penny would send back as a response before pulling up a digital map of Penrose and plotting out her course. “Right, I’m off” Penny would say aloud turning to Valerie “As I said feel free to tag along shouldn’t be an issue” She would say with a shrug “And before I forget” She’d Ping the other android’s system with a simple message “My number in case you want to get a hold of me later”

Afterwards she’d jump onto the nearby roof and set off at a reasonable pace, slightly above a jog over all. She was fine after all, no need to go racing off to get away from this alleyway. She was fine.

_{01001100 01101001 01100101 01110011 00100000 01001100 01101001 01100101 01110011 00100000 01001100 01101001 01100101 01110011 00100000}

"O...kay..." Valerie hesitated to leave Penny to go by herself. She had detected traces of corruption from the other android, making her worried. Not wanting to take any chances, she followed behind her.

Located in Western Penrose, The Nerine Vista only a short walk from the centre of the city, across the road and northwards on from the local library. Technically, it stood as one of the finer dining experiences in Penrose City. The exterior boasted an elegant aesthetic - a primary red colour scheme trimmed and framed in gold. Above a number of large, darkened windows that obscured the interior of the restaurant, a large nameplate sat, with the name 'The Nerine Vista', written out in cursive, gold on red, punctuated on its rightmost side from the entrance with a flowering lily.

To the ordinary, it merely appeared as a restaurant, but to the magically keen, or a Third Eye user, a number of immediate magical enchantments were obvious from the outside. The darkened windows had an illusion placed over the top of them, obfuscating view in, but allowing those inside to look out on the world in peace. And at the front. just past the main darkened glass doors, was a plaque, reading bold and obvious in golden foil "The Nerine Vista is Open". That too had been obfuscated, overlayed with a “closed” sign, to keep the mundane from entering accidentally, though the door itself remained unlocked.

"Well this is the place" Penny would say as she gave it a look over, somewhat suprised at the fact it was a more upscale local, with a shrug she would venture inside. After all she was fine, no need to stop, she could handle this, she was fine.

On the inside, the chill of the Penrose day was taken over by a pleasant warmth. The restaurant floor itself felt rustic, but never deviated from the upper class presentation it gave on the first outlook; several dozen, large round tables covered the space, partially set, each meticulously covered in a burgundy tablecloth, outlined by a golden seam that tapered at each corner into a fabric gold decoration. Two wooden, delicately carved chairs had been sat polar opposite from each other, backed by rich, dark brown leather, intersected at various angles with golden thread, leading to a yellow-gold diamond design at its centre. And on the walls hung various objects - by the double doors that no doubt led to the kitchen, among the numerous art pieces that lined the room, a sword sat mounted to the wall, in a beautiful, black and silver sheath.

A fire had been lit of the opposite end of the chamber, illuminating the restaurant beyond even the half dozen silver and crystal chandeliers, candle-lighting the floor from above. Above the fireplace sat a frame, a painting, of the Earth from orbit, splintered and cracked like a window pain, and illuminated from above by a brilliant white star. And at the centre of the room, by a table kept at slight distance from the rest, was a girl. She was short, at least relatively so. Purple-red hair emerged from beneath her striped fabric newsboy hat, and the collar of her coat, which, upturned, rose partway up the back of her neck. The coat itself ran down almost to her knees, and appeared to be a heavy thing; bulky, covered in buckles and buttons, and nearly multicoloured with the number of patchwork repairs that had been done. A pair of fingerless gloves adorned each of her hands, which took to setting the table for two guests - a set of cutlery, a napkin, a small plate, a glass and a sizeable, leather bound menu. As she worked, the girl whistled, a gentle and vaguely sombre melody, seemingly inattentive to the arrival of her guest.

"Exc҉use me" Penny would call out once she had given the place a look over. She had realized that she didn't know who she was looking for, just thier name. "We are looking for Eden?" she would explain once she got the other girl, who she assumed was the waitress, attention.

"See you found the place alright," the girl replied, back turned to the two as she took to laying a glass, left-most side of the plate. For a moment she drew back, taking in the state of the table, and then she turned towards the door, satisfied with the layout. Her eyes fell on Penny first, but quickly flicked towards Valerie. "Who's the new girl? Last I heard, Beacon Agents aren't meant to wander the streets with Monster Girls in tow."

"Valerie Williams." she introduced herself, extending a hand out for Eden to shake. "Don't worry, I only work under a lesser force. Just happened to have ended up like this by chance." the android pointed to herself with her free hand.

"And how many Beacon members do you know are also Monstergirls?" Penny would ask quirking an eyebrow at Eden. "I'm not very big on the 'No working with monstergirl's' part of Beacon's Vows as it's more or less impossible for me to follow it." She would go on to say as she re-examined the girl in front of her.

"Regardless, Valerie just helped me out. Not going to just cut and run after that" She would say as she moved to the table, keeping an eye on Eden as she went. After all if the Vixen was scared of her that was more then enough reason to stay on her guard.

_{01011001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01101011 01100101 01100101 01110000 00100000 01101100 01111001 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01110100 01101111 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 01110010 00100000 01110011 01100101 01101100 01100110}

"We'll need another chair, then," she commented. Her eyes scanned Valerie's outstretched hand for a moment, until she turned, ignoring the gesture, to pull a chair from one of the other, nearby tables. She gestured for the two of them to sit, and stepped off towards the double doors, which automatically swung open, despite the lack of a visible sensor near them, leading into the vast kitchen. A few moments passed, of near silence, before they swung open in the opposite direction, revealing the girl once more, carrying the necessary table set deftly between her hands. "If anything happens with her, I hope you'll take responsibility.

"But we'll deal with that if it comes," as she spoke, she took to setting Valerie's own place. Within a minute, a near exact replica of the other two places had been erected, with the heavy, leather bound menu placed square in front of her. Almost immediately, she took her own seat, directly across from Penny, and just to Valerie's left, ninety degrees around the circular table. "We haven't talked since before the beach, right? That mess was a whole lot to unpack, so many different people talking and what not - but apparently you had a fairly eventful two months, at least. I heard Thalia was there, too, did you see her?"

"As far as I am aware we hadn’t talked even before then" Penny would reply as Eden sat down "But yeah I meet up with Thalia. She spoke about you briefly as well" She would go on leaning back in her chair "Over all it was a pretty decent couple of days. Why do you bring it up?" So far Penny was getting the feeling that Eden didn't do anything with a reason to do such. Which wasn't too surprising considering that Eden ran a business but Penny tended to be weary of those types on principal.

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"Right, right, names and faces, I still haven't introduced myself; I'm Eden," she looked from Penny to Valerie with the statement, her exposed fingertips lightly rapping against the tabletop in a vaguely rhythmic manner. With each word, the neutral expression and apathetic, hard eyes she wore faded away into something softer, until a faint smile crested her face. "I'm the co-founder, and current head, of The Penrose Independent. Before we get into any real business talk, feel free to order, on the house. Though I suppose you're both robots, aren't you? - well, take a look through the menu anyway, if you want something to eat, the chef's on standby."

"Well, I'm an android, and I can eat. But half the time, I don't really need to." Valerie explained, looking through the menu. "Do you suggest anything?" she asked Eden.

"Technically I'm a cyb̸o̡rg" Penny would reply as she looked over the menu. She avoided looking at any option that had meat in it, not because anything was wrong, no she was fine. She just wasn't in the mood for that, it wasn't like the sensation of eating someone else was lingering in the back of her mind. She was fine.

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"I'll go with the Fettuccine Alfredo" She'd say after a moment, "Water to drink"

"Sure, cyborg," Eden echoed, her attention momentarily pulled from Valerie's words onto Penny. As she looked, she made no effort to hide the intention of her gaze; it had reverted in an instant to the sharp, and piercing, eyes she wore before, as though she were performing a detailed scan of Penny's body and face from across the table. "Fettuccine Alfredo, not a bad choice. As for you, Valerie... There's the pan seared duck breast I had added, with a reduced red wine and gooseberry sauce. Sasha wasn't sure how well it'd work on the menu, but she's become fairly well known for it since we opened, so it's gotta be worth something, right?"

"Hm, sounds good. I'll have that." Valerie nodded.

"So you mentioned that you wanted to call in that favor" Penny would say calmly as she leaned back into her chair meet Eden's gaze. The apparent scrutiny serving as a grounding rod allowing her to focus on the here and now.

_{01010100 01101000 01100001 01110100 00100111 01110011 00100000 01100010 01100101 01100011 01100001 01110101 01110011 01100101 00100000 01001001 00100000 01100100 01101111 01101110 00100111 01110100 00100000 01110100 01110010 01110101 01110011 01110100 00100000 01101000 01100101 01110010}

"What did you have in mind?"

"I felt bad, about the whole favour thing," she replied, standing from her seat. From each guest Eden took their glasses, and carried them off to a nearby table, where a pitcher of water sat. As she lifted it, the ice cubes clinked against the glass, breaking the sudden silence while she poured. "Don't get me wrong, I still need your help with something, but I'm not so much of a cunt where I'd call it a favour anymore. I just wanted something that I could use on you later. I'm asking about Thalia - well, I'm asking if there's anything I can do to help with that situation. It's partially my fault anyway."

"I..." Penny took a breath and tried to let go of the tension she was holding on too "I don't know. We had a long discussion back at the Beach, and even got a text from her now that we are back here, but I havn't seen her yet so I'm not really sure what she needs at the moment" Penny would explain "And from what I hear your the reason she came to me at all, so what makes you say that it was your fault to begin with?"

"Good question..." Eden said. She remained silent for a few moments, watching the water drain from the pitcher, and into the glass that had been Penny's, until it reached the same point as Valerie's had. When she lifted them once more, she did so gently; the movements on the return were ever so slightly more cautious, as though she feared spilling a single drop, until she slid the glasses back in front of the places they belonged to. "Let's just say, I didn't stop this situation as early as I could of. I had to threaten her - did she tell you that? I was watching you fighting in the Graveyard when she came by again. I don't like threatening people, but she's too familiar to individuals I've worked with before. It was either scare her back to you, or kill her. I want you to think of us as friends, Penny, that's why I'm offering this - if you need help with something after this, I'll see what I can do."

"I see..." Penny would answer as she parsed the information given to her. her hands wrapping around the glass of water passed to her as she thought it over "She did mention something like that. Thing is she tried the second route first" Penny would say quietly, careful to not increase her grip on the glass infront of her, as it would easily shatter if she did. "The Vixen took over her for quite some time as well, hard to say if you really talked with Thalia much"

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Penny winced slightly "Do... Do you know of anyway to help someone in Thalia's postion?"

"Mmm, potentially," she began. Her coat folded as she slid into the chair once more, and rested her elbows on the table, crossing her hands in front of her mouth for a moment of thought. In the seconds that past, an abrupt sound emerged from the kitchen, as the double doors that connected the two rooms swung open, revealing a heavy set woman, grey-white hair held beneath a chef's hat, and clothed in a full body chef's apron, carrying two plates on one arm, and a glass in the other hand.

"Fettuccine Alfredo for Ms. Asimov, duck breast for Ms. Valerie," the woman announced, bearing a thick, deep seated Russian accent. She moved the starter plates from in front of the two, and placed the plates near dead centre at the place. Every step was made clockwise around the table - to Penny first, then Valerie, then placing the bubbling glass of black liquid in front of Eden, and finally back around and into the kitchen. "Please enjoy the meal."

"Can't say I'm an expert, but in the end, the issue will be corruption based," Eden continued. She reached forward, and took the glass in her hand - a large pint glass, filled almost fully with cola. "Her corruption is fighting against her. The Vixen is probably some kind of security mechanism put in place to prevent her from being damaged or purified, but somewhere along the line she let it in too far, and it developed its own sense of self on a schema of her personality. The fastest way to fix it would be purification, but there's no chance The Ascendancy lets her live, in which case - I never got my hands on one, but a Red Coin might scramble the corruption enough as to where she can take control again. I could... force her into shutdown, and restart her in a safe mode of sorts, where Thalia is the one in control. It'd only last for a little until The Vixen realises her host isn't disabled, but it could be enough for her to use a Coin. If I can find one."

Penny would sit back and ponder the information given to her. Some of it rang true, the metamorph being a security measure from being damaged fit in line with her own triggers after all. But the purification defense didn’t really fit, unless Thalia own psyche was more damaged then Penny’s currently was. And didn’t that thought send a shiver of dread down her mechanical spine.

Still the matter of a Red coins was much easier after all “I-“
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Penny would take a drink from her water before trying again “I know where you might be able to get one. Cindy currently has a stock of them, getting in touch with her you should be able to work something out.” Penny herself had no doubt that the Red coins could fix such an issue, but she didn’t need to use hers yet. She was still fine after all, perfectly fine.

"Well that works out perfectly," she set her glass down, after a number of sip. "That favour I needed from you was all about Cindy Ford. I gotta speak to her on a few things, but I doubt she'll just meet me if I rock up to your hideout uninvited. I know you two have an arrangement, so I was hoping you could, well, introduce me, I guess, maybe vouch for my intergrity, something like that. I'm pretty sure Cindy and Thalia are already acquainted as well, she might just agree to give up a Coin on principle. What do you say?"

"Not really mine anymore but I get what you mean" Penny would hedge while she though about the offer. She couldn't see any reason why not to agree to this, plus it was a rather simple way to pay off the debt. So with a internal shrug "Sure I could do that. It'll take a day or two I think" She would muse aloud, not fully sure of what her own standing was when it came to the selfproclaimed Queen. Besides there was the issue of the Spark tracking her as well to deal with first.

"How do you want me to get a hold of you when I've got it set up?"

"A day or two is perfect," she lifted the glass to her lips once more, and for a few seconds drank deeply from it. When she reemerged, she placed the glass back gently, and sighed. "If you could just send me a text, that'd be fine. I'll let you know if she agrees to give up one of her coins, and if she does, then, I guess we'll discuss what to do about Thalia at a later date. Thank you, genuinely. With all that said and done... I have to make some preperations.

"Valerie, I'm sorry about this. I wasn't expecting anyone other than Penny, so you've been a bit left out. Before I leave you both to eat," Eden reached into the large, bulky jacket that made up the main part of her attire. The sheer size obscured most of her true physicality, leaving everything below the neck and above the knees a mystery. Her hand seemed to disappear into the left breast, venturing into a pocket of dubious contents, and when it returned, it held a business card. 'The Penrose Independent. Keeping the Truth Truthful', covered neatly in a myriad of contact numbers and addresses, which she handed to the android. "I don't know your position or standing with your Patron and the rest of Penrose, but if you need somewhere to work, we're always hiring."

"Oh?" Valerie grabbed the business card. "Huh, I was actually going to offer you my services, if you ever needed me. I am the hacker of my group, after all." With a wink, the android had added herself onto Eden's contacts, and vice versa.

Penny would nod "I'll contact you when I can" she would say before tuning her attention to her food. After all it would be rude to just leave it with out eating.

"I'm glad to hear it, both of you. If you'll excuse me," with a nod to each of them, she stood from the table, grabbing and pulling the glass with her to quickly finish the remaining liquid. The moment the last drop emptied, she placed it back on the table, and began walking towards the door, until, just at the entrance, Eden turned to look back at them. "Penny. As a friend. Don't go to the party. And... if there's anyone in Beacon you care about, make sure they steer clear too."

Before either of the two girls could answer, she pulled the door ajar, and ducked out into the cold of Penrose City.

---

Vi sat in her chair, nervously drumming on her desk with her fingers as she waited for the PI to show up. After discussing a few things with Chloe, she had at least agreed this would be the best course of action. The other girl still wanted to make no appearances herself, it seemed. Content to hide while others carried out her dirty work.

Ugh, she loathed to admit it but she was no different from her, in the end. Always hiding behind a computer screen. At least she wouldn't have to do much decision making this time herself. Divina had graciously 'offered' her help. Honestly, she was more terrified of that moth woman than she was Chloe. There was something unsettling about watching a human sized creature stare at a lightbulb like it was normal. Not to mention the repeated attempts at psychic shenanigans. Mostly that.
A small red blip from a motion sensor activated on one of her many security cameras tore her away from the thoughts. That was them, likely. Vi sighed, grinding her teeth for a moment as she worked up her usual persona.

“Alright, Vi, Shooooowww time!~” The magical girl got up from her chair and moved to where she had her setup. She put on her usual hat, quickly checking her hair, nails, and making sure she was presentable. She wouldn't physically be there, but she'd be able to see them and they her, at least. She had an image to uphold.

The PI members would easily find their way into the warehouse that Vi had directed them too. Old machinery sat abandoned, a rusted testament to whatever this place had once been used for. After a moment of inspection, they'd have found the entire place to be empty...the only thing they’d notice that anyone had been here recently was a number of still functioning security cameras seemingly monitoring them.

The sound of a car pulling up outside the warehouse filled the nearby surroundings. It drove up slowly, drawing near to the entrance, until the slight whine of the breaks followed, and the engine cut to silence. Divina could feel the presence of two minds approaching the warehouse, which in turn exited the vehicle, and made their way inside the building, where they began to talk.

”Above,” one of the voices said. It was feminine, clearly, with a slight, obviously non-American accent behind it, and moved around the room with its wielder. The girl in question made her way through the warehouse in the direction of the individual, pointedly glancing into each security camera as they appeared, while she looked through the various pieces of machinery. ”There’s only one nearby, though. Not sure why they’d give up their home field advantage, but we’ll see.”

”This is definitely the place?” the second voice was rougher, though still belonging to a woman. A heavy Russian accent bolstered the words, thick and deeply ingrained in her vocal cords.

”Can’t say I’ve come across too many abandoned warehouses with people in the ceiling, not since becoming a Magical Girl anyway. Always up for new adventures though.”

Above, they were being watched. If they'd have looked up they'd have noticed what looked to be an incredibly large moth of some sort hanging by some old windows on the roof of the warehouse. It currently had their back to them, but upon hearing them enter the moth swiveled its head around, eyeing them curiously for a few seconds. Hm, so that was the Penrose Independent.

Just as the woman finished speaking, the moth girl released her grip on the glass window, letting herself fall to the ground. Fuzzy, moth like wings slowed her descent until her feet gently hit the ground.

“Hmm...so you're the Penrose Independent.” The girl said, her wings wrapping themselves around her like a giant cloak. Her large eyes stared at both of them intently. “I humbly welcome you to this little stage.” The moth turned her head back and forth between the two of them. “I apologize for the late greeting. I was...sun gazing. Such a bright, pretty thing isn't it?~” She giggled lightly before getting back on topic. “Ahem...apologies.”

There was something oddly unsettling about her gaze, and the other girls would probably feel like their thoughts might not entirely be safe. She was likely going to try and read their minds through the duration of their conversation.

“I am Divina. A humble servant and currently helping Miss Vi.”

”Sasha, wait in the car,” the shorter girl said. Even with the moth just behind her, she didn’t turn to look. She remained in place, watching as Sasha nodded cautiously, eyes trained on the newcomer, and made her way out of the warehouse. The girl who called herself Divina was still the only person around, besides Sasha. Nobody else was present. When she had sufficiently confirmed the fact, she finally turned, her gaze immediately drawn to the moth girl. For a moment she said nothing, and simply looked; while Divina’s gaze was unsettling, The Boss’s was piercing, as she scanned the breadth of the moth girl’s body in a matter of moments. ”You’re the only one here, so I’m guessing Elvira’s phoning in from home? Kinda would’ve preferred to meet whoever’s actually running all this, but whatever - you got somewhere to take me?”

“So impatient.” Divina replied lazily, a small smile forming on her pale face, seemingly entirely unconcerned with the boss' gaze. “And so cautious. Afraid, perhaps? No need to, really. I'm a harmless little moth that just wants to comfort those less fortunate.” She tilted her head to the side slightly as she watched the one named Sasha leave. Well, that was fine, as long as she didn't draw attention to the place.

“Smart, too. I suppose being the leader of an organization such as yours means you need to be, hm?” A small hint of disdain could be heard in the moth girls voice as she turned, motioning for the PI to follow. “Elvira is...hm, shall we say, has to think about the consequences of leaving her home, you see. She doesn't trust you, and until she does it is unlikely she will meet you in person. You understand, of course? With all the horrible things happening, one can only be certain in the comfort of the familiar.” The moth walked over to a particularly out of place seeming wall with a large machine situated in front of it. It seemed mostly real, but the boss would likely easily see that the entire thing seemed to be nothing but a well crafted Illusion.

“Vi has put a lot of work into it. This place, you know.” A small blast of psychic energy was seemingly enough for her to disturb the illusion and cause it to vanish, revealing a set of stairs leading below. “I think it's a sign she's willing to trust you somewhat. There's a basement. Fairly large. Vi normally holds her little parties there.”

For the whole of the walk behind Divina, The Boss said nothing. Not a word escaped her, for all of Divinas’ questions and comments. She focussed on what she could see. Hear. Feel. The tour through the warehouse became an echo chamber with each step, until they reached the wall. For as potent and well constructed the illusion may have been, The Boss saw and registered it from the moment it came into view. She analysed it, deconstructed it, and glimpsed clean through it within a matter of moments in her gaze. But she also watched Divina’s psychic blast, which cleanly dissipated the facade.

”This is it, then?” she asked aloud, almost rhetorically. The moment the illusion was visibly gone, The Boss stepped around and in front of Divina, and crossed the distance down to the second step. No effort was made to stop for her escort. She simply continued heading down. ”Elvira isn’t in charge of this. There’s somebody else above you both - so why is she afraid? Not like her dying would get me anywhere, and if you lot were concerned about being interrogated for information, why leave someone here as a tour guide? First impressions, this ain’t adding up, Divina.”

“I wonder...is there such a thing as being too smart?” Divina idly asked as they reached the end of the stairs. “Well, it's not my place to judge...for now. I am simply here to ensure things go...smoothly.” Opening one last door, the sight would likely at least cause one to pause for a moment had they not known what they were getting into. The underground complex fit the 'party club' aesthetic. Neon lights, though currently unlit lined the walls, the only source of lights being large industrial tubes hanging on the ceiling. Upon the back wall, a large stage was situated, rows upon rows of screens attached to the wall, with numerous cables and speakers with it. The dance floor would at least be able to hold dozens of people comfortably. A bar stocked with drinks was situated near the entrance. Several side hallways led off, likely to some other rooms or perhaps, other venues.

“But perhaps, if someone else was orchestrating this, they simply wish to remain anonymous...in case things go bad, hm? As the head of an organization like yours...you should know, information in situations is always vital.”

“Ey ey, that's enough Divina! No need to spill more juicy gossip than ya have too!” Every single screen situated on the back wall flashed to life – revealing the face of a grinning Vi in her usual getup. A muted song played through the speakers in the clubroom.

“Apologies, Vi.” Divina bowed her head lightly.

“Hmph, so you're the PI's boss, huh? Wow, I guess not not everyone looks like they're big business, huh. Color me unimpressed, boss lady.”

”Is openly showing my power a requirement?” The Boss queried in response. Her expectations for the place hadn’t been low by any stretch of the imagination, but the actual quality of the venue surprised her, at least for a moment. As the monitors switched on, she began to walk the length of the room - nearer the front where Elvira would no doubt stand, by the bar to see what had already been prepared. All the while she did, The Boss scanned the room, checking in every corner. ”This hat and coat were given to me by a close friend. They give me my image. I suppose this place is your image, then? It’ll do nicely, you don’t have a back room or anything, do you? We’re gonna need somewhere to set up our equipment soon enough, somewhere people not involved in planning can’t see it.”

“Wow, askin' a girl to show her secrets so readily.” Vi chuckled. “We haven't agreed on anything yet, have we boss lady? So slow up a second 'kay? We got stuff to discuss before you go addin' anything to my systems.”

“Vi, perhaps, if you could, we are on a rather tight schedule...”

“Divina, who's in charge here? Me, that's who. I can't have her boomer hands all over my tech. No telling what sorta ew stuff she'd do to it.” Divina glanced towards the monitors, a small frown forming on her lips. If the boss happened to look back for a moment she'd have noticed one of Divina's eyes had been gone completely insect like – a series of compound eyes staring at the monitor briefly.

“...ugh, Divina, girl, can you please keep your creepiness to yourself. Nobody wants to see that.” Vi took a few steps backwards. “Alright, how's about this. You don't have to show me your abilities, but you will tell me what exactly it is you'll be doing before you go breaking anything.”

”I thought Christine made that pretty clear?” she called back from the bar. Her arms and fingerless lay outstretched across the surface, and her legs crossed in front as she leaned against the counter. ”Security, in a sense. The Ascendancy is bound to show up to this, there’s basically no chance they don’t - but there’s no real way to guarantee how many they’ll send. But if, I don’t know, The Penrose Independent, a group who they know has Beacon members among them, and have in the past leaked things like the Janet Trial within hours of it concluding? And then, maybe, there’s an anonymous tip, which tells them exactly where the party is being held. We’ll just set up my scanner in the back room, if you have one, and it’ll give me a constant location update for any and all Beaconers that appear near this building. And, I mean, as a show of good faith, we’ll provide you with some funding as well - in case there’s anything you haven’t been able to upgrade or buy yet.”

“That's it? That's all? Man, you're pretty dense aren't ya?” Vi replied with a completely unimpressed look. “I don't care if Beacon shows up. They wanna show up? What are they gonna do, attack us all? Use that brain of yours for once and do some thinking.” A smug, malevolent grin formed on Vi's features. “Let Beacon come. If I wanted them not too, I wouldn't have advertised it so publicly.”
Divina glanced between the two of them idly.

“...Elvira,” She fluttered her wings quietly. “Stop being so obtuse.”

“...ugh, right. Whatever, Moth-man.” Vi scoffed. “I don't want Security. What I want is manpower. Funds. Resources.”

”This,” The Boss sighed, her gaze drifting towards Divina. Her grip on the bar abruptly tightened, until she pushed herself up and off, and began walking across the room towards the monitors. ”This is why I wanted to meet whoever’s in charge of you both. Cause you really haven’t given me much to work with until right now. The point is that we both want something - very clearly those goals aren’t the same, but working together makes them more achievable. But when you sit behind a fucking screen, and give me no indication of what you actually want until I push you for it, then we’ve got a problem. Security is quite literally just my baseline - you want money? Sure, we’ve got plenty. You want manpower? I have a meeting with Cindy Ford that will align her faction with The Penrose Independent. Everything you want is within my power to give, but you’ve gotta fucking ask for it.”

“Pfft, ahahahaha!” Vi began laughing, holding her stomach and nearly doubling over from whatever she found humorous. “Oh that's great...really, really, great! I see. That makes sense then.” Her laughter immediately died down as she violently grabbed the camera, the same malevolent smirk returning as she fixed the PI's boss with her glare. “You got nothin' for me. For Us. Cindy Ford? Weak old grandma, that's what she is. She doesn't have the balls to do anything other than hide and wait for beacon to come knocking. Me? I'll give the rest of us hope to fight for-”

“ELVIRA.” Divina interrupted the other magical girl, a long, drawn out sigh coming from the moth girl. “That. Is...enough.”

“...ah, right right, save it for the party.” Vi narrowed her eyes at the PI. “You want to know what I want so badly? Finally feel like I'm not constantly in danger of dying from the Beacon, Mint, or some other fuck off organization that wants use me or anyone else. And I'm going to make that happen.” Divina had shifted from staring at Elvira towards the Boss now.

”Use you? Is that what you think this is?” The Boss stopped firmly in the centre of the room, her gaze moved and transfixed away from Divina and onto the monitors. Her hands slid into her pockets, attempting to look as peaceful, and non-threatening, as possible. ”People join The Penrose Independent for safety. So they can have somewhere to belong. So they can earn money when their Patron doesn’t care enough about them. And Beacon? They hurt a lot of good people who work with me. Whatever your angle is, it’s not on their side. My side, though? We’re going to destroy The Ascendancy, and if you feel like being part of that, then I don’t recommend fighting me. I really don’t want to hurt any of you, but I will if you make me, cause this party is the best opportunity any of us are gonna get for this.”

“Let me put it like this.” Vi replied with a snarl. “You're either with me, or against me. And when this party happens...well, Beacon the Mint, anyone, won't be able to stop us.”

“...simply put,” Divina continued. “The morning after the party, whether Cindy, you, or anyone else helps...we'll take the fight to Beacon.”

“Not gonna lie, it'll be a pretty terrible time for everyone, but we're tired of being pushed around, and I'm going to give those of us who are hope...and we're going to smash the ascendancy harder than people smash the like button on my videos. So...is the PI with us, or not?”

”If you’re hellbent on this being your side?” her stance loosened with Vi’s final question. As collected as she attempted to appear outwardly, inside The Boss was prepared to transform at a moments notice. With access to her full range of abilities, dealing with a girl of Divina’s calibre would have been no trouble at all, but taking a hit still sealed would have been less than ideal. ”Then sure, we’re on your side. Still gonna need full access to the venue and any side rooms you might have. I’ll send a couple of girls over later to check for a good place to put the device, hopefully where it won’t interfere with anything you’ve got going on. That alright with you?”

“...you know what, fine.” Vi said with a sigh. “Do whatever you want. Divina, you know where everything is. Unless you all need me, I'm gonna go get myself a spa treatment. Ugh, all this stress is going to give me wrinkles...” With that, the monitor cut off, but the cameras were likely still recording them.

“I apologize for Vi's...behavior.” Divina replied with a sigh. She had been ready to flee at the first sign of trouble, not having to want any sort of conflict out of this. She had a bigger job to do than babysit someone like Elvira. “She can be quite abrasive. If you'll follow me, I'll show you to the back rooms...but I ask you not to wander too much.” With a motion, the moth began leading Boss down one of the side hallways. “...though I do have to wonder what your goal in all of this is, hm?”

Typically, the shower was a place for relaxation, silent reflection, and unwinding. For a bit of amusement, Mac had started taking her spool into the shower with her so that she could observe future events. She could look and see what sort of events were waiting for her favorite people and magical girls. Though ever since Mac had returned to Penrose, well, there haven't been too many happy moments to gleam.

A lot of her favorite places had simply been destroyed. Garrow park had an impressive playground that use to draw in children from all over the city, but now it was a heap of twisted metal. Michigan square was also nothing but rubble, and the thousands of people who walked past there were no longer present. Penrose had become a barren wasteland, and it was just starting to sink in that the city might be lost.

And the rave, that was going to happen before long, wasn't it?

With a shrug, Mac sunk to the floor of the shower, allowing the water to pelt the top of her head. Maybe she needed a bubble bath after this.

---

Mika groaned. There was nothing fun to do. Helga and Su were managing the hotel, and there wasn’t anything interesting happening on Glimmr or the Penrose Independent’s website. She had beaten all of her video games and her monthly allowance was spent. She was still in bed, looking at the soft glow of her phone. There had to be something she could do.

“I wanna go some place fun, and warm.” It wasn’t until muttering it that Mika realized she had access to a place that was both of those. “Wait, I know!” She jumped out of bed and dove into the closet. The impact alone was enough to make its contents erupt outward like a volcano. She’d have to clean that up at some point, but having fun was more important right now. After pushing past a few boxes, she found it.

“Gotcha!”

Mika shut the doors to the closet and started to get changed. When she emerged, she was wearing her cat themed bikini. Now she was ready to have a blast! Mika began dancing around the center of the room like an Indian praying for rain. “Gimmie, a fun place, gimmie, a warm place!” Mika repeated like a mantra before a portal opened up in the center of the room.

---

Her present location was not one she recognized. It appeared to be one of the thousands of islands, with a few palm trees and some star fish scattered about. “Oh Daaaan! I’m Baaaaaack!” Mika called out. “Are you arouuuuuund?”

Some sparkles appeared in the sky, like stars that were raining down. The stream hit the ground, causing a small splash of water from which a small, huggable dolphin leaped out of.

"Mika!" Dan squeaked, and flew up to her with a big smile; he had a goofy fish-themed cap one could find at any aquarium's gift shop. "You're back here at Isla Paradiso! Did something happen?" He floated around her. "Wait, let me guess: party time?"

“Ummm.” Mika looked out at the vast ocean. “I got hurt, and one of my friends left Penrose not too long ago.” She looked back at Dan with a smile. “ I just came here to see you. We always played a lot of fun games and- GAH!” She hugged Dan’s head against her chest. The dolphin's bottle nose was forced between her mounds, and Mika unknowingly covered his blow hole through his hat. “When did the titty monster get here?!” She pointed at Hillaria, who was reclining in a beach chair eating a hamburger.

The burger that Hilaria was eating soon became little more than a memory, aside from the little bit of ketchup that fell upon one side of her sizable chest. Of course, since the girl was not in the business of leaving loose ends when it came to food, she soon scooped it up with a finger and disposed of any evidence by sucking it away. "~!" the little squeal of delight was an obvious tell that it had been to her liking, and only after all of this did she look to Mika and Dan.

"Hello~!" she waved, getting up from the beach chair. She jogged over to the two. Hilaria was not in her magical girl form, but it wasn't hard to tell who it was given certain aspect(s) she had. She was currently wearing a bikini that did no disservice to displaying the parts of her that certain individuals would find larger than average, but it looked to be one someone on a budget would get. She was also wearing sunglasses. "Did you come here to eat, Hilaria wonders~?" she smiled.

"Mmphh!" Dan's muffled voice could be heard as he flailed his small blue body, currently stuck in Mika's loving but unintentionally lethal embrace. His antics turned more frantic, until he slipped right out of the girl's arms like a piece of soap, flying up. "Phew, finally I'm fr-MMMPPH!" Before he realized it, he had nosedived right into Hilaria's roomy cleavage, once again stuck.

"Oh~!" Hilaria yelped in surprise as a bottle of sunblock and her phone were knocked out of the 'pocket' they were in. She took a hold of Dan and gave him a gentle pull, releasing him of his prison. "Hilaria thinks Dan's a bit clumsy~" she said, allowing the dolphin to regain its composure. Once she didn't need to worry about holding him, she bent down and collected the two objects that fell, returning the phone to it's domain, while keeping the other in her hand.

That finished, she looked at Mika. "Oh, but don't forget to wear sunscreen~" she presented the bottle.

Mika crept towards Hilaria, her eyes constantly darting between her face and the sunblock. Then, with a careful hand, she trapped the lotion bottle between her thumb and fore finger before pulling on it. It took Mika a few seconds to remove the bottle from Hilaria’s grip.

“So you’re not going to....” she squeezed some out onto her arms before rubbing it in. “Then I don’t have anything to fear.” Mika stood up a bit straighter. “Thanks Hilarious!” She tossed what remained of the bottle back to her before turning to Dan. “Got any games we can play?”

Dan gasped as he was pulled up like an uprooted vegetable, looking a bit dizzy with cartoon stars circling his head.. "Woo wee, you girls really take my breath away." He then shook his head to focus, and squeaked in an amused tone, having floated up to eye level with Hilaria.
"I am a bit of a klutz, but fortunately you caught me." His eyes turned bright and lively upon being asked about games, and he nodded his nose rapidly. "I sure do! I got football, lacrosse, tennis, paragliding, slalom, triathlon, waterskiing, all the sports games!" As he listed the activities he summoned the various pieces of equipment, scattering them around like a comedian genie. "And if you want to take a break, you can fiddle with sticks and press lots of buttons with video games and buggies and starships!" He followed this up by summoning an actual spaceship, though it was just a two-seater. He bounced up to Mika. "Let's have lots of fun!"

“Yay! Fun!” Mika seemed to have forgotten her request to play a game, because she ran right up to the spaceship. It didn’t look too spectacular, just a white tube with gray fins on the back. But it looked out of place on a tropical retreat. The girl scrambled up the side of the ship and sat in the cockpit. There she was greeted with a dizzying number of flashing buttons and lights. “Hilarious, did you wanna explore space?”

By the time Mika asked, Hilaria was already there. "Hilaria is usually the one sending others to space, but sure~!" she agreed, looking then at Dan. "Does this work, Hilaria wonders~?"

“Of course!” Dan appeared between the girls with a poof, now wearing a space helmet. He pointed with his fin, and also changed the girls’ appearance: they now also wore space helmets, as well as spacesuits colored a silvery gray that tightly hugged their skin, conforming to the shape of their bodies. Dan smiled, and squaked: “Let’s go on a fantastic voyage!”

Mika pulled on a lever, and the spaceship’s engine rumbled as the vessel first turned up towards the sky, and then launched. “To Infinity, and behind it!” He proclaimed, now sitting in Hilaria’s lap as the spaceship had reached outer space. The girls could see that the planet they left was mostly blue, dotted with islands of various sizes. A hologram showing a map of the galaxy then appeared, showing various locations. “This spaceship can travel to any planet with a blink of the eye! We could go to the Planet of Hats, or the Planet of the Apes!” He pointed out. “The galaxy is in your grasp!”

“Hmmm, I know where everyone would like to go!” Mika tapped a few buttons. Each one made a series of boops and beeps before Mika pulled the lever. All occupants had their heads thrown backward as the ship accelerated towards their destination. After just a few seconds, they were hovering over a planet with many rings. When they got closer, the rings appeared to be made out of thousands of onion rings, while others were condiments like ketchup and relish.

“Whoa!” Mika opened the cockpit and grabbed an onion ring as they cruised by. “It exists!” She extended the onion ring to a layer made of ketchup before sitting back down. “Where should we start our adventure?” She said while looking at the planet. It looked to be a mass of different colors. Some of the oceans were made of cola, while others could have been soft drinks or fruit juice. The ice caps were giant Popsicles, And the world's many continents appeared to be split up into different foods. There was a pasta land that bordered bread mountains, The cold north seemed to be made out of ice cream, and there was also a jungle made out of vegetables. “That jungle looks kinda scary, I dunno if I wanna go there.”

Meanwhile, Hilaria took the development in stride, gazing in awe at all the different foods that the planet was composed of. This was mostly due to the fact she was convinced she'd just been drugged, perhaps the burger being the culprit, and that what she was now experiencing was a really big trip.

But this was not a first for her, and she was determined that it wouldn't be her last, either.

"Astonishing~!" whereas Mika only grabbed one onion ring, Hilaria had enough to constitute a meal, which she happily munched away on. "Mmm~" she glanced around the planet, looking for a suitable place to land. "T-there~!" as if she couldn't contain the excitement, she thrust her finger out towards a volcano, which appeared to be blasting nacho cheese into the sky, which then collided with the nacho-chip clouds that flew above it.

“Whoah! This is too saucy for me!” Dan squeaked as the spaceship got close to the nacho volcano. But regardless of his worry, the girls managed to successfully land the ship on the mouth of the volcano, the delicious nacho cheese only a stone’s throw away.

“Careful with the nachos, girls!” Dan warned as the spaceship opened, holding a silly-looking blaster in his fin as he first left the ship. “And keep an eye out on munchinoids; they have an endless appetite.”

Mika did not seem to be especially worried about the “munchoids” as she took in the volcano they were standing on. It was made out of tortilla chips stuck together with refried beans. There were a few black beans here and there, as well as salsa with giant chunks of tomato and pepper floating in their surface. The base of the volcano was covered with lettuce and ranch dressing, while the mouth of the volcano was oozing with nacho cheese after the last eruption.

“Forget the munchoids, I’m pretty hungry myself.” She broke off a tortilla chip and dipped it in the cheese. It didn’t appear to be as hot as lava, and Mika confirmed as much when she took off her helmet to take a bite. “What have you guys been doing?” Mika chewed on the chip while walking higher up the volcano. “I didn’t expect to see Hilarious here.” The holster holding her water pistol jiggled when she jumped over a pool of salsa.

The silver-haired girl was simultaneously going to town on the volcano and keeping pace with the other two. "Mmm~!" she let out another delighted squeal. "Hilaria's been eating with people~ It's great~" she replied to Mika, simply walking around the pothole of salsa, but dipping one of her chips in it and taking another bite.

"Dan has a lot of good food~"

Dan looked pleased with the compliment. "Why thank you, Hilaria. I'm glad that you think so highly of my culinary skills. Once we get back I'll cook up some delicious lasagn-Aah! Munchoids!" He pointed his blaster at a rocky cliff, from which a strange alien creature began appearing via climbing. It looked goofy, with googly eyes at the end of short stalks, a round green hairy body, and a big mouth on the abdomen from which a big tongue hung out. They hopped around like monkeys as more appeared, about a dozen in number. They sniffed the air, and made slurping noises as they saw the girls. "Mm, munchy munchies!" The biggest munchinoid grumbled, and began traipsing closer.

"Munchinoids!" Dan yelled, and aimed with his blaster. "Should we try to reason with them? They don't look too hungry compared to the ones I've seen before."

Mika drew her water pistol and aimed it at them. “If they want to eat us, they can’t be reasoned with. She cocked her gun. “If we kill them, they’re going to bleed over all of this good food. So we only have one real choice. She grabbed Dan. “We run!” Mika took off towards the top of the volcano. The tortilla chips made a satisfying crunch under her boots with every step. But her destination was in sight. She turned around to see if the munchoids or Hilaria were following her, but it didn’t matter. Mika had made up her mind. She fell into the volcano.

The walls of the volcano weren’t smooth, but they were coated in nacho cheese. Mika was able to slow her descent by riding the walls. It felt a bit like riding down a really steep slide, only way cheesier.

“Visor up!”

Before landing in the liquid cheese below, Mika put up her visor and plunged into it. When she surfaced, she was coated head to toe in nacho cheese.

Hilaria wasn't entertained with these aliens, not in the least. There was so much food here, why did they need to eat her, Dan, and Mika? That was absurd. The people who said they wanted to eat Hilaria were always delinquent boys and occasionally girls, so that must mean these things were no better. "Hilaria is not munchies~!" she stated sharply as she finished her last nacho and followed shortly behind Mika, resisting the strong urge to continue picking up more as she went.

As she reached the peak of the volcano and glanced down into it, she couldn't help but smile. Her pupils turned into hearts and she dove right in, with no hesitation, snagging one last chip as she did so. And much like Mika, her visor was closed as she fell into the hot nacho cheese, but immediately after she surfaced, she opened it to eat the chip that was now covered in deliciousness. "Mmm~!" yet again she squealed, then closing her visor. "Mm, so are we swimming now~?" she nonchalantly floated on her back, unconcerned about the aliens, apparently.

“I didn’t think this far ahead.” Mika, Dan, and Hilaria were all coated in cheese. Due to the tight nature of their swimsuits, it was hard to tell if they were wearing anything at all. Save for the giant globes around their head. Mika folded her visor back so that she could get a look around. “We probably should swim in cheese, being on an adventurer is all about doing things you’ve never done before!” Mika did the backstroke until she reached one of the walls. “Doing the same stuff over and over again gets boring.” She examined her water pistol. “Do you ever get bored of saving people?”

Dan and Mika would notice that Hilaria was nowhere to be found. But soon an area of the cheese began bubbling more than the rest. The bubbling became more intense until a small eruption revealed the other girl. She rocketed out of the cheese almost like a torpedo, and then fell back into it. Surfacing after that, she looked to Mika. "Yes~" she replied to the cat girl, apparently hearing her question somehow. "A long time ago~ Hilaria finds a lot of things boring, too~" she said, then dove back under for a second.

“Really?” Mika raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know why you’d do it then.” She shrugged. “How about you Dan? Are you enjoying yourself?”

“I am now, haha!” Dan swam around in the nacho cheese as if it was water, spurting out a small fountain of liquid cheese from his blowhole. The munchinoids watched from the shore, not daring to touch the nacho cheese. “Sticky stickies!” They grumbled, and soon bounced away, looking for something else to munch on. After the coast was clear, Dan hopped out of the volcano, now covered in the cheese. He found it hard to move around, sluggishly floating until he dropped back down. “Uhh, girls? I think I need some help here.”

Surfacing after the munchoids left, Hilaria watched Dan helplessly try to float. Pulling herself out of the cheese and moving to the dolphin, she opened her visor and picked the patron up. With a curious gaze, she licked some of the cheese off of him. "Mmm, too salty~" she then carried him like a bride, looking back at Mika. "Hilaria wants to try other things, too~"

It took Mika a bit more effort to climb out of the Volcano. She wasn’t transformed, and her spacesuit wouldn’t have accommodated any of her animal transformations anyway. With one last heave, she pulled herself out. “Like what?” Though as is likely to happen, Mika lost her train of thought when she noticed something was off with Dan. She sprinted in front of Hilaria to get a closer look. “Is Dan frozen? The cheese must be cooling down!” Mika leaned in and trapped Dan between herself and the abominable magical girl. “If we raise his body heat, maybe we can free him.”

Dan squeaked in a higher pitch as usual when Hilaria cleaned his sticky situation “Hey now, I didn’t mean-” Then he squeaked again as he was caught between the two girls. “Oh no, this is bad!” He shook, and turned from blue to red. Just as Mika predicted, the cheese melted off of him. “Oh no, I’m gonna-” And just like before, he was launched out of the girls’ hold, hitting the spaceship with a comical clang sound, and leaving an imprint the shape of a small dolphin with hearts in his eyes. Dan then slowly slid down; he was knocked out cold.

Mika approached the dolphin’s prone form and lifted a finger to her lips. “Uh...” She scooped him up, hoisting him over her shoulder like a fireman. “I think Dan’s had enough adventure for one day. ” She turned to look at Hilaria. “We should probably go back to the beach planet.” Her eyes rolled down towards the volcano. “After we eat a few more chips.”

Hilaria cast a glance out in the distance, looking at all the food that could be had. Solemnly, she turned back to Mika and Dan, but nodded her head. "Yeah, Dan seems tired~" she agreed. "But a few more won't hurt~"

---

Su gazed out the window. The gray sky denied the sun it’s return once again, Its army of snowflakes descended on Penrose, and Su was powerless to do more than watch the siege unfold. It was hard to believe this would be Su’s first winter in Penrose. It felt like an eternity ago when she arrived here with Amber. She didn’t know anyone, she didn’t have a hotel, and she only had one friend. Her short time here had some pretty big ups and downs, but she was stronger for it.

If only she had more to show for it than personal strength.

There weren’t a lot of things to do in Penrose anymore. Before the beach vacation Su would enjoy walks through the city. It was large enough that she could always find something to discover. Odd shops that sold strange gadgets, Parks with interesting vistas, to graffiti that even Su could enjoy. But with so many people gone and Beacon patrolling the streets, it was hard to find a reason to go outside.  

“Why are we even here?”

Boteg had yet to come to a decision regarding his stay in Penrose. He came here to have Amber beat the terrible one’s champion. But their champion had been defected, so Su was unsure why he chose to remain. But the dragon would make his plans known when he was ready. For now, Su had to wait. But she did not have to wait alone. 

The hotel manager stepped away from the window and descended to the lower floors. Helga should have been staffed at the entrance, even if it was unlikely they would be receiving guests today. 

Su ran her hand through her hair before approaching Helga. She gave herself a quick examination in the reflection of a window before stepping forward. “There you are.” She smiled. “We haven’t done anything fun recently. Would you like to watch a movie with me? We’ll have the entire theater to ourselves.” She folded her hands behind her back and swung side to side.

Helga was going about her daily routine when Su came over; her dreary mood brightened up almost instantaneously, and she turned to take Su’s hand in her own. “Sure. PenKino is still running, right? I think it’s the only one in the entire city. Just a sec, gonna change out of my work uniform.” A moment later, Helga returned wearing a poofy pink winter jacket and blue jeans. She also wore a pink woolly cap. “What do you think?”

“Oh! Um. PenKino?” In her brooding, Su had forgotten about PenKino Cinema. She was actually thinking about her own theater within the Golden trove. Of course there was no comparison between the two. Golden trove’s theater was at best an auditorium with an outdated projector. The movies they had on hand were at least twenty years old, and if not, were direct to TV releases. There was simply no comparison to a real theater, which played new movies in resolutions her projector just wasn’t capable of. That said nothing of her speaker set up, which was simple stereo sound. She also had to look into why the rightmost speaker emitted so much white noise. Su was reminded every time she chose to do something at the hotel, another struggling business didn’t get her support.

“You look good Helga, and, wow, you got dressed fast.” Su chuckled. “Just, just give me a moment.”

---

Su’s choice of ware contrasted heavily with Helga’s. Though it wasn’t because of an attempt to stick to a Chinese motif. That might have been her magical girl uniform and even her work uniform, but for outings like this she preferred to dress more casually. Like Helga, she wore jeans, but that was where the similarities stopped. Su’s overcoat was a maroon color with giant black buttons, and had a hood lined with fur. Though she opted to leave the hood down and wear earmuffs. The hood was strictly for emergencies. Since the snow had let up a bit, it wasn’t necessary.

They hadn’t arrived at their destination yet, which suited Su just fine. There were a few things she wanted to talk about before they saw the movie.

“Mika’s been distant recently.” There was no question what caused this behavior. It started when Lupa left Penrose early in the week. Since then she had been retreating to the beach dimension rather frequently. “I’m not sure what to do. I want to shower her with affection until she’s happy, but I don’t want to coddle her too much.” Su shoved her hands into her pockets. “I’m also worried about her joining us in fights. She’s not experienced enough to make her own choices. I’m sure you remember the time we found her during that skeleton army raid, or more recently when she agitated a forest troll. She’s becoming more combative too.” With a huff, Su looked to Helga. “It might just be her way of dealing with grief.” She looked ahead. “But I’d really like to see her mature a bit.”

Helga was quiet as she listened to Su’s worries, nodding to acknowledge the conversation.

“Yeah, I’m sorry for her. Lupa was one of her only real friends here. Even when she had amnesia, Mika was still by her side.” They stopped at a street corner, where Helga handed out some money to a street musician. “The only way she can overcome her grief is by getting out there and making new friends. Remember those girls I mentioned? Mika seemed to like them.” The two now reached the PenKino courtyard. “We should give her more chances to meet with people. I’m sure she’ll hit it off with them.”

Helga’s suggestion made sense. That was essentially how Su dealt with Amber’s passing. But letting other people interact with Mika ran the chance that it could make her increasingly distant. Could that be avoided if she spent time with her friends too? This mom thing was hard to figure out.

The two then reached the lobby. “Have you decided on the flick?”

“You know I haven’t had time to look at any movie reviews? I have no idea what any of these are.” She looked between her watch and the showing times. “Looks like there’s only one time slot playing soon.” Su turned to the movie posters. The poster has two school girls who were clearly young adult actors. They were gazing deeply into each other’s eyes while a myriad of things were happening around them. One corner of the poster featured an explosion, while another a sinister looking group of dudes, and… a spaceship? Was that a little green alien? All punctuated with the tag line “They don’t know what to expect… And neither do you.” Su didn’t even bother to look at the name of the movie. 

“I get the impression this will be the best movie in history, or a future cult classic that is ahead of its time and will go woefully misunderstood by moviegoers of today.” She took Helga’s hand and stepped inside.

“Fine with me. As long as it’s entertaining, I don’t care if it’s good or bad.”

---

“Soon” might have been a bit of an overstatement, as it was going to take some time to get through all the previews and adds before the movie started. Helga was nodding off, trying to not fall asleep. She had removed her jacket, revealing a simple white blouse underneath.

“You don’t talk about your past much, Helga.” Su was in the process of removing her coat before sitting down. This revealed her red tank with spaghetti straps. “I mean prior to being a magical girl. I know Justine rescued you after Beacon left you for dead, but what about before that?”

Helga snapped awake at the question, and averted her eyes. “Oh, that. I guess I could talk about it. Don’t expect an epic story or anything though.” She sighed, before continuing.

“Before I was a magical girl...I was a rich kid. Like, super rich. My father owned a massive financial conglomerate, and my mother was a movie star. Phah...” She leaned her head back on the theater seat. “Sounds like BS, right? Well, as it happens. So did I, back then. All my life, I was told I’d need to grow up and inherit the family business, to not fool around. I wanted out of that life.” She paused to grab some popcorn, stuffing it in her mouth.

“So, the first chance I got to blow the popsicle stand, I was already there hitting the detonator.”

As far fetched as Helga’s story sounded, it did make sense. Su felt that Helga embodied many of a maid’s attributes. Her attention to detail, how she dutifully completed her tasks, it wasn’t hard to believe this was instilled in her by her parents. “Wait.” Detonator. Su remembered that Helga almost blew up a hospital. She did that during her time with Justine. “N-not a literal detonator right? Because that would be movie worthy.”

Helga facepalmed. "It's a figure of speech!" She suddenly moved closer to Su, touching her shoulder. She smiled sweetly. "You can be really silly sometimes, Su. That's what I love about you." She gave her a kiss on the cheek. "If it turns out to be a scary movie, promise to hold my hand?" She asked in a joking tone. However, her eyes told a different story.

“Heh.” There wasn’t much to say. The screen got dark, and Helga and Su looked on in anticipation. The intro credits played, and the two girls on the poster appeared on screen. That was when it all started to feel familiar to Su. 

“Have I seen this movie before?”

“Is it going to be scary? B-because I don’t think I can take that right now!”

“Relax, Su. It’s a thriller, not a horror flick. You can just hold my hand if it bothers you.”

“Hold your hand? I feel more secure in your lap.”

“Could you please transform into a human? The movie isn’t that long.”

“I could get spotted!”

“I’m talking to a bird I snuck into the theater. Is this somehow less suspicious?”

A half hour into the movie, and Su felt like she had it all figured out.

The plot was simply a fantastic journey. The two main heroines were visited by budget yoda who takes them across the galaxy to collect “galaxy seeds” before an evil emperor can get them. The writing fell below Su’s modest expectations, and the heroines were the only decent actors in the movie thus far. But the special effects were good. The girls weren’t hard on the eyes, and the fight scenes were gripping and interesting. Presently the heroines were gearing up for the next planet. This involved the actors undressing while talking about things that didn’t hold Su’s interest.

“So the party, we got invited right?” Su looked away from the screen. “Did you want to prepare anything for that? It’s technically a business trip.”

Helga was more interested in the "preparation" scene than Su, but she did turn to answer her.

"Yeah, we did. I prepared some PR material including an info booklet and a PP presentation on a USB stick. Also gonna bring my laptop, just in case. Aren't you excited?" She lightly nudged Su. "We get to meet the biggest celebrities of Penrose. But I wonder what the dress code is...Probably something for a rave. Do you think torn fashion would fit me? Or maybe punk?"

“Well, I think you make everything look good.” Su chuckled. “But if you want to look your best, I’ve got an idea for that.” 

---

After the movie, Su and Helga headed off to a clothing store. There weren’t many still open in Penrose, but there was a thrift store not far from the theater. When it came to torn fashion and punk, those were the types of places you went shopping. Or at least that was what Su believed. She liked those kinds of places not because the prices were low, but because they had a lot more styles to choose from. 

“You’re likely not going to find anything super torn here, but you can always tear it yourself once we leave the store.” Su started looking through some shirts on a long rack. “I’m not sure what I want to wear yet. I’d like to represent the Hotel, so I’m thinking of something a bit cleaner. I’ll look cool though, given who we’re trying to impress.”

"Hmm…" Helga took a bright purple shirt with a yellow and real blotch in the middle and compared it to herself against a mirror. "Eh. It's not my style. Oh, maybe this?" She took a puke green hoodie with the hood shaped like a shark's maw, the sides lined with gills resembling bloody gashes. "I like this one! And not a bad price either! You found anything, Su?"

When helga turned around, Su was wearing a 10 gallon hat with a poncho draped over her shoulders. “Settle down partner. I just got here.” Su drew a squirt gun and pointed it at Helga. “Stick ‘em up, we’re gunna take you in for questioning.” She stood behind Helga and walked her towards the change rooms.

Helga had the biggest smile on her face as she lifted her arms up. "Oh no officer, I didn't mean to steal anything!" She spoke in fake-sounding higher pitched voice. "Please, I'll tell everything, just don't punish me, tee hee~"

Su inhaled sharply. She wasn’t quite sure why Helga insisted on acting like this in public spaces. At least this wasn’t the beach where they were clad in swimsuits. Just remembering Helga talking about that made her blush. But they were alone right now, so there was no harm playing around.

“We’ll take you in for questioning. Just don’t make me bust out the fuzzy cuffs, because I left those at home.” Su had Helga half way in the dressing room when she noticed a store clerk was staring right at them.

”I’m sorry, Only one person can enter a dressing room at a time.”

Without uttering a word, Su eased Helga into the change room and closed the privacy screen. “We weren’t actually going to do anything. I just got carried away because, I mean, look at this hat.”

”It’s okay ma’am. If you want to fool around, use the bathroom.”

Su blinked. “Excuse me?”

”You just can’t take any merchandise in there.” The clerk grinned. ”But if you’re really into roleplay, just purchase the items. There’s no rule against taking your own effects into the restroom.” 

“O-oh, thanks?” Su took a step backwards before sidestepping into a change room. The first thing she did was hang up her Poncho. “Alright, let’s see now…”

---

Su got back in her old clothes and stepped out of the change room. “How did you do Helga?”

Helga swept the curtain aside dramatically, revealing her new clothes. “Yass queen! Helga is now ready to rock out and make the family business bloom!”

Su examined her outfit thoroughly. It was a Japanese school uniform with really dark colors. There were some other alterations, like fingerless gloves and netted stockings that gave her a more punk look. This type of fashion wasn’t Su’s thing, but she felt it would be appreciated at the party. Mostly, it was just nice to see Helga having fun. It was easy to get swept up in the gloom of present day Penrose, but it was times like this that Su remembered why she was here. “Looks good. I’m torn between two different looks. Wait right here.”

Su briefly departed for the change room. She emerged a moment later with a simple camisole and jeans. “I could probably tear the jeans a bit, but. I dunno, I don’t think it shows enough effort. Also....”

Su departed for the change room again. This time when she returned , she looked like a Demon lord. “Is it too much? I just reached into the seasonal bin and got some halloween effects.” She sighed. “Am I overthinking it?”

Helga's brows furrowed, thinking hard about Su's choices. "Hmm...It might be a good call to put on a menacing vibe, but there is a risk of scaring off customers." She nodded to herself. "The camisole would be better. We need to use the assets we have, and eye candy is the best weapon in advertising!"

“I feel like you might have ulterior motives.” Su squinted her eyes, causing Helga to avert her eyes with playful whistling. “But you’re right. Most magical girls tend to enjoy skin, don’t they? And there’s no point pretending to be something I’m not.” She removed her horns. “In a pinch, I could always wear that black kimono I was saving for the chinese new year.” Su walked back into the change room one last time to get back into her normal clothes.

“This was a fun outing Helga. If Beacon wasn’t all over the place, I’d do it more often.” She chuckled. “I’m really looking forward to the party now. Hopefully Mika will be willing to come with us.”

Helga paid for the clothes, and the two left the store. “Yeah, it was great, Su. And that place will be great for Mika to find new friends.” She stopped, giggling to herself for a moment.
“I just realized...Mika is like a daughter to me, with how much I’m caring for her. And with us, like a family…” She had a shocked face.

“...Who’s the father?”

Su’s head poked up. The situation Helga noticed hadn’t been missed by her. They were clearly the adults of a family, and Mika was their daughter. Naturally one of them had to play the role of father while the other of mother. One worked and the other supported them. One made the family money while the other saved it. It would have been easy for Su to state how progressive things had gotten, and gender roles in a family likely didn’t mean anything anymore. But that felt cheap. Even if you have a group of women together, one will undeniably be the “alpha” that the others look up to. Just because they were both women did not mean that one was not the father. “I have some fatherly responsibilities. I make most of the decisions in terms of what direction we take the Golden Trove in. I also feel like I give Mika more tough love than you do. But I cook dinner for us most of the time, and you make us more money since you work longer hours than I do. You were even the one to purchase my clothes, which is something the father would do.” She held her chin. “I might be more fatherly. But we’re a couple, and that’s probably all that matters.” She looked at Helga with a smile. “Though Mika has started calling me mom. So if she calls you daddy, that’ll answer that.”

Helga laughed out loud, and kissed Su on the cheek. “I’d rather die than be called that. Let’s just both be the moms of the family. No need to over-analyze it.”

Su gave helga a light squeeze. “Sounds good to me.”

@BrokenPromise
Rina & Mika - a date?!

---

The Golden Trove’s lobby was not a very busy place these days. The only exception was during breakfast time. A complimentary breakfast was one of those traditions that Su was too stubborn to let go of. Even if Penrose’s current state made getting ingredients difficult, she was happy to keep the tradition alive.

Anyone who entered the lobby early enough would be able to catch a whiff of breakfast. The coffee maker was brewing, the tap had just been filled with orange juice. Scrambled eggs, ham, and cheese slices decorated the plates of traditional breakfast eaters. There were also bagels available, but you had to be patient if you wanted to use the toaster. There were also pancakes and a Belgian waffle press that had girls lined up in front of it. There were no shortage of condiments, from butter to ketchup to every jam you could think of.

Su replaced an empty plate with one filled with tiny blueberry muffins. “She didn’t come down again?” The hotel manager surveyed her surroundings.

“Man that bed was nice.” Rina headed down the stairs, hand over her mouth stifling a yawn as she made her way down the lobby. She had elected to stay at the Golden Trove with Mika for the foreseeable future. As long as the Ascendancy was running beacon, she didn't wasn't going to be helping them in the slightest. Not like she minded anyways.

Walking into the breakfast room, Rina grabbed a few pancakes and stacked them on her plate along with some eggs.

“Mornin' Su.”

“Good morning Rita!” Su said a bit happier than was warranted. Afterwards, her eyelids flew open. “Rina! Sorry, I was just thinking of something.” Su finished arranging the foodstuffs when she froze. “Rina?” She turned to face the former police officer. “I’m sorry, are you the same Rina who took Mika on a tour around Penrose?”

“Still wakin' up, huh?” She replied, reaching for a cup of coffee. “Yeah, that's me. Thanks for lettin' me stay here by the way.”

“We’re always happy to have guests. They keep the doors open.” Su took an empty plate and started to fill it with food. “As for my level of alertness, that has less to do with me waking up and more to do with Mika.” Su poured some syrup over the waffle topped pancakes. “Did you know Lupa? She left Penrose and Mika hasn’t quite been herself. She spends a lot of time in her room, and only leaves when she doesn’t think Helga or I are around to notice.” Su loaded up a serving cart before presenting it to Rina. “I hate to impose on you, but I think she needs a friend right now. Would you mind taking this up to her room?”

“Eeeh? Who'd abandon a cute cat like-ahem.” Rina frowned at the idea. Mika...hadn't been herself? That was a difficult idea to grasp. Since when was the energetic cat girl not anything other than a ball of confusing cat shaped energy? Must have been pretty close friends if she was that beat up over it. Rina really would have preferred just a nice relaxing cup of coffee and breakfast, but she couldn't let Mika just mope around.

“Aaaah, alright I'll do it.” She said after a bit of consideration and taking the plate of food. “Where's her room at again?” She would ask as she made a move to leave.

“Thank you. Right this way..” Su bowed before leading Rina to her destination.

---

If the staff sleeping quarters could be described in one word, it would be “unfinished.” It was clear that Su was still in the process of renovating the old hotel staff rooms into something that matched the rest of the hotel. They were still using the old furniture, and the new wallpaper only covered half of the walls. In Penrose’s current state it would be difficult to finish renovating the place.

“Pardon the mess.” Su pointed at a doorway. It had yet to receive new wallpaper, but the room’s inhabitant had used markers to draw animals all over the walls. They were all stick figures, and not even good ones. “That’s her room..” Su sighed. “I’ll be hanging back here if you need anything. Thanks again for doing this.”

“Eh, don't mention it. Dunno what help I'll be but I'll try.” Rina shrugged. Seemed like Mika was trying to be a bit of an artist. It'd have been slightly cute if the cat in question wasn't apparently upset. Rina walked over to the doorway that Su had directed her too, stopping briefly before entering.

“Hey, Mika.” Rina began cautiously. She should probably be somewhat tactful about this. “Uh, thought we could get breakfast together since y'know, you let me stay here or whatever. Got some pancakes.”

There was no answer, but there was a response. Rina was able to hear a pair of feet shuffling on the other side of the door. With a click, it started to swing open. There was a creaking sound that persisted until the door swung all the way open, and then Rina saw it.

The room wasn’t laid out much differently than Rina’s own, but what Mika chose to keep in her room and how she organized it were far different. That is to say her room was a mess, and that was putting it lightly. Her bed wasn’t made, papers were thrown about her desk, and her garbage can was overflowing and tipped over. But stranger still was the amount of stuff Mika had crammed into such a tiny room. There were a few punching bags, some ruined and leaking. One entire corner of the room had been dedicated to holding plastic swords, and there were all manner of things from Nerf guns to pool noodles to a freakin’ trampoline. It would be impossible to list every item in the room. It likely couldn’t be cleaned up because there was no place to put half of this stuff.

In the center of Mika’s room was a shimmering portal. One that lead to a giant mound of pillows. A world of Pillows, where the mountains, sea, and clouds were all pillows. And Mika was rummaging around inside. When Rina looked back to see if Su was still there, she appeared to have gone.

Rina's first thought: 'Hol up'

“....I have so many questions, and I'm not going to ask.” Rina stepped into the room, carefully placing the plate with her food on it on a nearby, hopefully relatively clean surface. Jeez, she was going to have to clean this room at some point! How the hell was she living like this?

“Hey Mika!” She approached the portal, deciding whether or not she should try jumping in or not.

“Hello!”Before long, Mika came running out of the portal. She was holding a body pillow over her shoulder, which she promptly threw on her bed. If her bed wasn’t covered in marbles and jewelry that is. Instead, it landed on top of the heap and rolled down the side.

“I need to organize this stuff better.” She looked at the mess on the bed, but her eyes moved over to her breakfast. “Did she send you up with this?” Mika walked over to it and inspected the plate. “Blueberry muffins? Of course she was too lazy to add the crumbly.” She sat down on the marbles bed and began shoveling food into her mouth. After eating in relative silence for the better part of a minute, Mika looked up at Rina. “Is something wrong?”

Well, this was going about as she expected so far.

For the first minute, Rina grabbed her own plate and ate in silence alongside Mika. Things seemed fairly normal, but...if Su had said that then she couldn't help but to feel like there was some truth to it. What should she do though, was the question. She wasn't some sorta shrink.

“Well this room for one.” Rina said with a frown and a sigh. “If I wasn't busy with other things, I'd make you thoroughly clean it.” She did her best to take a seat next to Mika on the bed. How on earth did Mika do whatever this was?

Mika smiled. ”It’ll look a lot better once I’m done. I didn’t exactly live like a rich kid before I started arranging stuff.”

“Su said Lupa left.” Rina said once she settled down.

Mika froze, the smile on her face vanished in an instant. The food in her hands fell back onto the plate, which she set off to the side. ”I’m over it.” Mika placed her hands on her knees. ”It wouldn’t have been so bad if she just left.” She was staring at a spot on the floor. ”But instead she left a clone behind to tell me I didn’t love her. I pushed her around in a wheelchair for weeks, but I guess that doesn’t count for anything. She’s just upset with what Beacon did to the place.”

“She did what...?” Talk about heartless. She didn't know who this Lupa person was really, but if she ever saw her in person, she was going to get smacked.

Mika grit her teeth. ”I’m over it though, I’m over it.” She pushed herself off the bed and walked towards the portal. When she looked back at Rina, she was smiling. ”Wanna take a walk with me?”

“Jeez, hey, hey, come here a second.” Before replying, Rina hopped up from where she was sitting and moved next to Mika. “You are not over anything, don't act tough.” She reached out, patting Mika’s head and giving her ears a few rubs.

”Hmmm.” Mika folded her arms.

“Alright?” Rina eyed the portal suspiciously. “But yeah, a walk sounds fun. What is that portal anyways?”

”You know the beach dimension?” Mika took Rina’s hand and stepped inside. ”Well, let’s just say it’s a lot bigger than I originally thought. There are all kinds of other planets, like a food planet, a toy planet, and this one is a pillow planet.” Rina could feel her feet sink into the ground as they walked along. It felt like walking on top of a memory foam mattress. ”The world’s aren’t all safe, and it seems like most of the stuff is pretty normal. So no going to a ‘magical weapon’ planet. But if you want a pillow buddy, this is a great place to go.” Mika ran over to a mountain of body pillows and pulled one of them out. ”Is Noel your waifu?” she wiggled the pillow side to side.

“She's not.” Rina said with a light chuckle. Well, that place was bigger than she had thought. At least she wasn't being forced into a swimsuit this time. “Is this what you've been doing? Exploring this place like some sorta space cat explorer?” She walked over to the pillow pile and pulled out a pillow of her own.

”More or less. It’s a lot nicer here than Penrose.” The feline magical girl raised Noel over her head. ”Until Noel hears she’s not your waifu!” She swung Noel at Rina as hard as she could.

“Weh?!” Rina could only shout as she took a Noel body pillow to the face. She stumbled back a few steps as she recovered, still having her own body pillow in hand. Well fine! If she wanted to play that game!

“Alright, I see how it is.” Rina grinned, readying her own pillow for a fight. Well, might as well have a bit of fun with this. “So you have chosen a fluffy pillow death!” Running forwards, she swung her own at Mika.

Mika blinked. ”Kakegurui!?” But that was as far as she got before the gambling obsessed school girl was slammed against Mika’s noggin. ”She’s so far below Noel, it’s not even funny!”

The two continued to play fight, though it was probably more accurate to say they were taking turns smacking each other with pillows. It wasn’t long before the pillows broke and started dumping feathers in the air. Visibility lowered, but the swinging didn’t stop until they were holding nothing but the pillow case covers.

Mika turned around and ran directly into a pillow mound. She kicked her legs until she eventually squirmed inside.

Rina tossed her useless pillowcase on the ground. She honestly had no idea who any of these people were, but that was besides the point. She ran over to the mound, watching Mika try and wiggle her way inside until she had been completely assimilated by the pillow mound. Rina picked up another pillow from the pile at random, fluffing it with hostile intent.

“Mika! Don't run from your fluffy defeat!” Not deigning to give the other girl a chance to escape though, Rina kept up the chase and decided to dive in after her.

The deeper Rina went inside the pillow mound, the darker it got. It was possible to see Mika’s legs at first, but eventually things got so dark that it became impossible to see anything. It also got harder to dig as Rina went deeper into the mound. The weapon smith hadn’t noticed it at first, but it was much warmer inside the pillow mound than it was out in the cool air. But in reaching around, Rina would eventually find what she was looking for.

”My tail!”

“Ahaha, found you!” Rina grabbed Mika's tail with one hand. Making sure the other girl couldn't escape so easily, Rina would eventually attempt to find a leg with her other hand as she attempted to wiggle up next to Mika.

”Mmmmmm!” As soon as Rina got a hold of Mika’s leg, she did a barrel roll. It only lasted a few seconds until the two emerged from the side of the pillow pile, at which point Mika rolled to a stop. Dizzy, confused, and probably a sense of regret. She tried to prop herself up. ”You… Got me…” Mika fell onto her back and closed her eyes for dramatic effect.

Rina was shoved from the pillow fort alongside Mika. She hit the ground, landing next to the cat girl. Sitting up, she did a silly victory pose and grinned. “Ahaha, and the victor of the great pillow war goes to me!” Wow, this entire thing was silly. Rina felt some color come to her cheeks, glad that no one else had seen that.

“Ahem...eeeh, that was oddly tiring.” Rina took a seat next to Mika and gave her head another rub. “Having fun, Mika?”

”Oh yea.” Mika sat up. ”I always have fun when I’m here, but it gets a little lonely with just Dan sometimes.” Mika examined Rina’s profile. ”Also, there was something I wanted to give you.” Mika wrapped her arms around Rina’s shoulders and planted her lips over hers. She was half giving the white haired girl a bear hug, with her other hand pressing Rina’s head into hers. Mika was leaning into Rina so much that she started to lean backwards. Their upper bodies were practically locked together. The feline magical girl showed no signs of letting go. Rina could also feel Mika’s tongue trying to make its way inside her mouth.

“B-bweh? Mika?!” Rina had not been expecting that. She'd have protested more but her protests were silenced by Mika locking lips with her. Not that she minded in the end. Did Su know Mika was going to be doing this? After a few bad initial attempts at escaping, slowly, Rina allowed her initial surprise to fade and accepted the kiss with little hesitance. This wasn’t exactly bad, right?

The kiss had an unusual duration, but it did eventually end. When Mika pulled away, she placed a finger on Rina’;s collar bone. ”I’m going to go to the dark magical party, but I could use a date.” She traced her finger along the top of Rina’s ribcage, from shoulder to shoulder. ”Would you like to come with me?”

“...Ahh, well, I wasn't planning on it.” Rina said with a sigh. That was...not something she expected to hear. She hadn't had any plans to go herself, but...well, she supposed someone needed to keep an eye on things, and if it made Mika happy she found it hard to say no. “But someone needs to make sure you behave yourself I guess.”

Mika straightened out her outfit and stood up. ”Thanks. Su won’t shut up about getting me to go, so it’ll be nice to have you around.” She helped Rina to her feet. After a quick glance around, her ears went back. ”Was my room really that bad? I could offload everything into a cottage at the beach if you think I need to.”

“How about instead I help you clean it.” Rina said with a soft smile, ruffling Mika's hair. “But for now how about we finish breakfast, and I need to do some rounds in the city anyways.” She gave Mika another hug. “So let's get outta here, alright?” She narrowed her eyes for a second. “And if you tell anyone I ran around waving a pillow of Kakegurui at anyone, I will deny it.”

”It’ll be our secret.”Mika said with a grin.

---

After Rina finished breakfast, she parted ways with Mika at her room. She didn’t get halfway down the hall when Su appeared before her. “How did it go?”

“Well I have a date.” Rina replied with a shrug, but it caused Su to smile. “And I guess that means we're dating now? Jeez, I haven't dated anyone since my academy days...now I feel old.” Rina sipped on the last of her drink before continuing. “I think she'll be fine though. Not really looking forward to that party. I'd have avoided it normally, but...well, I'll keep an eye on her.”

“That’s excellent!” Su clapped her hands together. “Though if I’m going to be honest, I understand where you’re coming from. Beacon could attack the party, or just things could devolve because that’s what happens when corrupted magic is what keeps you up.” Her smile widened. “But I’ll be there, and so will Helga. Even Mika will be there. I even think a few of the other guests are coming with us. So you won’t be alone.” She sighed, but kept her smile up. “If we all stay inside and let Beacon tell everyone what to do, we’ve already resigned ourselves to being slaves.”

“Yeah,” Rina nodded. She wasn't quite sure she shared all of Su's sentiments. She wasn't a dark magical girl herself, nor did she entirely disagree with how most of beacon was normally run. But the Ascendancy? There should always be some form of due process, but they take things way too far. “Well, if you need anything you have my number. I'm gonna take a quick patrol around the city.”

“Thanks again, Rina. I’ll call you if something comes up, but I should have things under control here.” With a bow, Su excused herself.

---

---

There was an entire week of time to kill. An entire week until Vi’s party kicked off. Those who were attending the party Needed to wait 7 days.That was 168 hours, made up of 10,080 minutes, which would break down into 604,800 seconds that needed to be occupied before the party could start. Someone had to be awfully bored with the wait.

“Hmmm...” Veronica stood in front of the place where the party was supposed to start. An old warehouse, just like her sources specified. In that sense, it fit right in with all the ruined buildings and destruction. “Either there’s an illusion protecting it, or the people of Penrose have forgotten how to party.”

Seemed like everything was going well, then. She had gotten a call from Vi about the PI wanting to meet, and Chloe was hesitant to involve them. Security wasn't exactly something she cared for at the event in the first place. If Beacon came, then Beacon would come. Still, inspecting the place and making sure it was in working order was something she had said she'd do.

Oh...was that Veronica?

“Eeeeh? What's she doing here?...” Still, perhaps this was a good thing. After that whole deal with Penny, she was feeling particularly agitated and could use some entertainment. She had some things she wanted to discuss with her anyways, namely see how much she appreciated what Alicia had asked her to do.

Chloe quickly observed the area around Veronica, smirking lightly.

Well if she wanted to always sneak up on people...she summoned one of her spirits, sending it slithering along the ground before latching a hand onto Veronica's ankles and lifting her by her feet into the air. Chloe landed a few seconds later in front of her.

Veronica seemed perfectly content to hang upside down, swinging side to side like a pendulum. Or at the very least she was not quick to struggle against the assailing spirit. “I’m reminded why I’ve gone into hiding.” Veronica’s sword popped out of her sleeve and she swung it towards the ghost, causing it to dissipate into a cloud of dust. The red magical girl timed her strike so that she’d be at the end of her swing, and have enough time to get her feet under herself. “Too many disruptions.”

“What, didn't like it?” Chloe smiled, cozying up next to Veronica. “And here I thought you'd like being surprised for once, or would you have preferred this?” She quickly placed a kiss on Veronica's cheek, giggling in her usual impish manner and wearing her usual smirk as she positioned herself in front of the other girl. This elicited a groan from Chloe’s victim.

“Not that I can blame you for wanting more of me, heh. I seem to be in demand everywhere. The Mint, Beacon, Cindy...aaaah, I even had some goddess or something coming after me. They wanted Penny, but still...”

She seethed her sword and locked eyes with Chloe. “Maybe it’s fortunate that we can meet again. I don’t suppose you’re involved with this party somehow, are you?”

Chloe sighed in a tired manner. “Perhaps someone as tired as me organizing a party like this isn't entirely out of the question, fufu. Certainly would be a nice chance to relax instead of having to watch wherever I go. So what brings you here?”

Veronica traced a finger across her cheek, almost as if she was flicking something off. “The party feels poorly timed. I wanted to see if there was more to it.” She placed her hands on her hips. “Afraid it’s not as interesting as whatever you’re doing. If you’re telling the truth, you’re in bed with all the big players in Penrose. Rather irresponsible, unless absolute carnage is your end goal with all this.”

“Not my fault beacon considers me a menace.” Chloe said with a sigh. “I'd much rather not have to deal with them, but one girl in particular seems to have it out for me. I think she's jealous that I have Penny, heh.” She moved towards one of the warehouse's side doors. “Cindy's useful, but well, you should know how I feel about taking orders from anyone. Want me to show you around? Vi built this place herself. Most of the party venue is hidden behind a few illusions. I'm rather impressed, if it wasn't for the fact she's a complete and utter shut in. I actually have a few things I wanna talk about with you.”

Veronica nodded. “We are allies, you may speak to me.” Veronica paced herself so that she was walking beside Chloe. “So long as there aren’t anymore spirits lying in wait, or you plan on having me construct a throne out of martini glasses.” Even if that sounded like a joke, Veronica delivered it in the most deadpan way possible.

“Tsk, no fun. And here I thought you enjoyed yourself.” Chloe harrumphed. “But no, no, I'm here purely for business. Today, shame.” Chloe led Veronica into the warehouse. It seemed entirely normal, but anyone who had the right skills would easily be able to tell a very elaborate illusion had been placed over almost everything. Coupled with the high tech security cameras watching them, anyone with a little bit of foresight would easily think there was more to this place than meets the eye.

Soon, Chloe had brought Veronica to a hidden stairwell that led into the ground.

“After you~” Chloe let the other girl in first, and the sight would likely at least cause one to pause for a moment had they not known what they were getting into. The underground complex definitely fit the 'party club' aesthetic. Neon lights, though currently unlit lined the walls. A large stage was situated against the back wall, rows upon rows of screens attached to the wall, with numerous cables and speakers with it. The dance floor would at least be able to hold dozens of people comfortably. Several side hallways led off, likely to some other rooms or perhaps, other venues.

“Vi's put a lot of work into her personal little playpen, hasn't she? I've been to one or two before, but the aesthetic isn't always my style.” Chloe chuckled, leading Veronica over to a bar that seemed already stocked with a number of alcoholic beverages.

“It isn’t hidden under magic. Interesting.” Veronica’s eyes wandered over the joint. “I have to admit I wasn’t expecting this, given how the outside looks.”

Chloe propped herself up on a stool, “As for what I wanted to talk about...it involves Beacon.”

Veronica turned to Chloe and tipped her head. “I thought talking business killed the mood.” She shrugged her shoulders.

“What can I say? I'm in a somewhat sour mood after something happened to my little Penny, so fun and games will have to wait until later.” Chloe said with a dismissive sigh.

“You have my attention. What have you learned?”

“It's less what I've learned though, and more that I was asked to spy on you. So much for a cease fire, hm?” Chloe turned around on the chair so she was facing Veronica.

Veronica blinked, but otherwise remained motionless. Then the corners of her lips curled into a smile. “This is too much.” She lifted a hand to cover her mouth, but it was still evident she was grinning. “I can understand why the Mint would want you to spy on me. I’ve been under the assumption that they have at least asked you to. but Beacon too?” She lowered her hands and folded them behind her back. “We are a transparent organization. Short of ongoing operations the public should know where all of my agents are. And it’s me everyone is interested in.” She sighed, if only to stifle a laugh. “I suppose they are wise to fear me as much though. What did they want you to collect? I’m fine supplying you with information. Well, certain types of information. Having them trust one of my allies could be useful to me.”

“Nothing specific.” Chloe replied. “The one I met with didn't exactly specify, and I don’t think they’re looking for anything soon, but they probably want to know things you don't want others to. And you know, if you intend to betray them. Funny, since they’re doing that first, heh.” She giggled. “I wouldn't say they trust me, though. Shame, she was a cutie too, oh well.”

“I do not make a habit of betraying others. And in the case with Mint, I feel they betrayed me long before I did anything to them.” Veronica’s face became stern and serious again. “What do you plan on doing? I’m just a third party in all this. I assume they did something to ensure your cooperation?”

“Hm. It involves Penny. I had to make a...deal with one of her Beacon friends, to make sure things went smoothly with her.” Chloe replied, not commenting on the Mint. She held no love of the Mint or its agents herself, but she was still on their payroll. “And well, for now at least one of them won't be attacking me on sight. I could simply renege on the deal, but this is a good opportunity to maybe have a little fun with them.”

“I see.” The former coin broker held her chin for a moment. “Hmmm, quite the conundrum. At present I do not have an idea what to do with this information. You can do what you like, but it doesn’t sound like they’re giving you a very long leash. You might gain some insight into their plans if you help them, but they could just as easily turn on you.” She lowered her hand. “I’ll need some time to think about that one. But you’ll do what you want anyway.” Veronica was about to leave when she stopped, with one of her feet on the stair. “Chloe, why did you share this with me? There was far more value and less risk involved if you stayed quiet.”

“Hmm? That's a silly question. I don't like beacon. If this gives me a chance to undermine their efforts, even a little, then I'll take it.” Chloe smiled. “I could have stayed silent, but I like to think we have similar goals, at least for now. And you didn't strike me as the sort to try and turn away a potential useful tool – that being me.”

Chloe hopped up from her seat.

“And well, I am hopefully looking forward to continued cooperation in case well...” Chloe glanced off to the side. “...I need help with the Mint. It's fine for now, but the way things are going, I may need to cheat the house. Not that I want out though, I'd rather become the new dealer myself.”

Veronica considered Chloe’s words, and nodded before stepping down from the staircase. “Before I go, I have something to share with you too.” She took a few steps closer to Chloe. “I will not be in Penrose much longer. My agents will still be here, but I will be managing them from afar.”

“...that is quite unfortunate.” Chloe replied, a small frown forming on her lips, though it was quickly replaced with a smile. “Penrose getting too hot for you?” Though, perhaps having a major player like Veronica leave would be a good thing in the end. At least she could tell that to Alicia next time she saw her and then she wouldn't have to deal with her any more, unless it was the 'beat her within an inch of her life, heal her, and do it again' sort of meeting.

“Staying for the party at least?”

“Considering it. But with Beacon and Mint gunning for me, it probably wouldn’t be wise for me to show up. Better to stay away than to jeopardize the party, right? My agents will likely be there anyway.” She rested her hands on Chloe’s shoulders. “Of course, if you’d like to stay in touch with me, you are always welcome to join my cradle agents.” She leaned in closer. Chloe could feel Veronica’s breath on her face. “You wouldn’t be the ‘new dealer,’ but you’d enjoy a great deal of freedom. You’d be in touch with me, Silhouette, or any of my other agents.” Veronica’s eyes partially closed. “I’ve got to be more fun than a half dead dragon, right?”

“Now that's a tempting offer.” Chloe smiled. “but...that dragon won't be a problem much longer. I've found something far more delightful.” She elected not to elaborate on that, quickly moving on. “Besides, we both know I don't take orders well in the long run, hm? Or perhaps you'd find it fun if one of your agents constantly wanted to take your position?” Chloe leaned into Veronica. “That'd be amusing, at least~”

With a light giggle, Chloe pulled away.

“But unfortunately, I have far more ambitious goals than wasting time with your Cradle.”

“I would have been surprised if you accepted.” Veronica stood back up. “You just sounded like you’d miss me for a moment. How could I resist seeing how far you were willing to go?” She turned around to leave. “Perhaps I will come to the party. If you need to keep in touch, just notify an agent. Trixy spends enough time following Ai-chan on Glimmr, she shouldn’t be hard to get a hold of.” Veronica walked back towards the staircase to leave.

Well, at least that solved one of her problems. The dark magical girl watched Veronica leave, taking a seat on a stool once again. Hm...if things went bad, she could at least, perhaps get help from Sil or one of Veronica's other agents then. She lingered for a bit longer, waiting until she was certain Veronica would have left and getting herself a drink.

Time to pay Vi a visit she supposed.

Locating the shop had been a bit more difficult for her than Alicia would like to admit. She was sure that it wasn’t intentional, it was just the changes to the city which had thrown off her sense of direction. At least, that was what she would claim was at work, and nothing could tell her otherwise.

Soon though, she found what she was looking for. After hearing that the store had reopened here in Penrose, Alicia had assessed her own coin reserves and decided she should go shopping. With times more tense than ever, it couldn’t hurt to be better prepared. So she set off when she had the free time, intent on doing just that.

The bell above the door rang as she stepped inside. A quick look confirmed that it was the same shop, though there was a lot less beach paraphernalia this time around. For now she began browsing to see if what Brittany had in stock had changed in any other ways. “Hello again,” she added, if the bell had not alerted the shopkeeper to her arrival.

Brittany was dusting off the various wares of the shop when Alicia arrived, using a sparkling orange feather duster made of gleaming phoenix feathers.
‘Oh, welcome to Brittany’s Boutique!‘ She stopped her current work, and rushed over to behind the counter.
‘Feel free to browse as much as you like! Today we have special offers on magical weapons and ammunition. Better safe than sorry, after all!‘

Nodding, Alicia began to do just that as she paced the length of the various shelves and examined what there was to purchase. “So how does it feel, going straight from the beach to the dead of winter? I assume a shop owner has to adjust a bit differently from the rest of us.”

‘It’s terrible, kyahaha!‘ She made her trademark laugh.
‘While I did alright in the sales back at our impromptu island getaway, it was still a fraction of what I could have sold in Penrose during the summer season. Now that winter has rolled around, I’ve had to catch up quickly to the newest trends, with stock coming in late. To be honest, if it wasn’t for Cindy, I’d be in real trouble. Luckily she’s there to support the entrepreneurs.‘ She put her hands on the counter.
‘Anyway, is there any way I can help? Are you looking for a specific type of magical artifact? We have quite a selection.‘

The door to Brittany’s shop sounded again, and two more girls walked inside.

”Boom! We’re here!” Tetrad struck a pose. ”Quest complete, now where’s my reward?”

The feline magical girl rolled her eyes before rummaging around her purse. “Here.” She dropped the coins in Tetrad’s waiting hand before walking over to the weapon counter.

Tetrad counted the coins before slipping them into one of her pouches. ”Any reason you didn’t come here with mommy?”

“She wouldn’t let me buy what I wanted.”

”Haha! Cute kid.” Tetrad rustled Mika’s hair and walked over to the ammo counter and eyed the items for sale. ”Hmmm hmmm hmmm, oh! That one looks like a keeper.” Tetrad picked up the blessed fairy bolt and walked to the front counter with it. ”So what can you tell me about this guy? Does it really work exactly as advertised? Sounds too good to be true.”

Turning slightly, Alicia’s gaze narrowed as she found a familiar face. Yet she did her best to keep calm, keep her cool. There was no point in getting into an argument in the middle of a store. ”I don’t suppose you have any magic mirrors,” she asked, still browsing while keeping an ear on the conversation that Tetrad was having. You know, just in case.

Brittany greeted the new customers like she had with Alicia, nearly hopping in place as Tetrad brought the arrow over, suppressing the urge to slight vertical movement.
‘Ooh, you clearly have an eye for the extraordinary ma’m! This one is special, even among magical arrows.‘ She was about to explain when she heard Alicia’s question.
‘Yes we do! Aisle 7, Household artifacts. I’ll be there shortly.‘ She then resumed talking to Tetrad, lifting the arrow in her hands.
‘Allow me to explain. If this arrow is shot at a visible target, it will always hit them right between the eyes; it will home in and even avoid obstacles in order to land the hit. However, it can only be shot once, after which it disappears. They are also incredibly rare; I only got a couple in my stock, and it might take some time for me to acquire more.‘
She noted how Tetrad went on to look at the other magical arrows as well.
‘And here’s the rest of our magical munitions. I’ll go check up on the other customers now but if you have any questions, feel free to call me over.‘

Nodding, Alicia walked over to that aisle in question. Of course she left out the fact that the only reason she wanted the mirror was so she could break it. Brittany didn’t need to know that. Her browsing resumed, as she looked to see just what kinds of sizes there were to work with.

Alicia found a small selection of magical mirrors at a corner of the shop, set up for visitors to view themselves in any angle. One mirror warped the appearance in comical ways, similarly to a funhouse mirror, only in varying ways every time the viewer turned to look at it. Another was a hand mirror, and seemed to work by scrying magic, showing anything the user wished it to show. Yet another was a mirror that had a mask-like entity appear in it, having appeared for a moment to look at Alicia before it disappeared in green flames, leaving just her image.
‘As you can see, we have magical mirrors for any price range,‘ Brittany spoke as she came to check on Alicia.
‘From the most impressive and luxurious ones fit to queens of vanity, to simple ones that non-magical people have their own variations on. Are you looking for any special function in particular, ma’m?‘

Looking over the mirrors that were available, Alicia would admit that she was at least a bit amused by some of them. The Scrying mirror seemed useful, though its size wasn’t really conducive to what she intended to do. And the funhouse mirror was just amusing (which was the idea)

Glancing over to Brittany as she approached, Alicia shrugged. ”Not particularly,” she admitted after a moment. “I suppose I was mostly driven by curiosity. I’ve had it a bit on the mind recently.”

Tetrad rolled her eyes. ”Well I plan on buying something. So stop badgering the clerk with questions so that she can focus.” Tetrad gave Alicia a dismissive wave of her hand without looking in her direction. ”Alright, I also wanna take a closer look at a few other items.” Her finger shot out and pointed at a vile of ink. ”Yea that one and the other item next to it. The Gothic looking steampunk heart thing.”

Brittany nodded, and picked up the vial of ink.
‘This ink can be made into a magical tattoo called the Unseen Hand that you can wear when you’re untransformed. For the cheap price of 7 Silver coins, it will protect you from any ranged attacks while transforming you, ready to fight back against the devious assassin. ‘ She showed how the ink slowly formed a hand on the glass, before sinking back into a black puddle before placing it down.

She smiled as she noticed the other item Tetrad pointed out.
‘But if you want a way to stay alive for a higher price, I have the Twisted Steamgear. This is capable of turning back one minute of the user’s personal time, restoring them back to their previous condition. However, for the effect to occur, the Steamgear must first be installed with a chosen command word; after that, it replaces your heart, keeping the original in magical stasis inside it. Repeating the command uninstalls it, returning the heart back to where it was. When the user’s heart stops for three or more seconds while it is installed, the time-reversal spell will activate. However, while it does mimic a heart’s function for a time, it is not a perfect replica.‘ Brittany’s smile turned into a frown.
‘Extended or repeated use will put more and more pressure on your body, until it finally blows up, breaking the user’s heart….Literally. With an average vitality, the Twisted Steamgear holds for about..ten seconds or so, increasing with better endurance. However, I would still exercise caution and not rely on it too much.‘ She then took a deep breath.
‘So yeah, the price is 2 Gold, 5 Silver, and 10 Bronze if you’re interested in purchasing it.‘

”So the heart is reusable?” Tetrad scratched her chin. ”I could use the Steam heart if I see an attack coming, Unseen hand for when I can’t, and a bolt for when it’s easier to prevent trouble.” Tetrad scratched her chin. ”You can bag the steam heart, I’m getting it. I just need a moment to decide which of these other items I want.” She chuckled. Brittany nodded with a smile, and began preparing the artifact for purchase.

Mika looked in Alicia’s direction and bit her lower lip. She briefly sneered before looking back at the weapon case. “Hmmm.” Her eyes scanned the contents of the cabinet before she tapped on the window. “When you’re ready, I wanna take a closer look at these pool fists.”

‘Coming!‘ Brittany ran over like an excited child, her smile wide at the bustle that her shop was generating.
‘Now these Pool Fists, as you can tell by the name, are designed for Water Specialists. The weapon wielder can activate the hydro pumps on the back of the fists when they perform a punching attack, propelling the user forward at high speeds! But wait, there’s more! The water created by the fists can afterwards be used for Water magic, or for filling a swimming pool. It does have a limit of one megalitre per day, but given a couple of days or so, it can be used to fill an olympic swimming pool. All this, and for the low, low price of 2 Gold, 1 Silver, and 3 Bronze!‘

Mika raised an eyebrow. “A megalitre? Is that even real?” To this, Tetrad laughed.

”You’re European, aren’t you Brittany? You won’t convince me otherwise. We don’t use the Metric system in the good ol’ U S of A.” Tetrad swiped through her phone. ”She means a quarter million gallons, give or take a few thousand gallons.”

“Oh.” Mika’s tail wagged while she looked at it, but she was still thinking about it. “It looks kind of childish.” She lifted her eyes from the weapon to look at Brittany. “Do you think it can be upgraded? Maybe add some claws or give it more ways to release water? Is that something your shop does? I notice you sell ‘cons-truck-shun’ materials.’”

Brittany flashed her teeth.
"Of course! I can customize artifacts for an extra fee. What kind of material would you like for the claws? Iron claws would be about 4 Bronze, Steel claws about 1 Silver and 2 Bronze, and adamantium would be at least a Gold Coin. As for increased output, I could add 50 percent more for 3 Silver, but it would be dangerous to use due to overheating; it might even explode."

“If it can kill me, it’s scary.” Mika shook her purse until 3 Gold, 8 Silver, and 7 Bronze tumbled out. “Am I short?” She then looked inside her purse. “All I have left are silver coins. I can just pay you an extra silver if you don’t have change. Just make ‘em terrifying.”

Tetrad cleared her throat and gently pushed the arrow off to the side. ”Eh.” She looked at Mika for a long time. ”I think I’ll just pass on the arrow for now. Preserving life is looking a bit more important right now.” She pulled out a few coins. ”Huh? I’m short too!?” Tetrad turned to Alicia. ”You wouldn’t happen to have 3 bronze on you, would you? Trade you a silver!” She held out the coin with a nervous smile.

”Since when was one question ‘badgering’?” Alicia grumbled to herself. Slow breathing followed as she focused on her vow, refusing to let the card wielding girl get to her.

Still, she wasn’t expecting it either as both girls realized that they were short on coins, and Tetrad had to turn to her instead. She didn’t answer for a moment, simply taking this opportunity to appreciate the shoe being on the other foot before looking at her own Coin reserves and doing some mental math.

Then she stepped over to the duo, pulling out three Bronze coins and offering them with an open hand. ”Here. Three Bronze for One Silver,” she agreed. She might have wanted them to squirm a bit, but she wasn’t petty.

But when Alicia extended her hand, Tetrad pulled back.

”Wait a second…” Tetrad looked in her pockets again. ”Haha, how silly of me, I have plenty of bronze coins, I’m short on silver.” With a shrug, she pushed aside the unseen hands. ”I’m just getting the twisted steam gear today.” She waved at the ink vile. ”Maybe next time my love, we will be united!” After Tetrad collected her remaining coins, she looked at Alicia again. ”You kinda look familiar. Do I know you?”

‘Alright then!“ Brittany responded, having prepared the Steamgear in a shopping bag. Then she handed 4 Bronze coins for breaking the Silver coin Mika had.
‘Alright then! That should break the Silver even, and if not, consider it a gift from me for being such a nice girl, kyahaha!“

An eyebrow rose as Tetrad revealed that she had made a mistake, Alicia’s hand pulling back as she returned her coins to her stash. That had been slightly weird, but she still had her coins so she wasn’t about to make an issue of it on ‘being weird’ alone.

For a moment she debated how to respond, before opting for the easier choice. She could have held a grudge, but no one had seen Regina since they came back. Apparently she was on her way to some other part of the country for personal reasons, or so the Beckoners had told her. Personally she didn’t really care, it got her out of Alicia’s hair and that was good enough.

So she went with the simpler choice. ”Keijo match,” she replied before turning to Brittany and sliding over the Fairy Bolt. ”I’ll take this one. Do you still have that ‘move through time’ arrow in stock as well?” Tetrad was still scratching her chin.

Brittany counted the coins for the Fairy Bolt, and then brought out another arrow from the same shelf.
‘Do you mean the Temporal Displacement Arrow? The target is sent from thirty seconds to three minutes into the future. However, it works only against human-sized targets, but is useful for taking them momentarily out of a fight! For only 10 Silver and 10 Bronze it can be yours!“

”That’s the one,” Alicia confirmed with a nod. She hadn’t intended to get it at first, but she’d thought of a potential use for it At the very least it might be a useful tool to have.

Counting out the coins, she handed the amount over as requested. ”There you go.”

Brittany graciously accepted them, and smiled after a quick counting.
”Thank you very much!”

”Oh!” Tetrad’s head shot up. ”Right, Alicia! You had the whole ‘beacon knows best’ intro and I kicked your ass or something right? Man, feels like a lifetime ago.” She gave the paladin a pat on the shoulder. ”I’m glad you didn’t take it personally. Once Beacon completely ruins its reputation, I’ll put in a good word for ya. ” Tetrad walked towards the entrance. ”We’ll leave when you’re ready, Mika!”

The cat girl nodded, but remained focused on Brittany. “I didn’t see anything on the shelves, but I’d like you to keep an eye out for something to store all of my water guns in. Also, how long should the upgrades for the gloves take?”

"Alrighty! They will be done by the end of the week," Brittany replied.
"I plan on getting all orders done by then so I'll have time for the party!"

”I may have more ideas for it, but that’ll be good for now. Thank you.” Mika took a step away from the counter. ”Alicia.” She looked at her out of the corner of her eye. ”I know Beacon wants to ruin the party. They exist to make everyone worry and suck happiness out of everything. But if you or any of your friends shows up to do that...” Her teeth chattered. ”I’m killing Kimble. That’s a promise.” Mika slipped her thumbs into her waistband and walked towards the door. ”Let’s go, Tetrad. Su’s going to be back soon.”

Tetrad looked genuinely horrified as Mika strode past her. ”Mika, I’m all for banter, but this…” She hurried after the girl. ”Is this about the money? You can have your coins back!” The two vanished from sight. Brittany looked after them befuddled; she too was caught blindsided by Mika's change in behavior.

The corners of Alicia’s mouth rose as she let out an amused snort in response to Tetrad’s comment. ”I seem to recall that match being a bit closer than you think it was,” she replied in turn. Judge decision based on time wasn’t what she would call ‘an ass-kicking’

She was relatively dismissive of the assurances provided, which was a shame as she was suddenly confronted by Mika. It was an assault that left her motionless, concerned, and confused. They had really only interacted at that one event but she had come off as carefree and happy-go-lucky. Where had this conspiracy stuff come from?

The zero-to-sixty approach left her unable to react before the duo had exited the shop. ”That was….odd,” she said at last, glancing over at Brittany before picking up the bag with the items that she had purchased. ”See you around,” she said before leaving. Well, it probably wasn’t anything to be overly concerned about. Right?

Upon arriving at the forest clearing Gaia had in mind, Connie couldn’t help but notice how large it was. It actually seemed as if it was a naturally formed arena, and the fact that it was located in a small bowl-shaped valley only accentuated that feeling. Indeed, the gentle undulations of its sloping sides gave the impression of a series of bleachers from which a sizable audience could watch any potential combats taking place here.

The other immediately noticeable thing was the temperature. An icy wind blew fiercely, and the grey skies looked as if they could produce a blizzard at any moment. Even wrapped in her cold weather robe, Connie still felt chilled to the bone.

“M-Maybe w-we s-should have picked a d-different day…” she noted, while she hugged her shivering body, trying to keep warm. “I-It f-feels e-even c-colder t-than l-last n-night…”

“Not to worry,” Gaia replied, seemingly unbothered by the cold. “I have that situation well in hand.”

Stepping into the center of the clearing, she called out, “Energies of nature, lifeblood of Mother Earth, I humbly beseech thee, lend me your power!”

At once, a swirling emerald cylinder of mystical energy formed around her, before spreading out to encompass the entire valley. It then shot skyward, punching through the brooding clouds to bathe the valley in a golden shaft of radiant sunlight.

“Gosh, Mia! That was so awesome!” Connie gushed. She felt warmer already.

“Thank you, Connie,” Gaia replied, her friend’s compliment bringing a smile to her lips and a blush to her cheeks. “Although, it really wasn’t that awesome…”

With the spritely grace of a spring breeze, Gaia moved to take her place on the far side of the clearing from where Connie was standing.

“Now then, let us begin!” she declared. “The Empress of Nightmares verses Gaia, Daughter of Mother Earth!”

“W-Wait, Mia! I-I don’t want to fight you! I-I’m not ready for that yet! E-Even if I was, I’d never ever want to risk hurting you…”

“Dearest Connie, be at peace. This is merely practice. I am simply going to send some of my plant constructs against you. I shall start with the weakest ones and work up from there. If at any point you feel overwhelmed, speak thus, and I shall cease the attack at once.”

“O-Okay… It’s just that… When you said we’d be fighting each other, you sounded so…”

“Connie, you know how dramatic I like to be when I assume this form. My words were simply a byproduct of that. Please believe me when I say that they held no malice of any kind.”

“I-I know, Mia,” Connie said softly, looking at the snow-covered ground. “I’m sorry. It’s just my insecurities again. I’ll try to do better,” she added raising her head and clenching one hand into a fist. “I did come here to get stronger, after all.”

“That’s the spirit!” Gaia said, offering her friend a brilliant smile. “Now, prepare yourself, Connie. Just as we practiced, okay?”

“Right!”

Drawing her mystical energies around herself, Connie formed a sphere of swirling amethyst and obsidian, within which twisted shapes could occasionally be seen. This was her Nightmare Barrier, the most potent manifestation of her powers. Standing at the center of this orb, Connie summoned her tentacles, using some to levitate her off the ground, while others emerged from her robe to squirm and twist in every direction.

“My, my, Connie,” Gaia said approvingly, holding an elegant hand over her mouth. “You look like quite the badass.”

“Uh, t-thanks, Mia,” Connie replied. “But, uh, I’ll just take your word for it, since I kinda have my eyes closed…”

Gaia laughed at this revelation.

“All right, well, just be ready, for here I co—”

Gaia stopped short, when, suddenly, the sound of a new voice called out.

”Mother!” The voice was getting louder by the second. Eventually Connie and Mia would notice someone running towards them. It looked to be a fairy, only it was far too tall and it was evident that the wings coming out of her back were merely part of her costume. ”Mother! Your daughter is here~!” She spread her arms and showed no sign of slowing down. Her steps kicked up the snow in her wake. ”You’d better spread your arms mommy~!” The fairy hopped into the air, and then upon landing sprung towards Gaia. At this point her wings stiffened and allowed her to glide straight towards Gaia.

“Well, now!” Gaia exclaimed with a surprised giggle as she swiftly opened her arms to embrace the oversized fairy. “You’re certainly an enthusiastic one, aren’t you? Although I’m afraid you might have me mistaken for someone else.”

”Mistaken, me?” The fairy girl laughed and pulled herself closer. ”You said it yourself, didn’t you? You called yourself Gaia.” She pointed at Connie. ”Unless she is Gaia and you are the Empress of Nightmares. But that doesn’t sound correct~!” She kicked her feet. ”I understand you may have a lot of children, mother, but I would think you’d remember the most divine among them.” She placed a hand on her chest. ”Faith? Your demi-godess daughter who was fathered by Adam?” A loud crash snapped everyone’s attention to some distant trees. ”Oh dear, did Lotus follow me?”

But the newly arrived girl was approaching them from behind. She looked like a pint sized sailor, only her red hair was replaced with tentacles that tumbled down her back. She wasn’t much taller than Connie, but she floated about a foot off the ground. Her hands were clasped together as if in prayer, and her eyes were blankly searching for something in the distance. One of her tentacles coiled around Connie’s wrist. It wasn’t tight, but she could feel the suction cups squeezing against her flesh.

”Hmmm, perhaps she is an impostor.” Lotus’s eyes moved from Gaia to the girl at her side. She was examining Connie like she was nothing but an insect. Something so far beneath Lotus that it almost didn’t warrant acknowledgement. ”Which would make you an impostor too, I suppose.” Her eyes squint. ”Who are you? Do you have a reason for trespassing in our domain?”

“I am Gaia.” The verdant magical girl replied. “This name was bestowed upon me by Mother Earth, herself, and it is the name I proudly bear as her chosen champion. My companion is Connie, the Empress of Nightmares and my dearest friend. We were not aware that we trespassed upon lands claimed by others. Please accept our most humble and sincere apologies.”

“W-We’re sorry!” Connie whimpered. “We’re really, really sorry!”

Connie’s shock at the sight of Faith’s sudden appearance had caused her to drop her Nightmare Barrier, which in turn had allowed Lotus’s tentacle to wrap itself around her wrist before she even knew it. Now she was starting to panic. A tentacle was touching her, an octopus tentacle, and Connie had always been terrified of octopuses…

“As for my relation to you, fae one,” Gaia continued, addressing Faith, “while I have never known the joy of bringing forth a child into this world, I believe that I may have some possible ideas as to your true parentage. You see, dear Faith, I am not the first to bear the name Gaia. Many such champions have existed before me. Perhaps your mother is among their number? Indeed, even Mother Earth herself once bore that title, in the dimmest depths of antiquity when her power was at its peak. Before humanity had begun to despoil her…”

”So you share my mother’s name is all?” Faith lifted a finger to her lips. ”Well if that’s true, this is all very embarrassing!” She leaped out of Mia’s arms. She paced back and forth, occasionally kicking the tip of her shoe into the snow. ”But that does sound correct. Mother couldn’t possess her divine power unless she was the earth itself. Though you look like you could be her.” Her eyes rolled until they were looking at Connie. ”Oh! I’m sorry little miss!” She dusted herself off and turned to Lotus. ”You may let her go, Lotus! They are simply misguided souls who wandered too deep into the woods.”

”Hrm.” Lotus released Connie’s arm with a flick.

“T-Thanks,” Connie said with obvious relief.

The octopus woman looked back towards her companion. ”Trespassing or not, I demand to know why they chose to come here.”

”If I had a gander, I’d say they were going to spar. Gaia made it sound like they were going to fight, but it’s clear they are friends~!”

”Hmmmm, is that right?” Lotus looked between the two “trespassers” before looking at Faith. After a moment, they both nodded at the same time. ”Hmmm, you can’t learn very much fighting your friends. To truly expand your horizons, you need to fight as many different opponents as possible.” Lotus extended her hand, and a full sized ship cannon appeared in her hand. It was coated in barnacles and a patina of red rust. Witnessing such a small girl hold such a large weapon would have been comical if she couldn’t use it. But that did not appear to be the case.

The eyes of Connie’s mask grew wide at the sight of the massive cannon’s materialization. “U-Umm… T-That’s reeeally big…”

“Fear not, dearest Connie,” Gaia told her reassuringly, while placing a hand on her shoulder. “It would seem that our tentacled friend here would like to provide you with some combat practice, and I, for one, think that is a wonderful idea.”

“Please try not to be too hard on her, though,” Gaia requested. “She is rather inexperienced and very unsure of herself.”

Lotus turned to Mia and fret her brow. ”I wish to test some new strategies on an unfamiliar opponent. Beyond ensuring she doesn’t die, I will be no easier on her than I would any other prey.”

”Ah, yes.” Faith leaned on Mia’s shoulder. ”Lotus has a flair for the dramatic. But if the young lady is unsure of herself, then why don’t you fight alongside her? Or even…” Faith danced over to Connie’s side. ”I can fight beside her! And then you can fight alongside Lotus. You may not be able to control Lotus, but you’ll be able to control how difficult one of the little lady’s opponents are~!”

”Hrm.” Lotus dragged her hand over her face.

”It’s all up to you of course.” A harp appeared in Faith’s hand. ”But that was your original plan anyway, right? To be the little lady’s opposition in a training exercise?”

“It was, yes,” Gaia confirmed with a nod. “And I believe your suggestion has merit. This way, my dear Connie can experience what it’s like to work alongside someone other than myself. Is that acceptable to you, Connie?”

“U-Umm… I-I guess so…” Connie replied hesitantly, while casting a slightly worried look at Faith. “I-I mean, I should p-probably try to work on g-getting over my s-shyness… I-It’s nice to m-meet you, b-by the way.” she added in a quiet voice.

”You’re so precious~!” Faith patted Connie on the head. ”The Empress of Nightmares can’t be scared though! Certainly not when she has a demigoddess on her side~!” She giggled. ”Oh, I usually support Lotus from the back. I have very encouraging words and many say my music improves the troops ability to fight. In fact, the music I play becomes tangible!” When Faith strummed her harp, a gold music ribbon common in sheet music seemed to weave out of the strings. ”I’m pretty much the world’s best cheerleader! I’ll keep you safe, just focus on our opponent.”

Lotus watched Faith and Connie discuss strategy before turning to Gaia. ”Hmmmm. I destroy everything I hit.” She floated above everyone. ”Alright, so what are some good sparring match rules. Hmmm. Lets avoid using powerful ammunition and spells. Contenders are considered out if they fall onto their back, thus the goal is just to tip over your opponent. Let’s start some distance away from each other.”

“Sounds fair to me,” Gaia confirmed.

“O-Okay…” Connie added, moving with Faith to the opposite side of the clearing from where Gaia and Lotus had taken position. “Ummm… That’s really cool and all,” she whispered to Faith, “but umm… I’m not really much of a direct fighter either. I mostly just give people nightmares and… Well, I guess you’ll see in a moment.”

”I’m sure you’ll do fine. I don’t lose often~!”

”Alright!” Lotus aimed her cannon into the sky. ”We’ll start on the count of three, two, one…” And then Lotus’s cannon went off, filling the air with smoke. A dozen or so clones of Lotus poured out of the treeline. They were all hovering towards Connie and Faith. Their weapons weren’t drawn, but they had their tentacles spread.

”Are you familiar with magical girl abilities?” Faith held her harp like it was a bow. ”Duplicates are just as strong as their creator, but they tend to be frail. A knock in the right place is all you need!” With a strum of her harp, A note was sent tumbling through the air. It spun like a thrown hatchet, and reduced one of the duplicates to a puff of smoke. ”Throw a stone if it’s all you have~!”

“A-Alright!” Connie acknowledged.The next instant, several dozen inky black tendrils shot out of her robe. Wrapping themselves around any rocks and pebbles they could find, they flung the projectiles at each of the Lotus clones with considerable force.

But that wasn’t all.

Although this was her first time using it in an actual battle, Connie had been practicing her ability to impart nightmares to conscious minds, and she now employed this ability against Lotus and her clones. While nothing visible occured, Connie sent a pulse of nightmare energy towards the charging octopus girls. It would cause whatever fears plagued them the most to manifest around them. What those fears might be, only Lotus herself knew, but the intensity of her fear would determine the nightmare constructs’ durability and power. If her fears were minimal, they would be little more than illusory phantasms. On the other hand, if the fears were particularly pronounced, the constructs would be able to take physical form and thus affect Lotus and her clones directly.

As soon as the nightmare pulse went off, the duplicates started to behave strangely. Their forms stretched and twisted, and even their “deaths” seemed to be delayed. They would blow up slightly before or after a piece of debris hit them.

”Um!” The corner of Faith’s lips twitched. ”Good job! Connie! Let’s push our advantage~!”

Lotus herself was holding the side of her head, growling as sweat started to stream down her face. ”Hrm! I thought we agreed on no strong magic!”

“S-Sorry!” Connie called out to Lotus, clearly upset by the anger in the other girl’s tone. “I r-really didn’t think it was t-that s-strong of a spell… I d-didn’t hurt you, did I?” she added, her voice filled with concern.

Lotus looked at Mia out of the corner of her eye. ”Are you going to do anything?” She managed between breaths.

“Of course,” Gaia replied serenely. “You were just doing so well, at least, up until now, and I simply did not wish to get in your way. But I shall hold back no longer!”

In a flash of movement, dozens of roots shot up from the ground behind Faith. They swiftly wrapped themselves around the fae magical girl’s waist and arms in an attempt to pull her over backwards.

”Oh my~!” Faith giggled. ”There are far too many tentacles out here for my liking. Even the trees have them~!” The fairy was nimble, but so were Mia’s roots. Faith was only able to avoid them for a few seconds before one of them coiled around her waist. ”They’re rather sturdy too.” Before her arms were ensnared, she played a chord that sent a ribbon of music spiraling around her. It sealed itself shut, creating an elastic barrier that held its shape. The root around her waist was still trying to pin her on her back, but the barrier was making that difficult. It seemed to be anchored to her position and refused to give out. ”See if you can take out Gaia before she pins me.”

Lotus dragged her hand over her face. ”Hrm, wrong target, but I guess it’ll do.” She sprinted towards Connie before diving into the air. Hitting her would be difficult, as she split into three as soon as she left the ground. Lotus and her doppelgangers didn’t move in a straight line either. They rolled through the sky, indirectly advancing on Connie’s position.

Connie had been planning on following through with Faith’s suggestion, but before she could do so, a more immediate threat presented itself, in the form of Lotus’s sudden charge. The octopus girl and her attendant clones were moving at a considerable speed, and Connie only had mere moments to formulate a defense. Falling back on her training with Mia, she gathered her mystical energies to herself and summoned her Nightmare Barrier. It wasn’t large, and it was completely permeable, but once Lotus entered its confines, she would find her nightmares amplified tenfold. Concurrently, Connie's tendrils were still hurling projectiles at Lotus and her clones, in an attempt to at least slow them down.

Gaia, for her part, was still focused on eliminating Faith from the engagement. With a burst of emerald energy, she summoned even more roots to assail the fae magical girl. Then, conjuring her weapon, Nature’s Blossom, she also shot off a few mystic bolts at Faith, in an attempt to distract her enough so that she’d weaken the music barrier she had placed around herself.

Faith and Mia were both powerful magical girls with a deep affinity for magic itself. But while Faith’s specialty was defensive magic, Mia was clearly right at home attacking her opponents directly. Even if Faith could hold up against her onslaught, she would never be able to retaliate. ”Are you sure you aren’t my mother? Mummy wouldn’t hold back either~!” With lotus aggressively pushing an assault, it was evident Faith wasn’t going to get any backup. ”It’s all up to you Connie~!” Faith strummed her harp one last time. The ribbons of music she created launched far beyond her barrier and even Mia’s incoming projectiles, and coiled around Connie instead. It was the last thing she could do before her own barrier shattered. She was mercilessly thrown to the ground afterward. It only half hurt.

Even though the three Lotuses should have passed through the shield, Connie witnessed them bounce into it and attempt to fly around. Connie must have been unlucky, because she hit two of them and they exploded into dust, revealing themselves as duplicates.The last one barreled towards Connie with its palm extended. She was determined to close the distance. Fortunately Faith’s shield activated and bounced Lotus off to the side. The octopus girl was already rising, but it seemed Connie had time to act.

Not wasting the opportunity she had been provided, Connie directed her tentacles to shoot towards Lotus in an attempt to pin her to the ground, while sending out another nightmare pulse to disorient her. She hoped it would be weaker than the last one and not cause Lotus too much discomfort, but she still wanted to win this fight and she was pretty sure her tentacles alone would not be enough.

The remaining Lotus was distorted, much like the duplicates did last time Connie struck Lotus with a nightmare attack. She could hear Lotus bellow from overhead, and sure enough, she noticed a second transparent Lotus clutching the sides of her ears. ”What is that?” she growled.

”Good show Connie!” Faith cheered. ”Her go to strategy is creating duplicates before sneaking up behind magical girls. It’s one that catches less cautious magical girls off guard.”

But not all was well.

Lotus’s nightmare started to manifest itself in the physical world. A giant white opera mask phased into existence. One by one, it sprouted barbed tentacles that writhed with anger. The tentacles made its final size equal to that of a small house. It had no eyes, but the holes in the mask set their sights on Faith.

”Oh!” The fairy exclaimed. ”I don’t think you understand sir, we’re both on the same side~!” But Faith was unable to reason with the mask as it advanced towards her position.

”Hrm!” Lotus’s cannon appeared in her hand, and she fired cannonball after cannonball at the creature. Before any of her shots could hit, the creature simply lifted up its tentacles to absorb the shot. ”Faith, run!”

Try as she might, Faith was still held squarely in place by the roots. She tried to squirm free, but progress was slow and the mask was swift.

Connie gave a frightened gasp at the sight of the enormous tentacled mask. “Faith!” she cried out in alarm as the horrific creation descended upon the fairy.

W-What do I do? W-What do I do?! Connie thought frantically. I can only cause the nightmares to happen, I can’t actually control them!

Oh no… Gaia thought with dawning horror. She’s lost control of her powers! I need to act fast, or that thing she conjured will cause some serious harm!

Not wasting a moment, Gaia commanded her roots to release their hold on Faith, while simultaneously summoning a large flower, which burst out of the ground in front of the utterly horrified Connie. The nightmare girl scarcely had time to take note of this most recent arrival, before the flower expelled a cloud of mist into her face. Immediately, Connie slumped to the ground, utterly unconscious, and, more importantly, completely relaxed. In a flash of obsidian-laced amethyst the Empress of Nightmares reverted back to her normal self, and with this reversion, the nightmare mask dissolved into a wispy mist of unhappy thoughts, which soon dissipated completely.

“I must apologize for that,” Gaia said in a resigned voice. “Connie possesses an incredible amount of power, but she has yet to gain any real measure of control over it. Additionally, the strength of her nightmare creations is also fueled by the fears of her opponents, and, based upon what we just witnessed, I would say that Lotus’s fears were quite strong indeed.”

”Hrm!” Lotus landed beside Mia. She was keeping a straight face, but the twitch in her body hinted at how much the event affected her. ”Do not pretend to know me. I fear nothing. Not even my own death gives me cause for concern.” She pointed at Connie. ”When she gets back up, I will fight that monster again.”

“I greatly admire your resolve, Lotus,” Gaia said in as diplomatic a tone as she could manage. “But it might not be the best idea to wage such a combat right now. Connie will still be quite exhausted after she wakes up, and, like I said earlier, she currently has very little control over her powers. The next nightmare she manifests could be even more powerful than this last monstrosity.”

Faith slid herself between the two magical girls, banana in hand. ”I think Lotus really likes Connie. I hope she wakes up soon~!” The fairy girl giggled before turning to Mia. ”I don’t normally engage in full contact sparring with people I meet for the first time. But you must admit it was pretty interesting! Perhaps our next encounter should be a bit more casual.”

Lotus folded her arms. ”Hmmm, you mean to invite them to the dark magical girl party?”

”Of course~!” Faith threw her hands in the air. ”Don’t let the name fool you, there’s really nothing dark about it. Well, aside from some of the girls. But Connie would fit right in. She seems really shy, so it would be good to get her interacting with people, right?”

“It would,” Gaia said with a nod. “But I am unsure if such a crowded event is the best place for her to start such interactions. And there is also her safety to consider. Some of those in attendance may not be as friendly as you two. Still...” she added after a moment’s thought, “I suppose it is a decision for Connie herself to make.”

Moving over to her unconscious friend, Gaia knelt down beside her and gently stroked her head. “Connie… Connie…” she called softly.

“M-Mia...?” Connie asked as she slowly opened her eyes.

“Yes, my dearest Connie,” Gaia told her soothingly. “I am right here, and I am so deeply sorry for having to do that to you.”

“It’s okay, Mia,” Connie replied drowsily. “I lost control of…” With a startled gasp, she shot bolt upright. “Faith! Oh my gosh, Faith, are you all right?!” she inquired frantically, tears welling up in her eyes. “I’m so, so sorry! I didn’t mean for any of that to happen! Please, please, please don’t hate me for it!” she begged the other magical girls, kneeling before them with her hands clasped over her chest, while tears streamed down her face.

”It’s alright~!” Faith bent over to embrace Connie. ”We had things well under control. Lotus didn’t even have to get serious. Well, as serious as she can get~!”

Lotus looked down at Connie. ”It was… An interesting match.” Her eyes moved up to Mia. ”I will have one again. But not today.”

Faith stood back up. ”Well, all I can do is encourage you to come. I’m in an alliance with Cindy Ford, and I know for a fact she wouldn’t let harm come to any of her subjects or mine. While I cannot vouch for how safe it is, The rest of my noble troupe will be there, and we can personally assign a bodyguard to Connie if she wishes it.” She clapped her hands. ”But that’s a ways off. Shall we do something else in the meantime?”

“O-Okay… T-Thanks for not being angry with me…” Connie said softly, while enthusiastically returning Faith’s embrace. “Oh, b-but come where? A-And b-bodyguards…? I-Is something else going on?”

“Yes, Faith and Lotus have invited us to a rave for magical girls,” Gaia replied. “I told them that it was up to you. I know how nervous you get around crowds, and this one will be larger and potentially more scary than most. But you also said that you’d like to work on overcoming your shyness, and I think that this might be a good venue to facilitate that.”

“Y-Yeah… You’re probably right…” Connie said thoughtfully. “Okay! Let’s go there!” she declared with newfound resolve. “I guess I can start my socializing with Faith’s other friends, the ones who will be looking after me. I know I get scared around new people, but if they’re anything like you, Faith, then I think I’ll be okay!”

“Very well,” Gaia replied serenely. “It shall be as you wish it, my dearest friend. As for more immediate activities,” she added, turning to Lotus and Faith, “what did the two of you have in mind?”

Faith put a finger on her chin. ”We could build a snowman.”

”Hmmm.” Lotus’s tentacles started to roll the surrounding snow into balls. ”We shall build snow forts, and see which one survives the night.” She spun around and floated her way to the treeline.

”Lotus!” Faith stood up. ”Diplomacy is an important part of world politics! We need to build a diplomat~!” She flew after her friend.

“I-It’s okay!” Connie called to the departing Faith. “Building snow forts sounds like fun! Come on Mia! Let’s make ours really cute and whimsical!”

Gaia smiled at her friend’s sudden enthusiasm. “That sounds like a wonderful idea,” she said approvingly. “I shall work on the battlements, while you plan out the central towers.”

“You got it, Mia!” Connie said with a giggle, while giving her friend a playful thumbs up.

This is gonna be so much fun! Connie thought to herself as she began happily planning out what the main castle would look like.

She had initially approached the day’s events with great trepidation, but now she was overjoyed to have made two new friends. Friends who were willing to help her almost as much as Mia. Not even in her wildest dreams could she have ever imagined things turning out like this, and the fact that they had gave her hope for the future, whatever it might bring.

The noise of the busier streets echoed in the alley, as the hubbub of the populace served as drums of a cacophonic symphony. It had always been like this. There was light, so there was darkness. A cosmic battle for hegemony that would dance and spin forever until time itself died. Such a thing was clear cut to Umukamui, who preferred these kind of places to meet. After all, these were the place where his ilk reigned, and their assigned warriors lived and shed blood for the purposes known.

“I can’t say i don’t like this kind of place for a meeting, but do you think a normal broad will purposefully come to a shady alley with the kind of invitation you did, fur ball?” The voice came from a young girl, who was dressed in a striking, bold style. Her infantile appeal was a stark contrast to her cocky, thuggish demeanour as she folded her arms.

“They will come, Jonald and I are acquainted.” The creature said to the newest of said girls. And to the newest of his problems as well. Weapons needed to be polished before they were of use. Misshapen and bent blades, doubly so. And to be fair, this newest… agent of his was probably one of the shoddiest jobs he had done as Puchuu.

As the sound of a soda can falling from the top of a trashcan undoubtedly grabbed their attention, Jonald made his appearance. Up until he was close enough to reach out and touch, his movement was fast enough to make him appear as a blur. He circled around the girl, before finally sitting before her.

Like most Puchuu, Jonald would be considered 'cute' by most. His coat of fur was as clean as could be, he had a nice, lithe look about him. His magenta orbs moved from the girl over to her patron. "I've seen worse, I suppose," he commented.

“Let me do the talking.” Umukamui twitched upon seeing Jonald entering. Always for the close up and personal entrance, that one. “Long time no see. I must apologize. I had a last minute setback. The self propelled vehicles of humankind are surprisingly lethal to magical girl candidates.” The small, fluff like creature announced, as the girl visibly flinched upon being inspected by the other Puchuu.

“Two of them. Oh God, they’re multiplying.” The petite, bell-like voice of the girl was tainted with heavy snark upon finding this fact.

“It begs me to question your whereabouts, Jonald, if something like... this… is considered acceptable. She was built with make-do materials on the spot. Even so, it will have to do, so I cannot have herself being incapacitated due to lack of basic handling.”

“Oi I am not…” Sakura blurted out at Umikamui, before he continued his tirade. “A blunt scrap can still cut if it’s … sharpened properly. I suppose you could spare a bit of your time teaching… this...new girl… the ropes. And you, Magical Girl Sparky Heart, do not be an embarrassment to your name and stay put for the time being.”

“F$*%& off, or I will punt you into a car.” The girl seemed to have quite the potty mouth, it seemed, coupled with middle finger and raspberry.
Jonald narrowed his eyes. "Considering the vast amounts of... 'incidents' around here, Penrose hasn't had the luxury of picking and choosing its girls. As long as she doesn't fall apart, and listens, then that should suffice," he clarified, turning to the new girl. "Vulgar. And I'd wager listening isn't your strong suit? I'm sure you'll get along fine with my girl, Emily."

“You wanna tussle, f*ckface?” was the answer of Sakura. “I ain’t listening to small mop aliens who take my manly bits just because of an accident!” The girl stood firm, striking a pose before attempting to drive a fist in Jonald’s face, only for her to trip her legs and slam herself facefirst against a trash bin.

“...It’s only a few hours fresh” said Umukamui, as he watched the repurposed girl have her first bout of pantyshot ever. Probably one of many, if she did not wisen up. “A small consolation is that she is no stranger to violence. Nor blood.”

As Sakura fell, Jonald darted up one wall and onto a fire escape, now looking down upon the two. "Yeah, I see that." he sneered. "Human parents are the type to discourage such behavior, but I suppose that fell upon deaf ears." he turned back to Umakamui. "Mine should be here short-"

Before he could finish, the group would then hear the pattering of an approaching person, who turned out to be scantily dressed. She appeared on guard, quite obviously not happy with being here. "You showed up." Jonald called out without even bothering to turn back to her.

The girl ignored Jonald entirely and didn't bother to spare a glance towards the other Puchuu, either. Instead, she focused entirely on Sakura. "You're new? I'm Emily, and I'd love to help you figure things out if you'll have me."

Sakura eyed the other girl, starting with the things, then going all the way up, and letting a small wolf whistle. “Bit young, but me likes what me sees.” Sakura said, as she nursed the wound. “I was going to put this bastard under the wringer, but I guess the company and the ropes won’t be so bad after all. I’m Sakura, nice to meetcha. So um, how does this work?Did you just kill a magical girl and lost your dangly bits too?”

If Umukamui had long enough limbs he would be facepalming. “Not all girls come from your background, Sakura.”

Emily smiled, clearly missing the intent behind Sakura's words. "Thank you, I look forward to working with you as well!" It appeared that as far as Emily was concerned, it was only the two of them here. Jonald, seemingly used to this, remained quiet.

There was a small pause once Sakura posed her question. She wasn't told how this girl came to be, only that there was a new one. Her circumstances were... unfortunate. "I'm so sorry to hear that," she said. "I was asked to become a magical girl, and wanted it." it was only then that she finally acknowledged that Sakura had a patron. Glancing at Umukamui with a lot less warmth, she asked, "Has she got a place to stay?"

Umukamui stood still, his beady expressionless eyes peeking at the girl, before tilting his head “Her belongings and mean of transport have been taken as collateral and sold to appropriate investors for the breach of contract this person has caused.”

“...you sold...my flat?” Sakura said clenching her teeth.

“Indeed, however, I have procured means of transportation. Just concentrate for a few seconds.” The critter indicated, and Sakura, in an amazing display of concentration and restraint, finally relented. A most excellent motorbike appeared in front of them seemingly out of thin air.

“A motorbike. Why is it pink?” She added.

“It’s a suitable method of transportation for one such as you.”

“But why pink?” Sakura insisted.

“Sakura is the name of the cherry blossom, isn’t it… it kinda suit…” The critter was interrupted halfway when the enraged young girl grabbed him all of a sudden and with all the strength she could muster, punted the offending hairball into an oncoming truck.

“I’ve had enough! You took my dangly bits, You took my life, You took my flat, and now you try to make jokes with motorbikes and my name?! Go to hell!” She yelled, her voice shrill and agitated.

After a few tense seconds, she eyed the other girl Emily. The whole realty was sinking in. “Let’s go to your place, then. Hopefully it won’t be a dump.” She added.

Emily witnessed the violence towards Sakura's patron with indifference, then eyed Jonald, as if to say, "Maybe I'll do the same to you." He turned his nose up in response, then scurried to the top of the building. "I expect you to get her situated as fast a possible, Emily. And maybe teach her to be less of a brute." he cast a glance towards Umakamui's direction. "I'll be around if you require anything, it's the least I can do." so saying, the Puchuu left, disappearing somewhere on the rooftop.

The fire-based girl nodded to Sakura. "Oh, um, sure..." the girl seemed unsure about the idea. "Here, I'll lead the way."

....

....

It wasn't too far from where they met up that Emily led them. It was an apartment building, but it was on the cheaper side. The exterior had seen better days, but it wasn't entirely run down either. "In here," she motioned for Sakura to follow, and then led the girl to the second floor of the building, where her room resided.

Emily opened the door with her key and then motioned Sakura to come inside. It wasn't too spacious, a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment with a small living room and an even smaller kitchen. A small couch rested along the wall of the living room, with a table at the other end that kept the TV off the ground. Emily wasn't a very wealthy person, and it did show -- everything was bought on a budget. A few posters of some various characters from different anime were the only real decorations. Notably, the house was extremely clean.

"I hope it's not too much of a dump for you," she smiled. "It's all I can really afford right now."

Sakura had calmed herself down after the short travel. Apparently being under a roof and no longer being completely destitute was a good thing for her. She let her slouch set in, and dropped herself on the couch. “It’s nice. Kinda reminds me of mah old place. But it smells way better.” The young girl said. “Got any beer?” She nonchalantly asked.

It was then when a presence appeared next to her on the couch. Fluffy, with beady eyes. “Magical girls don’t drink usually.” said Umukamui, which prompted Sakura to flail in surprise. “That was not… as humans said, nice. But we have our ways to fix these situations.” The critter added.

“I look forward to your development.” The small thing scurried away, as soon as he had entered.

“Hopefully he didn’t raid the cola supply.” Sakura said, in her best effort to get used to this kind of stuff. “So, girl time, huh. What now? You gonna teach me how to use zap zap magical tramp powers to kill motherf*ckers? Tell me there’s no dancing involved.”

“Um, no,” she denied to both ‘magical tramp powers’ and ‘dancing’, but then recalled something. “Well, actually, you do need to chant to summon your outfit, and unless you’re one of the more blessed magical girls it… takes a little while.” she sighed. “Oh, and it’s really flashy. Here, I’ll show you.”

Emily returned to her human form temporarily, and then took a step back while closing her eyes. With a deep inhale, she began her chant. “I am the Star of Morning,” at this, she thrust her hand out, and flames began coiling around her arm. “The Child of Dawn,” slowly, the flames snaked up her arm, further and further until they reached her shoulder, at which point it engulfed the rest of her body in a brilliant turquoise inferno, briefly rotating her and lifting into the air a couple of feet. “The Star thrown to Earth shall obtain victory!” as she finished her chant, the flames died out rather quickly, and there stood the magical girl Lucifer. Or Emily, she hadn’t been using that nickname for a while now.

“...I-it takes some getting used to,” she confessed, a bit embarrased by her chant. “And I’ll do my best to help you learn your limits and control your specialization.”

“Right.” Sakura said. She had to do that stupid dance the rat had taught her every single time, did she? A great start, this one was. At least the transformation of her tutor was lovely. Now if she had a few more years… “I guess it’s uuh. worth a shot.”

She stood up, her arms proud, and concentrated, gritting her teeth. “Sparksparkloveofmyheart.” She said in a monotone tone, her eyes becoming limp and dead. It was then when a surge was felt, and enveloped her body, electricity beginning to flicker in the flat as the younger girl began to float, her clothes shifting and changing under a pure blue electric light, adjusting her uniform.

It was then when Magical Girl Sparky Heart was manifest for the first time since her creation.

“Well it wasn’t that…” She said, while shrugging, and unintentionally discharging a mass of electricity that exploded three lightbulbs. “...bad?”

"Oh,"

Emily stared at the destroyed light bulbs for a second. In hindsight, maybe bringing the inexperienced magical girl to her room and encouraging her to transform wasn't the optimal strategy here. Well, at least she had a few spare ones. "You know, starting as a magical girl, I remember control being the most difficult aspect of it all," she explained. "I sorta burned down a small tool shack one of my first times, so it's all okay."

Emily retreated into the small kitchen, reaching into the space between the wall and the fridge, and pulled out a dustpan and a broom. Once done, she returned and began sweeping up the glass off the floor with the speed of an experienced maid. She spoke as she worked. "We should probably find a less... damage-prone area to work on your abilities in." she laughed. "The school would be an okay place if we don't want to go too far, otherwise we could try somewhere else." she finished cleaning and then dumped the glass in the garbage can. "I know that you've just changed, but just how fresh are you, if you don't mind my asking? Did you at least have enough time for your Puchuu to tell you anything about what's going on in Penrose?"

“I dunno, i had one mother of a weird drunk dream where an angry furball berated at me after a traffic accident, and today I woke up as this. So i guess… 48 hours…” Sakura said, after cancelling her transformation. “...tops.” She paused. “Well, I do know about some stuff about this city, but not the part where children can wield fire and thunder and listen to weird fluffy things.”

“Oh, how about the junkyard? Nobody ever minds about stuff happening at junkyards. You can easily hide a body there if things go really awry.” Sakura added. “And you can tell me whose balls I am supposed to bust now.”

"Penrose has been a hot spot for various troubles over the last few months, so things have been quite hectic." Emily explained. She'd only arrived here amid things, so it wasn't like she was an expert either, but she knew enough. "There's essentially a crusade against Dark Magical Girls and the such. Oh, you wouldn't know about those, would you?"

She pressed her index finger to her lips. "Mm, I suppose you would say they're not as magically stable as other magical girls? But name aside, they're not exclusively bad or anything." She looked at Sakura. "I think fighting other girls should only be done as a last resort. But the world is home to harmful monsters which magical girls are made to fight. I think those should be your main target since they're a danger to anyone and everyone."

“Alright, alright I get the gist of it.” Sakura said, fidgeting with her hair. “So we have magical crackheads, freaks and law enforcement?” Sakura’s eyes seemed to shine with unabashed glee. “Awesome. Brutal even. And here I was going to think I was going to get bored. So, we stomp on everyone and get our turf to boss level, yes?”

"S-something like that..." Emily tried to smile and forget about the more vicious nature of her new compatriot. "Usually, your Puchuu will direct you to something of interest, such as a monster terrorizing people. They're also supposed to give you the information you need to succeed if it's available, as well as ensure you're not getting in over your head." she elaborated. "They're supposed to, anyway. Not that it looks like I'll need to tell you this, but their actions aren't always in your best interest." She seemed like she was speaking from experience. "And I'm not sure if there's a 'boss', but most people take notice of people who repeatedly achieve great things."

Sakura eyed her comrade, before throwing a fist in her general direction as a salute. “It’s okay. I’m baptised in fire, even if my body is that of a little girl right now. Corporate furballs got nothin’ on me. If there’s no boss, We will become boss!” Sakura grinned widely, tilting her head.

“That’s a nice smile you have, sis. Don’t let that smile disappear. Life is too dark and too short to worry about the small things. If there’s a bunch of corporate slaves telling little girls to fend off monsters and shady organizations, that’s not our fault. It’d be our fault if we did nothing about creeps and idiots. Fortune favours the bold, after all.”

The younger girl puffed her little chest, before trying to make a triumphal exit and then stopping on her heels. “Uh… I don’t suppose I could crash by here for a while until i find a new place, do you? I will do whatever work’s needed.” She added. “I prefer bounties, though. Not much of a number crunching m…gal.”

Emily nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! It would be cruel to abandon someone, especially a sister in need. As you see, it's not exactly a five-star hotel or anything, but you're welcome as long as you'd like." she looked up and to the side as she tried to come up with something. "Um, I normally volunteer at a soup kitchen that needs any help it can get, but its been locked tight since the evacuation, even though there are still people who need it..." she sighed, but then regained her smile. "Well, I don't expect nor want rent from you, so as long as you don't burn the place down, I don't mind. If anything, I'll take you along any simpler monster contracts or the sort I come across." as if remembering something, she raised a finger. "Oh, exactly how familiar are you with Penrose?"

“Had a few jobs in my youth, nice stripper clubs, and there’s this bunch of a**holes who turn people into little girls and rob them of everything, so a few things. None of that matters to this. But I know this Sushi joint that looks shady but it has awesome food.” Sakura added before an ominous growl could be heard.

“I don’t think I have eaten anything since…this.” She sentenced.

As if bound together by a bond surpassing human comprehension, a low growl also came from Emily's stomach. "O-oh, I suppose it'd be good to eat, then. We can go to the place you mentioned, and it'll be my treat." she offered.

“Pity I can’t treat you to booze.” Sakura said. She was in no position to refuse, as much as she wanted to.

“Alright, let’s head out, then!”

And with this, the newly-formed duo departed Emily's place to begin a quest for good, but potentially lethal, sushi.

@AtomicNut

---

It wasn't long after her meeting with Veronica did Chloe run into another problem – a message from the Mint made its way to her. The Raven perched itself on a nearby building. She had first brushed it off as a simple animal, but it had quickly become apparent it was following her. She knew what it was the moment she saw it was carrying a letter.

Taking it, she quickly read the attached document.

"Greetings Chloe. The Mint hopes you are making progress on all of your endeavors, but wishes to remind you of your obligations to the Mint. You have been given an assignment that is sure to affirm their trust in you. You are to eliminate the Cardinal of Beacon as soon as you are able. This should be a simple matter for one with as many connections as yourself. As you likely know, they seldom give people second chances. I hope you put your all into this assignment. Al still has the ace of diamonds.

~The Vermin Killer

Chloe internally grimaced. Eliminate the Cardinal of beacon? How in the hell did they expect her to do that?! Was she supposed to just waltz in there and-no, no, she couldn’t let herself get worked up. Hm. She’d have to...hm, perhaps…’
She grabbed a pencil and wrote on the back of the note.

“That's quite the tall order, though understandable given my recent...seeming MIA. Wouldn't believe me if I said I was kidnapped by a dolphin and forced to wear a swimsuit would you? Regardless, I will see if I can pull off a miracle. I don't suppose you have any information about this Cardinal or a tentative plan? As well...I'm quite certain you'd be interested in knowing I am on decently good terms with a certain Veronica, and perhaps, I might be able to give you some information on her.”

"Write a report on Veronica before the day of the party. The Raven will come every day at midnight to the Covington tower's highest point.”

She’d...need some help with this. Chloe grimaced again. She could have help from one of her girls. She already had some idea of how she was going to set this up. She just needed some extra manpower. Well, she hadn’t exactly worked with him in while, but perhaps this could be fruitful.

Grabbing one of her spirits, she’d write a message of her own.

”Well well, it seems I’m writing to you again, you worthless piece of meat. I’m unfortunately, in need of help from someone as pathetic as you. Consider yourself lucky after I’ve refrained from doing so all this time. Meet me at the usual place. And in case your tiny lizard brain forgot, I’ll put directions that a sloth could follow on the back. Make it in time, and I might feel generous.

There, that should be enough to get his attention, so she’d wait for him to show up.

It had not been a good last month for William. He had flunked some of his high school exams, mostly because trying to kick ass in the name of the Allfather was entirely incompatible with pursuits of other kind. And there had not been many exciting things lately. The Allfather was restless… and the Mint doubly so. When he realized a Raven had appeared in front of him, his first thought was to think of a divine commandment, but it was something else.

Chloe. He was reminded of her. A striking, colorful personality and daring fashion choices. He was particularly reminded of those shapely legs and dainty figure stepping on top of him… but he was getting ahead of himself. He did not need to show any outward sign of this. People liked the calm and collected play of the brooding dark knight.

So, he made it with haste, and after making contact with the source of said message, dropped to one knee in a bit of flair. "Your wish is my command, Reaver awaits eagerly. Whose enemy does my lady seek to destroy? Point your hand, and I shall make a beautiful painting worthy of your beauty with the blood of enemies"

Nailed it. He thought to himself inwardly.

Chloe had been waiting at the location, a small out of the way part of the city at an old construction site that had been more or less abandoned since the Ascendancy had moved into Penrose. She was both looking forward to meeting Reaver and not. An annoyance, and a fool of a man. The worst sort, really, but he was good for the occasional stress relief...and help.
“You're late.” Chloe said with a cool gaze towards the kneeling man as she stood over him. Not having to play the good girl act around Penny for once was refreshing. “Really, making a girl like me wait. How shameless. I'd give you a little physical encouragement, but you'd like that wouldn't you?” Her mouth twisted into a smirk. “On your hands and knees. My feet hurt after waiting on you.”

Reaver stood for a moment, processing what Chloe had said, while partaking of the sight of a couple of shapely feet talking to him. If only they caressed his face. Physical encouragement was good… what was she talking about ? Oh yes, punishment!

He dropped on all fours, her intention fully understood as he fashioned the best human chair she could aspire him to be. At least he did not have his armor equipped. The spikes would hurt, indeed. “I hear and obey, my lady.”

Not missing a step, Chloe made good on her intentions. Sitting down, she placed her butt right one the upper part of Reavers back.

“Hmph, it's almost pathetic how easy you do this.” Chloe chided, crossing her legs. “Well, not that I can judge one's...fetishes, fufu.” She leaned back slightly, running a hand across the boys back towards his neck. “Unfortunately, I'm here for business, not your perverse pleasure. The Mint has given me a job that I could use your help with.”

Reaver stood very still, urging the sensation to shift and move under the soft touch of the magical girl’s through his back. It would be unbecoming if a chair suddenly went limp. He smirked somewhat. “Business is always a pleasure with you, my lady. Who is overdue to depart this world? Has someone made comments about your weight? Or overall figure? Or just want to see how it feels to reveal some girl’s worst fears?” Reaver added. “Or is it kidnapping?”

“Heheh,” Chloe chuckled lightly. “If only my Penny was as earnest as you.” Her hand found a rest on the back of his head. “But who do you think it is? Use that brain of yours and think for a second.” Rather abruptly, Chloe leaned to the side, putting most of her weight onto his shoulders as she continued speaking, he could feel her warm breath on his ear. “Beacon, is on the menu. One of their Cardinals has been marked for execution, and that's what you’ve been granted the honor of helping me doing.”

A cardinal? Isn’t that a bigshot? There will be a ton of fighting then. Reaver stood still for a second, before flashing a predatory grin unbecoming of a man of his poise. The cravings were getting a bit too hard to bear upon learning of more battles… and more prey. He shifted somewhat slightly, not because the increased weight on his shoulders but on anticipation.

Plus if there’s such a daunting task, i might impress Chloe enough that I might get a nice reward. Like massaging her feet or something “Blood and war are like a good drink and music to my ears. Let this humble Reaver show these pompous fools know how things are done downtown.” He added nonchalantly.

“Don't get overly eager, pet.” Chloe grabbed the back of Reavers hair, pulling back his head hard. “I've set things up, it shall be an assassination not a riot.” Reaver would feel a bit of relief as Chloe got up from her seat. Slowly, she walked in a circle around him as she continued. “On the night of Vi-Chan's party, the Cardinal will be alone. I've come into possession of a former beacon girl by the name of Divina and have set up a ransom meeting. Foolishly, she thinks she can solve this with words in hope of some form of redemption.” She ended up in front of Reaver now.

“She knows she's walking into a trap, and we'll likely have a fight in for us, but if you do well-” Chloe lifted her leg, before bringing her heel sharply down on the back of his head. “I might be inclined to put up with your presence a bit longer.”

Reaver grunted slightly, eyeing the source of his somewhat titillating torment in the eyes, before she got up from his back, treating himself to a full view of Chloe’s backside for the briefest moment and the way she deliciously walked around like if she was the queen of the whole world. Those juicy legs… but she’d be mad if he tried to… partake in the feast all too soon. It was then when a sharp blow indicated one of his favorite parts.

Foot on head time. She really knew how to say convincing. “I shall compose a symphony with her wails and a perfume with her tears for you, my lady. Maybe use the face as purse. No, on second thought that one’s gross. Pardon this fool, his mind is not exempt of… temptation.”

“Hmph.” Chloe pressed her heel harder against the back of his head. Obedience like his was something she didn't get to see often, even if he was pain to deal with. “Do well enough, and I'll let you do whatever with her body before I send it back to beacon.” After a final shove downwards on his skull, Chloe dropped a piece of paper with the location and other details of the plan that he should have been aware of on the ground. “Don't screw it up”

Reaver said nothing more, before reaching out to the paper, and bring it close to his face, perhaps a little too close, tucked it in one of his pockets, and did not make eye with Chloe again, waiting the magical girl to leave his presence before rising once more, and scratching his head.

“Hmm, subtlety. Not something I’m particularly fond of… still if lady Chloe wants it, it shall be done.”

There was much work to do. Many preparations.

---

If there was one thing that Vi loved doing, it was a bit of pampering. Makeovers? Yes! Latest fashion trends? You know it! She might have been a bit of a shut in, but she absolutely loved keeping up with the latest trends or otherwise looking as what one might say as a high school girl as possible. It was a rare chance she got to just do...normal girly things without jumping at her own shadow or worrying about Beacon or the Mint.
She walked out of a building, run by a particularly fashionable magical girl that she had sworn to secrecy about her coming here. Still, out in public like this, she couldn't exactly announce her presence to the world. Aside from the fact her nails would get messed up in a fight, she really, really, wasn't looking for one.

Pausing for a moment to check Glimmr, Vi glanced to the sides. Didn’t seem like anyone was following her. Not that there were many people in penrose these days.
A few more minutes of walking, she arrived at the park just as night was falling over the city. Used to she'd love to play in places like this. Music had always been what she loved doing...the sheer emotion someone could make with a song was something that could speak to everyone.
…
Thinking about what she was going to be doing the night of the...party...made her skin crawl. She really didn't want too, but...what else could she do? She couldn't go to beacon, she'd be killed. Mint? If she went crawling back, she'd end up dead. Maybe if she could have met this Veronica person and their cradle, but she was former mint. No telling what sort of shady stuff she was into-
Her thoughts were interrupted by a rustling in the trees.

“...GWEH?!” A rather uncute scream as an owl flew from the ground, nearly pelting her in the face before flying off. “Geh…! Damn it nature…!”

Off in the distance, atop a different tree Aurelio was currently pondering what he should do. He was nearly done with his patrol for the night, only a few more blocks to go and he’d be able to turn in. Possibly meet up with Sally for a few hands of cards, her luck was slightly negated by his skill in reading emotions after all.

Thing is he could feel a surprising amount of Worry and Fear in the Park. it wasn’t the kind one would feel from an attack it felt too well worn to be that, and because of that he wasn’t sure if he should bother poking his nose into things or not. In the end he shrugged to himself, his Vow answered the question for him really.

Without another moment Aurelio would drop out of the tree and simply stroll in the direction of all the emotion. Whistling a happy little tune as he went. A simple snap later and his outfit would fade into a more normal ensemble and another moment passed and another snap would have a Clone popping into existence before it leapt back up into the tree Aurelio had just vacated. They were in dangerous times after all, nothing like having another pair of eyes keeping an eye out for trouble.

Thus by the time Aurelio came into line of sight of the bench that Vi was sitting on he looked like just a simple teen out for a stroll in the park. The small smile on his face would grow at seeing Vi and he would detour towards the bench “Seems I’m not the only one around here that still enjoys the peaceful atmosphere of the park” He would say in lieu of greetings “And here I thought most people had stopped visiting at this time, glad to see that’s not the case.”

Vi's head whipped around from the sound of Aurelio's voice. Immediately upon his approach, he'd sense a new surge of worry, anxiety, and a tinge of fear. Someone would easily assume the person those emotions were coming from would have noped out of whatever situation they were in. Instead, though, Vi simply looked at the other with a raised eyebrow, her face not betraying her underlying emotions at all.

“Oh greaaaat.” Vi replied with a huff. “Came here to be alone and looks like someone else is here.” A light smirk formed on her face. “Not that I can blame ya. Hard to find a high school girl as cute as me in Penrose these days. So what, saw me and had to ask me on a date? Sorry, I'm waaaay outta your league so just get lost, 'kaaaay?~”

Was this guy with Beacon? The Mint? Or was he just some random magical boy passing through? They couldn't be a normal human. Not out at this hour when most had been evacuated from the city. She wanted to run, but that might be a bad idea. Too suspicious.

“You wound me” He would say dramatically, rocking with the imagined blow, smiling all the while, though it would have dimmed “I just wanted to talk, I’m a people person and I’ve been out of the city for a while so most of my friends have gone to ground” He would explain calmly with a light shrug. He resisted the temptation to sit down and instead made sure that his hands were easily visible and kept the bench at least partly in between the two of them.

“Used to come here all the time, lots of people liked to wander through here, and you could meet people from all walks” Aurelio would go on to say his stance open and relaxed. “Still do on occasion since I got back. Not so many people anymore” he would finish with a melancholic sigh as he turned his gaze out towards the open field nearby.

“So you’re the meddling type, huh?” Vi replied with a mildly teasing tone. He didn't seem to be hiding anything, which was incredibly odd. Then why was he doing this? And who was he? She allowed herself to relax, just slightly despite the unknowns. That ever present fear and worry directed towards him didn't leave, but he could tell it had diminished, at least a little. “Well, whatevs. You wanna talk, then talk. You don't look like a Chad at least so I guess you're alright.” Vi leaned back, gazing up towards the sky and letting her arms rest on the back of the bench.

“Yup” Aurelio would reply with a smile as he popped the ‘P’ “Stage name is Aurelio” he would say with a slight bow “Never been much of a Chad, never wanted to be either, more of a theater nerd if you ask me and proud to be such” He would say giving an over the top heroic pose that he knew made him look ridiculous.

“How about you?” He’d ask, dropping his pose as he quirked an eyebrow at Vi “You don’t strike me as a Stacy, so who be your peeps?”

“Who 'be your peeps'” She laughed lightly. “Wow, trying a little too hard there drama king.” She waved a dismissive hand as she made a point to keep her gaze on the darkening sky above. “I was the band nerd myself. Y'know, except actually cool unlike you probably were.” She flashed a teasing grin. “Seriously, what kinda nerd goes around callin' themselves 'Aurelio'.” Same sort of nerd that went around the internet calling themselves 'Vi-chan' she mused idly to herself.
“Elivra if ya need a name.” She let out a long, drawn out sigh. “Just your resident cute highschool girl and musician...” she might have said some of that sentence with conviction earlier, but her words were now tinged with a slight sense of uncertainty. Depression, perhaps.

“Hey, it got a laugh so not all was in vain” He’d quip in response looking at the sky for a bit trying to see if there was anything to see, or if it was Elvira was simply looking out so as not to look in. “And while I was a total dweeb, not too hard to stay aloft in the cool crowd when you can do card tricks” He would counter returning his attention to Elvira.

His smile faltered a bit at the continued outpouring of negative emotions that came from his new acquaintance. “Nice to meet you Elivra, names Kyle. Think it’s kinda obvious why I go by Aurelio when I can help it” He would introduce himself with a shrug.

Aurelio would let the silence linger for a moment before speaking up again “We’ve already established that I’m the meddling sort, so let me know if I’m overstepping here, but is there anything I can do to help?” He would ask earnestly as he allowed his concern to surface.

“Weh?” Vi straightened her posture, sitting up and turning her head towards Aurelio. For a moment, he could feel a new surge of fear, anxiety, uncertainty – all being directed at him. Her eyes darted from him towards the opposite end of the park, and she very well looked like she might run, at least until a smug, toothy grin returned.

“Ahaaha, what are you talking about.” Her outward demeanor was definitely bright, but that's all it was. “The only problems a girl like me has, are too many boys tryin' to get in my number, and worryin' if I'll run into a total creepo stalker fan.” The facade would be kept up only for a few seconds longer as silence stretched for a few moments until she spoke up again. “...hey, what sorta music you like? Techno, rock, and a touch of orchestral pieces myself.”

Aurelio just had a unimpressed look on his face as Elivra tried to deflect his question away but he didn’t move. If she wanted to run he wasn’t going to chase after her at the moment. He had pushed, he knew when to cak off as well. Still to see her so easily plaster on a fake smile and seem like all was well hurt. It meant that she had been dealing with her troubles by herself for too long.

The bit about having fans also stuck out to him but he wasn’t going to pry.

“I’m a fan of symphonies, and any music that tells a story really. Also got a soft spot for old blues, if I’m being honest” He would answer “All in all it has less to do with the sounds and more to do with how it makes people feel”

“Right?!” Elvira jumped off the bench, an eager grin plastered on her face, however fake it'd be to Aurelio. “You totes get it! Like that's entirely why I took up playing! Making everyone feel something a piece was always great.” Vi would then go on to rant for a few minutes about music in general, her love of it...until eventually, all that fear was completely washed away. Eventually she'd pause, glance around, and give Aurelio an excited grin.

“Hey, you're like really easy to talk to y'know that? It's kinda weird.” She'd say before asking a question. “Mind if I play something for you? I'd need to get changed but I can totes do it if you want. I don't get to play for many live people these days.”

Aurelio would be more than happy to join in on rant, even if it was little more than just the odd comment here and there. As he could feel the tension drifting out of the other girl, and he would be damned if he tried to stop it.

By the time she offered to play something for him he had found himself sitting on the handrail of the bench grinning widely. “I’m a people person, what can I say?” He’d reply with a shrug “And if you want to play something by all means. I’d love to hear you play”

“Right- uh, just- don't freak out and don't go anywhere for a second, kay?” Why was she doing this? This had terrible idea. She didn't know this guy, and the more she thought about it the more weird he was. Who just went up and randomly talked to strangers like that? Well, whatever, he was probably a magical boy, and at the moment, for once, she didn't care who he was. He didn't seem hostile.

Just as she was about to, however, her phone rang.
“Bweh?!” A new surge of worry and panic as she quickly reached for the phone. “Geh...horrible timing as ever. Uh, gimme a sec I need to take this.”
“Hey, it's ya best girl here.” She said, putting on her usual winning grin. “What'cha need? You...need me to do...what? You can't be serious!?” Vi's eyes widened as she tried to process what she was being asked for. “Wait wait you-you said I wouldn't...I need, geh...fine...I get it...fine...I'll be there.” For a few seconds she just stood there, before turning around and grinning at Aurelio.
“Sorry, guess I'ma have to cancel that. Work calls. Uhm, maybe I'll see you around?”

Aurelio’s disappointment was easy to see but he nodded in understanding nonetheless “Work always calls at the worst time, I swear” He’d say shaking his head as he stood up. “I tend to swing through here at least once a week at this time” he would go on to say gesturing to the park at large “So we can definitely meet up again.” Smiling he would reach into his pockets and pull out a marker and a playing card. “Also” He would jot down his phone number on to the card before offering it up “In case you want to talk some other time, or need help, or just want to meet up sooner”

“...heh.” Vi gave Aurelio a toothy grin. “Smooth, Kyle, smooth.” She took his card with two fingers and glanced at it. “Got me talkin' and gave me your number. Whatevs though, you're not half bad so yeah, sure might hit ya up for a IRL party date later.” She stuffed the card in her bag, pausing a moment and laughing.

“Oh, and duh, need something to post to Glimmr. Stand still for a sec.” Before Aurelio could say anything, he'd find Vi standing right next to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder as she pulled out her phone. A camera flash later and she had taken a rather forceful selfie of the two of them on her phone. “Heheh, be glad you got to be in a selfie with me. I know some fans that'd kill for that privilege. Welp, gotta go though!”

She shoved the phone back into her pockets, and started to run off.

“Ah, and ya know, if you want,” She turned, shouting back at Aurelio. “Call me Vi next time!”

“Catch ya round!” Aurelio would call out as Vi raced off into the darkness. A smile in place until he was sure she was gone.

“Damn” he muttered to himself, running a hand across his face as he let the illusion on his outfit fade. He was pretty damn sure that that was the eponymous ‘Vi-Chan’ who was responsible for setting up the Rave.

Yet he doubted that she was doing it of her own volition at this point. He wasn’t a Light user, so he couldn’t tell if he was being lied to, but her Emotions told their own tale and one that had him feeling that she was being pressured into things. After all most girls aren't kicking out that much Worry and Panic over a work related phone call.

He clicked his tongue as he turned back to his patrol route. He needed to talk to Alicia about this, and Sally. They might need to rescue someone from the dark soon.

---

Elvira quickly made her way back to her current hideout. Many different ideas running through her head, namely about simply skipping town and just starting over. She had money. She could live fine elsewhere, but...for how long? How long could she keep running from everything. It seemed every time she thought she was safe, something else happened.

Soon she had walked back in, and she was greeted with a rather unpleasant sight. Chloe.

"Heyyy, Chloe heard you had a business call for me...uh, I did...hear you right, I think?" Chloe returned the question with a smirk.“You want me to do what!?” Vi’s face contorted, a mix of fear, anger, and anxiety. Crossing her face as she stared at Chloe. “I-I you-you said I wouldn’t have to-I’m, but-”

“Quit your stuttering.” Chloe replied coldly. “You’re already a public enemy for Beacon. Just add it to the list of things they’ll charge against you. Wouldn’t be the first time you’ve killed one of theirs, would it?”

“But, I-you...ugh, damn it…!”

“Don’t worry, just do this little thing for me and I’ll make sure you’re fine...or would you rather I get you before the Mint does?”

“...tch...not like I have much of a choice...” Vi slumped in her chair, an exasperated sigh. “Fine. FINE.”

“That’s a good girl. Get on with it then.”

“Ugh, threatening a Cardinal...that’s a new one, even for me...” Vi turned towards her computer, starting to type away at the keyboard.

---

Not long after a certain message would show up on the Cardinal’s Glimmr account. Something only she could see, and something that no one else would be able to track easily. Even if they could, it wasn’t like it’d solve anything. It was a simple message, branding with a usual logo VI used for most of her online activities.

“Heya, Cardinal. It’s ya girl Vi-chan here! Wow, bet you weren’t expecting me to message you personally, were ya? You should feel special, heh! Before you do anything silly, lets just say someone’s life might hinge on you following through with this. Remember Divina? I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t. You probably don’t even remember any of your subordinates' names, heh.”

About two hours later, Vi’s message got a private reply.

“Thank you for messaging me. I know it can be difficult for the corrupted to reach out to members of the Beacon, so I am grateful. Please release Divina from her imprisonment. Her friends and family miss her dearly. Is there something you would want in exchange for her freedom?”

The reply would come almost immediately.

“Y’know being called 'Corrupted' is really annoying. I'm just a totally cute high school girl who brings people happiness with her music. Why’s Beacon always gotta be hatin'?” “Lol, but unlike you I don't hold grudges and am willing to be nice to people who don't like me. You want Divina? Then I want you. Alone, Cardinal. A personal meeting.

I know this sounds like a trap, because it totes is, but heeey, at least you'll get a shot at Divina, right? Or is Beacon's Cardinal all show? Should I tell her that her 'family' doesn't care about her? Pretty lame of beacon to do that.”

The next reply came much faster, about five minutes later.

"I'm sorry if I offended you. I was unaware the term is interpreted as hate speech, which was not my intention. I also apologize on behalf of Beacon for any hatred you may have suffered from their ranks.
We all care for Divina, and wish to see her back with us safely. For that, I am willing to meet with you on my own."

“Ahahaah, wow. You're apologizing now? After your little do gooders have tried murdering me countless times when I just wanted to be left alone to make music for people? Even after I begged for help after escaping the mint?! That's rich. I'd laugh if it didn't piss me-

Tch, whatever. Gettin' so worked up is gonna ruin my makeup.

Listen up, Boomer Mc. Boomy pants. The night of the party, There'll be an empty park. You want Divina? Meet me there. And I will know if you're not alone or have someone watching your back.”

A second window would show up on the Cardinals glimmr account. A map of Penrose marked with a map and a time.
The final reply came a couple of minutes later.

“I understand. I hope that we shall reach a mutual understanding.”

“Heh, we'll see. See you, Cardinal.”

And with that, the connection was cut, leaving the Cardinal to do with the information what she wanted.

---

“You really think that's gonna work?” Vi looked at the computer screen, hands balled into fists as she resisted the urge to shiver.

“Probably not.” Chloe replied with a huff. “Either she'll come, or she'll send some beacon girls. Either way, I get what I want for now.” Though if she didn't, she'd need to find a new way to handle the Cardinal. At least this, though, could likely buy her a bit of time.

“Nothing...nothing else for the mint, right?”

“...heh, we'll see.” Chloe smirked. “You just keep doing what I tell you, and you don't have to worry about a little thing.” Giving the other girl an overly friendly pat on her cheek, Chloe made her way towards the exit. Vi grimaced at the touch, inhaling sharply and glaring at Chloe as she left.

Damn it, if that moth wasn't always watching her...she'd have already taken care of this herself.

"Calm down Vi," She said, tapping her fingers against the keyboard. "Just be a clever little girl and handle this..." Chloe probably thought she was entirely pacified, but she couldn't stand being used like this, and she wasn't going to take it if she could help it...but what?

They always say that two things in life are certain: Death and taxes. But in Silhouette’s life, it was the one thing that was completely uncertain that she had to keep an eye on. Its name was just five letters long, and it was looking for her.

A shadow bounded from rooftop to rooftop. Homing in on the unsuspecting assassin. It had finally found Silhouette, who seemed to be presently unaware of their location. Probably because she was asleep. The shadow seeped down from the rooftops and slid into her room, where it hunched over Silhouette’s prone form. That was when it opened it’s toothy maw and said.

”Sil!” Trixy’s arms were hanging at her sides. ”I just realized that 4 is the most honest number. Look!” She started lifting her fingers. ”1 has 3 letters, 2 has 3 letters, 3 has 5 letters for some reason. 5 has 4 letters, 6 has 3 letters, 7 has 5 letters, 8 has 5 letters, and a 9 has 4 letters. But!” She raised 4 fingers. ”4 has 4 letters!” Trixy placed her hands on her hips. ”I was going to make a post about it, but I knew Blair would just get upset again. I’ve been trying to keep things as business-like as possible.”

Samantha was anything but a morning person before she drank her coffee. Her hair hadn't been tended to, so it was a disheveled mess, and it was clear she wasn't all there by the blank expression she had as her eyes attempted to both adjust and scan the room as if she wasn't entirely sure where she was. However, once she recognized her own room, she turned to Trixie.

"...I am a blade," she began, her figure freezing in place. "A blade knows no fear. A blade knows no doubt." Her lips obviously weren't moving, and her voice seemed to be coming from all around the room at once. "When faced with my enemy, I hesitate not. Magical girl transformation." Samantha's image shattered like glass, leaving Silhouette in its place. Without another word, she grabbed one of Trixie's hands, which would then lose feeling after, as well as not being able to move -- it was locked in its position, under the effects of Stasis.

It was only once this was done that Sil spoke to Trixie directly. "I can make a lot of Cradle agents happy if I do the same to your mouth." she threatened. "Why'd you wake me up with that drabble?"

Trixy yelped. ”I-I did it because-” She sighed and raised her other hand defensively. ”Look uh, I have a hard time asking for what I want sometimes, so I like to lead up to it with a cool fact or a joke. Heh, doesn’t seem to have worked this time, since I’m even more nervous.”

“Nervous? You?” Sil scoffed as she waited for Trixie to continue.

Trixie pulled out a hankie and went over her forehead with it. Then she chucked it into her mouth, and the whole thing vanished without as much as a chew. ”I’ve been pretty good to you recently. I-I mean I’ve cut my posting down and focused on making more comprehensive updates. It’s been a few days since Blair’s yelled at me, which is a first.” She chuckled. ”I think I deserve a treat, don’t you?”

Silhouette studied Trixie's features until she was satisfied that the girl was probably not lying, and then removed her hand from Stasis. She did, however, still cast a skeptical look at the ravenous mahou shoujo. "A treat? For not being obnoxious?" she asked. "I suppose Blair not having a meltdown because of you is rare. But I don't really have any 'treats' here. It's... better if I don't cook, after all."

Trixy’s eyes seemed to acquire a seductive allure as she leaned in closer. ”Some would say you are the trea-” Sil locked her hand in stasis, this time going all the way up to her shoulder. ”What I meant to say was that since you’ll never be my date, you can be my wingman at the upcoming dark magical party.”

"I thought you were asking for a treat?"

”Weird sensations in my arm have caused me to reconsider where the treat is discovered.”

Samantha shook her head. "Wingman? I don't think that's in my repertoire," she said, not yet removing the girl's arm. "You're better off choosing someone else."

Trixy sighed. ”I don’t have any other options. Betty’s too hung up over Binky, Remedy doesn’t swing that way, I don’t think asking Blair is a good idea, Don’t think Veronica is even going, Maura is out of my league and Eliza is so precious that I just think us going together would be a bad idea.” Trixy looked at her arm. ”And you have frozen my arm twice in the span of thirty seconds.”

Listening to the girl list off other failed choices for a date, she spoke. "If you had any tact, I might consider it."

”Tact? Tact?” A root crept out from Trixy’s other palm and wrapped around Sil’s free arm. Now they were both restricting each other's arms. ”I’m so tact that you could mistake me for a bulletin board! I held Crimson Cradle together for months without a patron. Magicoms didn’t work, couldn’t officially recruit new girls, No way to even pay anyone, and no access to the cradle. I had nothing but my wits, shining charisma, and unyielding loyalty to weather the storm.” Her eyes widened. ”And I did it all with Remedy and Blair. Blair, and what few girls I could convince that Veronica would come back and fix this city.” Trixy closed her eyes. ”Now, given, Beacon did kind of take over, and the monsters kind of had their way with the place a bit. I also had to move home base outside of Penrose, but I kept a foot in the door. We never lost Penrose.” When her eyes opened again, there was determination brewing inside them. ”And if that’s not worth a treat, I don’t know what is.” The tip of the root up by Sil’s shoulder sprout a flexible vine. It curled around the back of her ear and bloomed into a red flower.

"It certainly is impressive, particularly coming from you," Sil admitted, shifting uncomfortably with the root on her arm. "But as I said, I don't know why you want me to do this. Be it a date or being a wingman, I'm probably terrible at both. You’re sure you can't find someone better suited?"

The fire in Trixy’s eyes died instantly. ”Uhhh.” She shrugged. ”I mean, being honest? I think you’re the best I can do on short notice.” She chuckled. ”I made a logo for you, right? Figured as a last resort I could use that to get you to go along with it..”

Silhouette sighed. "Alright, fine. I'll do whatever, I guess." She wasn't exactly sure what she was getting into, but she was going to the party anyway, so it would just be a way to pass the time. At least that's how Sam rationalized it.

"Now that I think about it, I don't have any good clothes," she hadn't yet gone to any real formal gathering as a magical girl before. Expensive clothes and appearing as a higher class person was important in her human life, but she never really needed anything besides her outfit in this one.

Samantha’s room was nothing to scoff at, but her wardrobe was. Her preference was always comfort over fashion. But assuming it was best to look better than normal, this posed a dilemma -- what was she going to wear. "Would you happen to have an idea of what I should wear, then?"

”I do actually.” The root on Sil’s arm retracted back into its seed. ”But first you need to let go of my arm.”

With a swing of her arm, Trixy’s Hammerspace wardrobe opened up. Two dark portals with a closet rod between them appeared, at which point clothes started to flood the rod from both sides. When Trixy pushed the clothes to one side, brand new ones would appear on the other side. ”Votes were pretty high for sexy, so I think we gotta get you lookin’ pretty hot too.” She pulled a plaid skirt off of a clothes hanger. ”You still need to be yourself though, so we need something clean looking.” She pulled a white long sleeve shirt down, followed by a black jacket. ”But clean isn’t plain, so let’s accessorize a bit!” Trixy grabbed some suspenders and a ribbon before approaching Sil. ”Just put these on, I’ll wait outside.”

---

Once Sil walked outside her room, Trixy pushed a pair of black frame glasses onto the bridge of her nose. ”And a little something extra to make you look less intimidating.” Trixy brushed back Sil’s hair before folding her arms. “Ha! I kinda like it! You look pretty sweet.”

Samantha shifted uncomfortably in her new getup. The glasses, in particular, felt a bit strange. But she’d just have to adjust. ”Is that so?” she asked, adjusting her glasses and looking down at her chest. ”I feel exposed.”

”You’re mega cute though!” Trixy took a picture of Sil with her phone before dancing over to her. She held the image up for her to see. ”Glasses drive some people absolutely nuts.” She looked up at Silhouette. ”And before you ask, I have no idea what I’m wearing. It was pretty much a 50/50 split between sexy and school outfit, give or take a few hundred votes.”

“I guess it’s no bikini,” she sighed, wishing time would heal the wound left by the beach kidnapping. But the embarrassment and humiliation she felt then would likely stick around long after. “Has anyone else given their opi---” before Samantha could finish her sentence, she was cut off by a wolf whistle. Startled due to the belief that she and Trixie were the only thots ones in the room, she turned to see…

“I think sexy is the way to go, cutie~!” a familiar Shade had somehow manifested itself without the consent of its owner. “Oh, and isn’t Silly just looking adorable! This is strangely more appetizing than the bikini.” Shade’s appearance was almost extremely similar to the new fresh Samantha’s, but her jacket was closed and her skirt was a simple black, making this the easiest way to distinguish the two -- aside from their personalities, that is.

Trixy stood up a bit straighter. ”I didn’t see her in a bikini. But if you say so it must be true!” She was salivating a bit. ”You never told me you had a twin. What gives?”

“W-what are you even doing here?” Samantha asked, suddenly nervous. “D-don’t make me end you.”

Shade was not intimidated by Samantha in the least, it seemed. She instead gave a devilish grin, and began inching closer to Sam. “Oho~? You don’t know~? Teehee~” she practically sang, moving another step forward. Samantha took a step back, and Shade shot a glance towards Trixie before her grin became even bigger. “Are you sure~?” by this point, Samantha was pushed against the wall… by herself, technically. “Then I’ll tell you~”

The shadow immediately disengaged Samantha and turned towards Trixy, whom she walked up to. “She likes the outfit.” Shade told her. “Like, REALLY likes it. So much!”

“I-I find it refreshing, nothing more!” Sam denied. “It’s just a nice change of pace, that’s all.”

”She does?!” Trixy squealed. ”Does this mean she could be more than a wingman? Maybe Veronica’s top agent, and her top manager-” Trixy squealed. Somehow her eyes and uvula acquired a heart shape, which probably wasn’t possible for non-magical girls.

Trixy hovered in cloud nine for a moment before looking at Shade. ”But what are you doing here? Why hasn’t Silhouette told me about her feisty twin?”

Samantha was stuck on a loop of opening her mouth to deny something, then stopping because she couldn’t find any real words to say. Naturally, Shade didn’t allow this opportunity to pass by. “Oh, she tries not to think about me too much. But I’m always there. Watching. Waiting.” she seemed pretty interested in watching Sam try to come up with a retort, even barely stifling a laugh. But she turned again to Trixy. “This is… the first time we’ve actually met, isn’t it? You didn’t go to the beach, after all.” she shamelessly checked Trixy out. “Shame you weren't at the beach. But looking at you, I think sexy is the way to go! You could really pull it off!”

”I could!”

“C-can it, Shade!” Samantha finally regained a semblance of composure. “And you,” she stared at the star-eyed Trixy. “I don’t need you making up tabloid titles.” she exhaled slowly.

“Well, aren’t you fussy?” Shade grabbed Trixy by the shoulders and moved her so that she’d be standing extremely close to Samantha. Obviously, Samantha attempted to back off, but as if she’d disappeared and reappeared in an instant, Shade was then behind her, blocking off her retreat. “There~!” she said. “Look into those beautiful little red orbs of Sam’s and ask her to date you. I'm sure you'll love the answer.”

“W-what are you doing!?”

Trixy took a single step towards Sil and took one of her hands in her own. ”Sil? No, Sam?” Her grin spread across her face, and her voice became more high pitched as she spoke. ”If I dressed sexy for you, would you go on a date with me?” The “me” was so high pitched it was practically a squeak.

Samantha looked away. "D-don't mess with me!" she unsteadily yelped. "I said I would, but why would you want to? I don't appreciate being teased."

Trixy squealed again. Her pale skin was turning a shade of red. ”Why would I want to? I had no idea you were so precious!” She jumped up and down. ”This has changed my entire strategy. If you’re this precious Sam, I’ve gotta look like I can protect you.” Trixy opened her hammerspace wardrobe again.

Trixy stepped behind her wardrobe to act as a sort of privacy screen. Once she was dressed, she pushed aside the clothes to reveal her new look. Trixy was wearing a modified military bomber jacket, with a designer belt and a short skirt. ”Whaddaya think Shade? Can I rock the bad girl look?” She stepped through her wardrobe so that she was in front of Samantha. ”You like military apparel right? Or does this cover too much? But hey, look at these legs.” She slowly raised one of her legs until it was perfectly vertical.

By this point in time, Samantha's face was as red as her color code (which is literally red btw). Aside from repeating one or two words Trixy said, like 'precious', she didn't exactly say anything. Yet again, Shade spoke instead. "Woah! That's great!" she stared at Trixy with eyes shaped like stars. "I wonder how many looks you can pull off, cutie. But with you like that, and little miss 'assassin' here looking like the girl next door, I think it'd look just adorable!" she looked at Sam. "Don't you~?"

"I-I don't know. I've already said I'm bad with this kind of thing." She still didn't look at either of them. "A-and I'm not precious!"

"Yeah, yeah, you keep telling yourself that." Shade laughed, before eying Trixy, but still spoke to Samantha. "How are you going to play tsun when you have this flexible cutie wanting to be your date? She looks like she could--oh, well, I'm an idol so I shouldn't be saying certain things, but the point is, Trixy here's quite the catch too."

"..."

The maido hugged herself and laughed. ”This is great! Thank you, Shade!” She reached out and placed a hand on Samantha’s shoulder. ”The best part is that since this is technically our second date, kissing will no longer be off-limits. So that’ll be cool if things go well.” Trixy turned to look at Shade. ”Now I don’t want to ruffle any feathers, but if you need a date, I can set you up.” With that, a second Trixy seemed to split off from the original and approached Shade.

”Hey pumpkin.” The second Trixy ran a hand through Shade’s hair.

”Get a load of this!” Trixy laughed again. ”Two sets of twins going to the party together!” She leaned her head on Samantha’s shoulder. ”Thanks for coming through for me Sam.”

"Y-yeah, no problem..."

Shade locked fingers with Trixy V.2 and grinned. "A nice buy one, get one free sale on cuties with a limit of two! How jealous do you think everyone at the party will be? A little bit? A lottle bit?" she spun the Trixy clone around, and then dipped her toward the ground as if they were ballroom dancing. When she let the second Trixy back up, she eyed the girl with a pensive stare. "Hmm, but for maximum effect, we need to stand out on our own a little! But what can we do? Hrm... Oh, yeah! Hey, can you speak in a different voice, maybe?" she asked the clone. "No point in changing how you look because you're just adorable, but at least for the party, something to really set you apart would be wonderful, I'm sure!"

The clone winked. ”Good thinking Shade! It would be easier if I just altered my voice a bit. But I need to be careful because I don’t want to sound like someone else.” She cleared her throat. ”I call this one Dusty Brooklyn. It’s got a bit of brown noise in it.” She cleared her throat again. ”And I call this one Muddy Brooklyn. As it has even more brown noise.” She swatted her cheeks. ”This one I call Soft Glacier. You can probably pick up on the high-frequency blue noise in it.” She snorted. ”And this is my biker voice. But it’s deep so that means it has more violet noise. Probably.”

"Excellent!" she clapped. "We just need to choose one, now. And I think we can start by removing Muddy Brooklyn, because it kinda has a 'potholey' feel about it, and your biker voice sounds a bit too much like Veronica!" she laughed. "So that leaves Dusty Brooklyn and Soft Glacier..." She squinted her eyes as if thinking extremely hard on the choice, but finally relaxed, bringing a finger to the air. "Ha! Dusty fits your aesthetic a bit more, even if the glacier sounds cuter. Lets go with that, unless you have a preference for the other?"

Trixy’s double grinned. ”I don’t mind being dusty! If you find this voice pleasing I would love to use it.” Then her jaw hung open. ”Why don’t we just call me Dusty then? It would get confusing if we both shared the same names. Even with different voices, it would be hard for us to know who you are talking to.”

”We might have need of the other voice anyway.” Trixy wrapped an arm around Samantha’s waist. ”I can reliably maintain a few clones. Could be good for spying, and other stuff. You know I can fuse with my duplicates and inherit their memories?” The maido’s eyes rolled up into her head, and her cheeks glowed a hearty red. But with a shake of her head, she looked back at Samantha. ”I mean, that’s only if you don’t think this is going to work out.” Trixy scratched the back of her head and her smile faded a bit. ”If you’re serious about going on a date with me, I won’t have any clones other than Dusty wandering around. Unless circumstances dictate I must, or you’re into that sort of thing.”

Samantha stared into Trixy's eyes. "I said I would do it, didn't I? If I wasn't being serious then I wouldn't bother, especially when I could be drinking a nice cup of coffee right now," she said, flicking Trixy's forehead. "And I don't know what you mean by 'into that sort of thing', but," she flicked Trixy again. "I assume it was lewd."

Shade shook her head. "Or maybe you're just having lewd thoughts~"

Trixy allowed Samantha’s finger to bounce off of her head. ”I’m just making sure you don’t want to share me is all.” Her smile widened. ”I’m pretty sure you just said you liked me more than coffee That’s not something to take lightly.” Trixy nuzzled against Samantha’s neck, before biting into it.

Shade’s eyes lit up. “Ooh~! Not wasting a moment, are you?” she purred.

Samantha let out a small yelp. “W-what are you doing?”

”Mph?” Trixy pulled back. ”Huh? Uh, no! I mean, heh.” She ran her finger along the side of Samantha’s neck. ”I just placed a mark on you that lets me know when you’re in trouble. Gotta look after my cute girlfriend right?” There were faint markings that looked like a circle of dotted triangles. It wasn’t particularly noticeable unless you were looking for it. ”I should probably be off, but I’m going to be counting the seconds until our date starts.”

”Looks like it’s time to go back to work.” Dusty gave Shade a hug. ”I’ll see you soon!”

The two maids waved to their respective dates before walking down the hall.

"Bye~!" Shade waved at them as they left.

Samantha had a hand resting on the love bite as she wordlessly watched them leave. She wasn't sure how she felt. As per the standard with Trixy, things were weird. And this happened all so suddenly, too. Dating? A girlfriend? What was all that supposed to mean? To do? What did it entail? What would she need to change? She was a bit anxious, honestly.

But, she agreed to it in the end, so she couldn't back out now. Especially not now that she had this mark. It meant a lot, she imagined. "Ah," she sighed.

"...what is it?" Shade asked, turning to face her.

"It's just..." Sam smiled. "I could really use a good cup of coffee right now."

Chloe had decided to spend the rest of the day making a few final adjustments to Penny's soul. Smooth over those scars, fill in any gaps left behind by her splitting. It'd be bad if something else tried to work its way in. Reinforce it so it didn't get weakened. Eventually though, she'd simply spend the rest of the night with Penny.
Chloe woke with a stretch, climbing out of the bed and glancing over to Penny. Really, she put far too much work into this and she needed it to pay off sooner rather than later. Splitting a soul would have drastic repercussions, especially since it wasn't done with the coin. Very likely she'd be weakened beyond what was normal for something.
Well, as long as she could do what she asked, it didn't matter.

Penny last night had simply been happy. Pleased to simply be in Chloe presence, she was also much more tactile than usual. Always wanting to hold Chloe’s hand or cuddle up with her if possible. Thus it would likely be a small bit of a surprise to learn that Penny was already up and gone when Chloe woke up.

The question of where Penny was would be quickly answered as the apartment door would open shortly after this realization and Penny could be heard humming a random tune. Penny would stick her head into the bedroom and pout “Aww, I was hoping I would make it back before you woke up” She would say with a hint of disappointment “Have you been up long?” She would ask as she slipped fully into the room, dropping out of her transformation as she went, and she was obviously hiding something behind her back as well.

“Mmm, just woke up.” Chloe replied. She gave Penny a studious gaze. She seemed fine, for the most part still. That was good. “You seem to be in a good mood.” The dark magical girl took a few steps towards her girlfriend, leaning from side to side, obviously aware she was trying to hide something. “Eeeeh? Is my little Penny trying to hide something from me?~”

“Maaaybe?” Penny would reply playfully as she twisted in opposition to keep what it was she had behind her back hidden “I’m in a good mood. Just got back from the new store that opened up. Got myself a new weapon, since my other half walked away with my Fists” she would say with a childish grimace. Though it wouldn’t stay long before being replaced with a wide smile. “And I picked up a gift for you! Even got it at a discount” She would remark her smile turning into a smug smirk.

“Just got to say the magic words to get it” Penny would say in a slightly sing-song way.

“Eeeeh...” Chloe pouted for a moment before her mouth turned into a grin. Well, if Penny wanted to play. “Magic words, huh?” Chloe quickly closed the distance between her and Penny. She might have been technically smaller than the other girl, but she wasn't going to let herself be teased without a bit of payback. “Hmm, I can't think of any magic words. Such a shame...but maybe I should go ahead and give you a fun little reward for the present? Skip right to my thanking you?” One of her hands wrapped itself around Penny's waist.

Penny would have a delighted grin on her face for just a moment while Chloe closed the distance between them. It would be replaced by a sheepish one when the smaller girl slipped her hand around Penny’s waist “B-b-but how would you know how much a t-t-thank you want to give w-w-without knowing what it is?” the taller girl would stammer out due to the sudden proximity, blushing slightly.

She did not retreat however.

“And t-t-the magic words are easy. J-j-just have to think a-a-about how you ask for g-g-gifts” She would say trying to stand strong.

“Tsk, my dear little Penny.” Chloe giggled, she grabbed one side of Penny's face gently with a hand, gently rubbing her cheek. “A gift from you always deserves as much thanks as I can give...like this~” Penny would feel Chloe's lips on her other cheek, lingering for longer than just a simple show of affection...and then she'd feel Chloe's hand swipe the present from behind the other girls back before Chloe broke contact, jumping away with a teasing grin.

“Fufufu, thanks for the show, Penny.” She teased. “Glad to know your still as adorable despite what happened, hehe...and...oh wow.” Chloe blinked in surprise at what she had swiped from Penny. “It's...a doll...of...you?!” For a moment, Chloe seemed to try and process this before laughing brightly. “Oh, this is for me? I suppose even when you're not here I can have you all to myself now, huh?”

Penny was more or less putty in Chloe’s hand, stunned and completely swept up in the moment of teasing. Thus it took her a moment to come back to her senses when Chloe swiped the gift she had brought. [color=C76689][b]“Chloe” she would say with a pout even as she was still blushing.

The pout would clear away as she smiled softly. “Of course it’s for you” Penny would say as she gave Chloe as side hug “I’m glad you like it” She would say just enjoying the look of glee on her girlfriends face.

“Any plans for the day?” She would ask quietly hoping that they would be able to simply spend the day together. She could start her investigation later after all, or pass it off to her other half to deal with.

“Well,” Chloe's appearance turned more serious as she placed the doll on a nearby table. “As much as I'd like to be lazy today, I have things I need to do.” She said with a mild hint of annoyance. “And...I want to know how you are doing, Penny. You seem fine. Your soul is stable enough, but a split like that would likely make you weaker. You still have my token, don't you? You're probably a lot weaker than you were before and it concerns me.”

“Yeah I’ve still got it” Penny would reply pulling the pendant out from under her shirt and held it up so that it could be seen “And I can tell I’ve lost a bit of overall strength, but I don’t think it’s as bad as it could have been. I was boosting myself with my Coin reserve just before the Split.” She would explain letting the pendant drop.

“I can tell some things have changed, thinking is a bit slippery, but feeling has never been easier!” She would say with a large grin. “I don’t think I can call on the Earth Bastion however. I can still feel the connection, but it’s just out of reach. Wonder if it’s the same for my other half.” She would muse as she moved to sit on the bed. “My Powers still seem like they work, as I could feel my regen working as soon as we got back here last night. I lost my weapon, got a new one though so that’s not a big deal. And I’ve got a bit of magical ability now, which is nice”

“Hm...” Chloe nodded. Well, that was expected, but just how weakened was she? Well, time to test the waters at least. “...Penny, I know I said before I have a favor to ask, but I'm a little hesitant now.” She would say with a slight frown. “With you being as you are, now, but I wouldn't want to put you in danger, but you're the only one I know that wouldn't try to get something out of me if I asked for help.” Chloe sighed, visibly wrestling with asking a question.

“...do you think you could kill my patron?”

“Yes” Penny would reply almost before Chloe had finished asking and it would be easy to see Penny mentally step back and review the request more fully after she answered. “I should still have access to my Killing Blow, but I’ve likely only got one shot of it.” She would add on slowly as she turned over the various thoughts and possibilities in her head.

“Do you have any frame of reference for how durable his hide is?” Penny would ask as she started to run the numbers on the rather ridiculous task of killing a dragon. Yet she wasn’t retracting her affirmation, Just seeking a way to prove it beyond just a feeling.

“Mhm, likely harder than any metal you've dealt with but I'm not sure how to compare it.” Chloe said with a small frown. “But the crystalline growths on his hide are more fragile, so they would likely be your best bet at hurting him.” No need to mention the fact they were filled completely with corrupt energy and wouldn't likely be good to be around.

“Are any of these crystals located on his neck?” Penny would ask as she started to draw up a semblance of a plan on how to face the encounter “And is this going to be an ambush or an assault?” If she could get the drop on him she would only need one good hit and she should be able to drop him, but she wasn’t sure how likely that was going to be.

“There may be a few, but the majority are on his legs and sides.” Chloe replied thoughtfully. “Though I believe there may be one on the back of his head.” Getting a surprise attack off though? Chloe thought for a moment, placing a hand on her chin as she considered the available routes. “Unfortunately, I don't see how you'd get a surprise attack on him. There's only one real way into his lair, and he'd know the moment you'd open the door...unless you had someway to maybe teleport in, but he's very sensitive to magic even then, so you'd only get a few seconds at most.”

Penny grimaced at that, she wasn’t terribly surprised, but it still was going to make things much more difficult as the only Teleportation she knew of was the Beacon Teleporters and she doubted that they would be able to use them. “And is there going to be anyone other than just us tackling it?” She would ask, shifting her ideas towards a battle of attrition. More people would make it easier to nickel and dime the dragon down after all. “And when were you thinking of doing this?”

“I was going to have Divina help you take care of it.” Chloe replied. “She's not very suited to a long battle, but she should be able to help you. As for when,” The dark magical girl ended up taking a seat on a nearby couch. “During the night of the party. I'd rather not have the Ascendancy snooping around if they feel a large discharge of magical energy. If they're busy with that, it will at least give me time to cover things up.”

“Hmm” Penny mused over the information given but there wasn’t a whole lot else that could be done. “Might want to find a medic for afterwards but otherwise I think we should be able to take care of it.” She rolled the idea around in her head for a moment longer before shrugging it off. She had said she would do it for Chloe, no reason to back down now.

“I'd help myself, but considering things, I don't think it'd be a good idea.” She sighed. “I'll look into a medic. I have someone in mind, but at the moment I am hesitant to trust them. Assuming things go well though, I'd be more than happy to introduce the two of you.”
“I get that” Penny would reply “Going against your Patron hurts, trust me” She would absently rub a hand across her chest before shaking herself to banish that memory. “Sounds like that’s all for that topic, but you mentioned you had other things to do today. Want my help?”

Chloe hummed, leaning her head slightly to the side before smiling.

“Mhm, no, that's fine. I have some Mint work I need to take care of before they start getting uppity...though, if you want, we could test that new weapon of yours. There's always some monster that needs beating, I'm sure.”

“Blech, Mint” Penny would make a disgusted face at the mention of the secretive organization “Once your done on that end I’d love to go play with some monsters and get used to my new weapon, it’s got quite the fancy trick to it”

“Well you'll have to show me then.” Chloe grinned, hopping up and giving Penny a quick hug. “I'll be back later. And don't eat weird metal this time, please.”

“No need to worry about that I think” Penny would deadpan as she returned the hug, holding it a moment longer to hide the uncomfortable look that flashed across her “I’ll see you later”

Penny would wait a few minutes after Chloe left and then she’d head out to the Sanctuary and see if she could help out with any of the reconstruction.

---

It was a normal afternoon at the Beacon HQ. Various girls walked the halls talking about various things. Some were talking about the training they had planned, some were still talking about the trial that was near a week ago at this point, and yet others were quietly preparing for a confrontation.

All of them would quiet down as they walked by one member however. For they were a member that none of them really seemed to know what to do with. After all, how does one reconcile the fact that a Monster had a Spark?

The girl in question, was unfazed by this, she found that she was unfazed by a lot more than she used to be. Regardless Penny stood silently at the front desk waiting. She had sent in a formal request to meet with Rachel a couple of days ago, she had wanted to try and understand the fiercely driven girl for reasons Penny had difficulty putting into words.

So here she was, waiting.

After a few minutes of waiting a familiar face would emerge. ”Hey Penny,” Alicia said to the waiting girl with a small wave. She then glanced at a clipboard that rested on the desk before nodding to herself.

”It says here you wanted to meet with Rachel, and that the Ascendancy signed off on it. I can take you there,” she told her friend. Once Penny had joined her, she would proceed walking through the HQ to the part where Rachel likely would be at this time. She had a few spots she liked to frequent when she wasn’t out in the city hunting down monsters, as Alicia had learned since taking on her new position.

Glancing over at her friend as they walked, she patted Penny on the shoulder. ”Good luck. I’m pretty sure she only ever interacts with me for longer than a minute because she has to for the job, so you’ve got your work cut out for you.”

”Acknowledged” Penny would reply evenly as she followed after her friend before tilting her head to the side. It was obvious that the split had effected this half of Penny as at times she was much more robotic then she had ever been while whole, and no one was more aware of this then Penny herself “I am willing to simply listen if Rachel is willing to speak. I just seek to further my understanding.”

Sometimes it was easier to remember how Penny had divided herself, that the girl next to her was only one half of the person that Alicia knew to be Penny. She still felt bad about that and wished she could do more, but she was starting to accept it.

”Alright, just be careful. If she starts getting to you just remember that we’re all on the same side. I don’t want to say that she might try to provoke an incident, but it’s not impossible,” Alicia warned her. It never hurts to be careful.

A slight smile would appear on Penny’s face at that warning, Alicia was a far better friend then Penny had ever given her credit for. “Provoking me is going to be difficult, very difficult. But I shall keep that in mind.” After all, her other half seemed to be the one who walked away with most of their emotions. Though that was rather advantageous, made facing all of her old actions easier which was one of the reasons she had wanted to go through with the split.

Nodding, Alicia fell silent as they walked the rest of the way to where Rachel and the Ascendancy waited. “Good luck,” she added, just before leaving Penny for her meeting.

The Ascendancy was at the training hall, having set up a sparring session. Blades clashed and spells were cast as the girls went at each other, with Rachel yelling out commands like a drill sergeant.

“Focus! Aim to flank them more! And you, concentrate on keeping up defensive movement!” She then noticed Penny, and turned to face her. “Take a break,” she yelled to the sparring people, and examined the girl. She squinted, and made a quick hand signal to alert the other members; they summoned their weapons, but didn’t point them. “You do not match our profile for Penny. Identify yourself,” she ordered.

“My designation is Penny Asimov. Your profile was rendered inaccurate as of five days ago” Penny’s response was crisp, clean, and utterly lacking in emotion. She stood there faced with the entirety of the Ascendency ready to open hostilities at a moment’s notice, and all she could bring herself to feel was a few hints of annoyance.

She missed Alicia’s presence already.

“I have submitted the necessary forms to have it updated at the same time that I submitted a request for a personal meeting with Rachel” Penny would go on to say not shifting her stance in the slightest as she slowly drew her gaze across all of the assembled members. She had come to a stop already standing in optimal alignment to defend herself if needed. As the odds weren’t exactly in her favor after all.

Rachel’s gaze lingered for a couple of seconds more, until she spoke: “Colonel Cuddles. Requesting an update on Penny Asimov from Elora.” A Beckoner appeared, saluted, and about ten seconds later Elora came floating downstairs from the far side of the hall.

“Penny Asimov’s claims are confirmed, Inquisitor,” the cybermancer confirmed, her keyboard clacking away as she type, not looking in the direction she was moving, yet she stopped at the exact row the other members were. “Her submitted form matches her current state as well. Classification S,” she added, and Rachel nodded with a squint. “Very well. Penny, follow me. We will discuss this in private.”

She grabbed a note Elora held out as she passed by the girl, and began reading it as she moved to the private meeting room. She closed the door after Penny entered, and took a seat.

“According to this form, you have split yourself in two five days ago. Explain the circumstances surrounding this incident, including the cause for it as well as any people involved in it.” She demanded, sounding suspicious.

Penny for her part, quietly followed after Rachel, and simply took the seat across from the girl before replying “My soul was trying to destroy itself.” She would state simply, her eyes locking on to Rachel’s “An event occurred between myself and a Monstergirl under service of my prior patron, that was responsible for triggering the situation. The Split involved myself, Paladin Alicia, and a third party unaffiliated with Beacon. My other half is currently residing with said third party.”

She would tilt her head to the side before asking “Why do you want to know?”

Rachel placed her elbows on the table, her fingers interlocked together as she looked over them at the robotic girl. “Because you shouldn’t exist. Your soul was split? That is another unprecedented incident.” She took a quick glance at the notes. “The Seraph Paladin had reported that you retained your monstrous form after purification.” She stood up, and began walking around the table with her arms behind her, occasionally passing Penny.
“From my understanding, the White Coin should have stopped any forceful attempts to inflict such on you. Did you corrupt yourself after the purification was done?” She stopped behind Penny. “Was your soul split because the ShineSpark could not tolerate the foul curses you have willingly embraced?”

Penny sat still and watched Rachel as she spoke, the entire time Penny ever took her eyes off of her, even when the other girl got up and began to circle her she simply rotated her head to follow. “I feel that you are trying to understand why it is I am how I am while also housing a Spark.” She would say when Rachel came to a stop. “If I give you my thoughts on that matter will you be willing to answer a question of mine?” She would ask calmly as she kept her gaze locked onto Rachel’s. She wasn’t intimidated or impressed with the Ascendency leader’s tactics and she had no problem letting that show.

Rachel grit her teeth, but continued walking with a thinking expression. When she reached her chair, she placed a hand on it. "I accept your terms," she answered, tapping her fingers in a tense rhythm against the back of it.

“You are likely aware of monsters, of how they can grow and adapt, I find it unlikely that you have ever been able to witness the progress personally with a insight into their thoughts.” Penny would begin simply “I have. My Monster has always been different from others that I have encountered. It is a mechanical creation, bound to its logic rather than its emotions. It never truly slept, it sat in the background of my mind and it watched, every time I encountered something new it would break it down as far as it could in an attempt to understand it.”

She spoke clearly and calmly even if what she spoke about was possibly heretical, she did make sure to blink on occasion so it didn’t seem like she was staring. “The reason it was as destructive as it was also has to do with the fact that it was a machine. My prior patron had installed priority directives into its code, ones that it could not refute while it was piloting. One thing that both me and my monster agreed upon was that no one enjoys being enslaved.”

“It is because of these traits, along with a fairly large portion of my prior chassis being donated to me by the Beacon, that I believe that when the White coin was used my Monster was able to rewrite itself to become synchronized with the blessed magic that pours forth from the Spark rather than anathema to it.” She was very certain that there was only one person alive that would be able to tell that she was speaking from the wrong perspective. After all everything she said was true, it was just that she was the Monster. The human half knew this just as well, but she hadn’t lived it like the machine half had.

“Is there any clarification you require before I speak my inquiry?”

Rachel’s stoic expression seemed to, for the first time, falter a bit, as she listened to Robo Penny’s explanation. At times she opened her mouth as if to say something during it, only to go back to hearing more of her bizarre tale.
“I see...Never in the history of Beacon have I seen a monster who has successfully rebelled against their dark nature. Then again, I have never seen a robotic monster before.”
She stopped rapping her fingers on the chair.
“But what you have said matches the profile we were given by the Paladin Seraph, and you do not possess any corruption within you.” She walked up to Penny, her gaze unflinching.
“I will need to first file a submission, but for now...Penny Asimov...” She held a hand out towards her. “...You may operate as a member of Beacon.” She then averted her eyes, as if she was pained to say the next sentence. “Report to Seraph Paladin Alicia.”

Penny would accept the hand offered to her “Thank you for your approval” And it was an earnest thank you, though Penny would have continued acting as a representative of Beacon regardless of such it was still nice to be given a more official welcome.

She would remain sitting however she had her own reasons for this meeting as well after all “Currently me and my other half are at a fundamental odds with each other. An Ideological difference. I possess the means to initiate a merger, yet without more information I fear that my other half will continue to fight against it, leading to either a broken merger, or the destruction of our soul.”

“Our first months within the magical world gave us a distorted perspective on the dark magicals. It is easy to sympathize with them, I wanted to ask you why it is you hate them with such zeal” She would ask her gaze turning from its simply passive observation to one of more focused curiosity. “Why do you feel that all those with any touch of corruption must be destroyed?” her voice held no hint of reprimand or anger,only simple curiosity.

Rachel had a look of utter contempt in her eyes as the conversation shifted. She sat down. "You have seen them, haven't you? The answer should be obvious." Her nails dug into the back of her hand. "They're freaks, abominations. I have seen them burn down cities, hunt down and slaughter innocents, play with the souls of the dead...And even worse." Her breathing turned a bit heavier as her nails now drew blood, and she looked down at them. "They're devils who will go to any lengths, no matter how deviant, just because they can. Even those who can be reasoned with will do so to stab you in the back." She then lifted her eyes up to look at Robo Penny. "But...You managed to resist. You escaped the dark side. Now, all we need to do is to fully purge the other you." She cast a spell, and her hand had healed.
"Will you be ready for that?"

Penny would sit back as she listened to Rachel, watched as the depth of her hate played out in front of her. One of her eyes would flash as she pulled up countless incident reports that Beacon had on hand. It wasn’t hard to see what Penny was trying to do, she was trying to make the connection. Trying to place herself in Rachel's position and understand the fundamental reason behind that hate.

“No,” Penny would reply at length “I don’t think I will. As that would condemn me to a life with only half a soul” She would blink once and the myriad reports opened up would close. “I will seek to reconcile with my other half, as it is…Cold...To be without them,” She would say nodding slightly to herself “But I do not begrudge you for seeking to purge her. I can see where you come from, even if I have difficulty comprehending it.”

Rachel looked aside, her elbow on the table as she held her chin up with her hand.
“As long as you understand that, it will have to suffice. Very well then; I will give you the right to recombine with your other half. But if I see the need for it, I will revoke that right.” She stood up, and turned to the door. “That is all. Dismissed.” She then walked out of the door at a brisk pace, already issuing commands to a Beckoner as soon as she turned the corner.

Penny would stay behind for a bit longer replaying the conversation in her mind. After a while she would shake her head and stand up. She hadn't quite gotten what she had wanted from the conversation but she got the feeling that she never would. She had tried however, and that felt like an accomplishment.

She left the meeting room in search of one of her friends. She would see if any of them needed any additional help before heading out on patrol.

---

On the streets of Penrose... Ronin had JUST arrived back in town, and already had made a pact with super-horror girls and gotten to ask if she could tag along her traveling companion to visit her other friends! The little samurai-themed Magical Girl couldn't be happier!

‘I'm so happy to be being brought along~! Now, where are we going?’ Ronin asked super-happily.

"Meeting up with the rest of my group. We've been figuring things out before this party happens. It's cliche now that I think about it." Amanda shrugged, leading the way back to the coven's hideout. "Miss Natalie might be busy, so it's just going to be us girls." Once they had arrived to the appartment, the dream mage opened the door for Ronin.

Inside, the rest of the group wasn't as busy as they were at day one. Among them was a pair of twined souls in the middle of a conversation, a young bluenette with wings made of icicles, and a girl with a gray cape.

‘Oooooh,’ Ronin made a happy noise as she followed in behind Amanda. Her eyes just excitedly darted from the red-haired twins, the blue-haired fairy-looking one and the surprisingly normal-looking girl. So, at the risk of being too forward, she stepped forward with a wide smile and waited just a little to see if she'd get their attention. ‘Hello! I'm Ronin, and I'm new. Amanda is super-nice and let me come along. I hope I'll get along with you all!’ Ronin told and gave a grin and a bow as she did.

Once Ronin got everyone's attention, the first one to react was the ice fairy, darting to and around her. "Yo, I didn't know we had a guest!! Are you normal or are you a monster? Got a patron? What are you doing here anyways?? she rapid-fired asks as she flew.

"Er, Ronin, that's North." Amanda started to introduce the others, scratching her head. "The twins are Cereza and Cerise, and over there is Evelyn." the mage looked over to the twins. "Is Eliza and the others busy?"

"Yes, but Valerie should be arriving soon." Cereza said, both walking over to the others.

"Did something happen? Cerise asked.

Ronin was super-happy with having the excitable fairy's attention, smiling all the while as she and those around got introduced. ‘Hi, North! I'm normal!’ She actually was normal, hah, felt weird to say. A monster that had become normal... ‘I'm a solo girl for now! And I'm here because I wanted to make friends! Will you be my friend?’ Ronin asked, excitedly. She also waved to Cereza and Cerise and Evelyn as they got introduced in turn. Ronin, too, then awaited the answer to the previous question.

"Of course!!" North stopped to pick Ronin up in a hug. "Oh, maybe Maura can let you join us since you're solo, but that's up to you, we won't mind either way!"

Amanda explained what happened during her trip to the Overcity and back as the two talked. "We have a possible culprit for the monster attacks. Ronin here and I have to find her. Though she'll need help."

"Oh my. Maybe we should join you then. Never know when you'll need healing, right?" Cereza suggested.

‘Woo!’ Ronin made a happy noise as North picked her up and she happily hugged her back. ‘I'd like to remain a solo girl until my mission is complete! After that, we'll see! I can certainly consider it!’ Ronin said, but that depended a lot on Eli. Honestly, Ronin was a little fed up with patrons by now, would be nice to be duo solos with Eli for at least a while.

‘Aaah, healers!?’ Ronin happily skipped over during that comment, because, limited amount of her to go around. ‘Absolutely! It'd be a great relief to have some support, should something happen! Cereza and Cerise, right? Will you be my friends, too?’ Ronin asked, basically on a high because of how wonderfully new this was being.

The twins giggled in unison. "Sure, we'll be glad to." Cereza patted Ronin's head with a warm smile.

‘Tihi. Awesome,’ Ronin said happily, a slightest bit of a happy blush on her cheeks from being patted on the head. ‘Alright, so, uh, we've been tasked with finding Mariette, the possible culprit Amanda mentioned.’ Ronin figured she could say, because "Jill" already told Amanda, so. ‘... But something you need to keep in mind is that Mariette is very good at eavesdropping. It's how she stays informed. So, at any time you're under an open skies, assume she hears what you're saying. Get indoors when you're plotting against her. Okay?’ Ronin shared, hoping she wasn't over-sharing.

They all nodded, but Evelyn had asked Amanda something through their telepathy link. "Hm? Oh, Eve wants to know if Mariette can listen in on people's thoughts and all. the mage shrugged. "She's kinda mute."

Ronin looked over and blinked a bit. Had not ever considered that. ‘Er, nope,’ she said with a smile, looking over at Evelyn. ‘I think you're pretty safe there. By the way, will you be my friend!?’ Ronin skipped over to the last one in the room, hands together and eyes positively shining at Evelyn.

Evelyn's eyes widened in surprise. Then she thought for a moment before nodding.

‘Awesome! I look forward to being your friend...!’ Ronin said, grabbing to shake Evelyn's hand if it was at all possible. With that, she then spun to everyone here. ‘So, well! Other than your names, who are you all? You mentioned a Valeria, a Maura, an Eliza, there's quite a group here! So, what's up?’ Ronin asked with interest, smiling at them as she asked.

"Well, Valerie is our hacker, and my partner in gathering information regarding current events." Amanda begun to explain.

"Miss Maura is our boss- Er, second boss. I guess we're a second branch of the Cradle now, since she's working for or with them? Maybe?? We never thought of naming our group though." North shrugged with her arms crossed, still flying in the air.

"Both her and Eliza." The dream magician added, turning back to Ronin. "Eliza's our illusion specialist; Looks like a witch with wings. She's been busy since coming back to Penrose, so you might be able to catch her while she's working."

‘Second branch of the Cradle, huh?’ Ronin just grinned. She'd gotten a bunch of info on the various members, which was all interesting. Buuuut... ‘What's the Cradle?’ Ronin had to ask.

"Oh, the Crimson Cradle? Well, it ain't run by your normal patrons, ya see? Maura, and by extension, we work for Vermilion Veronica. And from what I can tell, she's a really powerful magical girl." North grinned.

‘Oooh. A Magical Girl organization. Cool! Alright. Yupp. Appears that I'll be working with you. I look forward to it! I'm going to be staying with my other new friend, Valkyrie, because she offered, but I'll come over and talk and stuff. Oooh, and I got a new phone from Jill! We got to share all kinds of numbers! ... If we have phones here, anyway, hahaha!’ Ronin laughed a bit about that.

"We do. I've already given you my number, so I can send you everyone else's if that's alright." Amanda suggested.

‘Nice! I'll take those and then send a message so you all get mine! Thank you!’ Ronin called happily. ‘Now, then. I'm sort of new in the Magical Girl world... so what do we do for fun towards the end of the night around here!? Games!? Plays!? Anything like that!?’ Ronin asked, eyes shining.

Evelyn motioned to the game consoles by the TV, as to ask Ronin if she wanted to binge play some video games.

"We also have movies, if that's more your style." Cereza said.

‘Oooooh, I haven't gotten to play games with others in so long! Let's play!’ Ronin basically bounced over to the consoles, because how would one otherwise make friends other than play a bunch of games with them-!?

"I'm in! North followed Ronin. Amanda, and Evelyn joining her while the twins decided to just watch.

And so, the group then played happily throughout the evening, having a bunch of fun. This until eventually Ronin figured it was time to go home, way too late. She waved her new friends goodbye, and then eventually departed to go back to Valkyrie, smiling the whole way because... she was so happy to finally once again have true friends~!

‘…’ Mariette was currently in her dark mansion with mirrors across the walls, seated in her own little gothic room of sorts by a table. In front of her, she had a very peculiar piece of work. The Dreamscape Almanac, one of the pieces that had been looted from Justine von Visceral’s library. It was a very comprehensive piece on the subject of magic relating to dreams and nightmares.

The only reason she’d taken the time to fish it out was due to the increasing amount of cases of nightmares among key individuals in non-magic Penrose. Even so, this magic… wasn’t really one she could use. Alike so many others, her expertise was best used while awake.

Still…

‘You wanted to see me, Mariette?’ a depressed voice told from the door.



‘Yes. See what you can make of this,’ Mariette said, holding out the Dreamscape Almanac to her chief engineer of magical artifacts, an aquatic monster-girl with a horrific view on life. Taihei briefly glanced over the item…

‘You sure you want to hand this to me? It’s going to be destroyed in some freak accident…’ Taihei warned.

‘I know. That’s why this is a copy,’ Mariette stated.

‘… You want me to develop dream-tech for you?’ Taihei asked, raising a monstrous eyebrow. Mariette stayed silent, looking into her mirror instead. Taihei simply did the mildest of a chuckle.

‘… Very well…’ Taihei said, before she slinked back into the shadows of the nation and Mariette could breathe out in relief that Taihei’s terrible luck hadn’t caused some kind of explosion this time. Alright, that was now out of the way. That job has been delegated.

Now, then. She had some investigations into Sammy to do.

---

One of the most interesting things that Deni heard about after returning to Penrose, is the fact that there was a new store in town! A Magical Store! Somewhere to actually spend all those coins that could be obtained doing missions!? What an incredible thing! So of course, Deni just had to go there! So, one of the days in here, Ronin came strolling up to the doors and pushed the doors open, and grinned excitedly as she looked inside.

‘Alright! What do we have here?’

The shop was a modest one, the shelves packed with all kinds of quirky and strange trinkets and contraptions. Brittany herself was sitting behind the counter on a stool, reading a magazine.
"I want to try that...Oh!" She discarded the magazine.
"Welcome to Brittany's Boutique! Feel free to browse as much as you like. I'll be here if you have any questions!"

Deni froze in place before smiling oh-so-widely at the little shopkeeper. ‘Ahahahaha! The shopkeeper is as tiny as me! Nice!’ Ronin commented with a little happy laugh, wholeheartedly approving. ‘Hi, Brittany! I’m Ronin, solo samurai-themed Magical Girl that’s new on the block! I have absolutely zero coins right now, but I’m here to browse so I know what I might do with said coins when I get them! If you ever find yourself in need of help, let me know, and I’ll gladly lend my aid, I know there might be something in it for me in the long run~! So, without further ado, I’ll have a look around!’ Ronin said excitedly, before spinning around to check the wares.

"That's fine!” Brittany responded, and waved for the girl. "Take as much time as you like. The store's not going anywhere, kyahaha!"

Ronin took a moment to walk about the store, inspecting the wares. The occasional ones were interesting. Friendship Stones? Essentially walkie-talkies, but with a cute name! She chuckled a bit. There was a bunch of kinds of grenades and traps on this shelf, wonder what would happen if you just threw all of them at once… A bunch of weapons, too. Yikes, they were expensive. Ronin momentarily stopped by the Lightweight Boots. ‘Oooh, that could be fun. Just jumping around everywhere. But, would that reduce the power of my attacks, too? Eh! Maybe!’ Ronin shrugged, and then she went over to look at-

Deni froze at the Infiltrator. “A device that detects and lets you infiltrate Interdimensional Homes when close to the entrance.” Tha- that. She needed that. If there ever was a way to actually get into Mariette’s home, it was that. A way to take her by surprise. Ronin swallowed a bit, and kept walking, not wanting to be seen looking at the Infiltrator too closely, but she kept its existence and price in mind. 9 silver…

Fortunately, the next thing she saw took her mind RIGHT off the Infiltrator.

‘Aaaah, plushies!’ Ronin skipped over to the shelf with the plushies, wide-eyed and happy, privately thinking that Mariette would probably love these. ‘Ooooh, this one’s of Lily, how cute~!’ Ronin commented happily, smiling so very widely, and glanced at the price… and visibly recoiled. ‘W-wha- why are they so expensive!?’ Ronin asked out loud. One of them even cost 50 gold! 50!? Who even carried that sort of money!?

"They are special collector's items!" Brittany jovially answered.

‘THE ASTOLPHO PLUSH IS 50 GOLD!’ Ronin loudly remarked, though with a grin on her face, because that’s an utter fortune. Brittany giggled in return.

"The Great Astolpho deserves only the most expensive plushies. By the way, I couldn't help but notice your interest in the Infiltrator. I could keep it locked away in case you'd like to return and buy it. They don’t sell that well anyway, so I’m gonna replace the shelf space with something else."

Ronin recoiled at Infiltrator being mentioned. Whelp. Busted. So, there’s Divinations on the list of things that could be purchased, guess hiding stuff from this shopkeeper would be hard. Ronin skipped over to the counter to lean in a bit closer, giving a little awkward smile as she did.

_{‘I’d be very happy if you did! And, er, I’d also be happy if you could be quiet about it!’} Ronin said, looking exceedingly vulnerable as well while smiling so widely. Brittany winked in response. And then… something else happened, immediately causing Deni to blink and look over at the entrance.

The shop trembled as two girls walked past the entrance threshold. It was as if some slumbering power had awakened with the appearance of the newly arrived. The meek looking samurai was new to Deni, but there was no mistake the woman walking in front of her was Veronica.



”Um!” The girl clutched her neon school uniform. ”What are we doing here again?”

“Making a purchase.” Veronica kept her hands behind her back as she approached the counter. Her eyes wandered over the many things stationed at the counter. They ignored all other obstacles, including Deni’s presence. It was like she wasn’t even in the room. Which, honestly, didn’t bother her too much, but they were walking straight for-

“Ahhh…”

Veronica extended her hand and picked up the Astolpho plush. “This is Astolpho, isn’t it?” She turned the doll over in her hand. “The craftsmanship is exquisite. I like how soft his cape and hair is, though they’re clearly made out of different materials.” She used her other finger to raise his arm. “The stitch work is undetectable. I feel like I’m holding a living thing rather than a doll.” She lowered her hand. “An emotion stirs in me. Is this the genuine article? The singularity? The legendary plush made in times of yore?”

Betty just swallowed before looking at Brittany. ”How much is it?”

The cheerful witch smiled with glee. "The Great Astolpho plush is a steal at 50 gold coins."

“A pittance!” Veronica raised her hand into the air. “Anyone willing to see Astolpho for such a petty sum doesn’t deserve to hold him!” She slammed her hand into the desk. When she lifted her hand upwards, a stack of gold coins had appeared under her palm. Exactly 50 gold coins.

Deni couldn’t help but kind of just stare with a wide-open mouth. And so did Brittany, her eyes now having turned to sparkles.

”Is it wise to spend money like that?” Betty’s eyes were locked on the pile of gold.

Veronica continued to hold the plush in her gloved hand, but her eyes swung over to the little Ronin in the room. “And you.” She held Astolpho closer to her chest. “What are you looking at? If you want the plush, you’re too late.”

‘Ah-!’ Ronin winced as she was actually being talked to. ‘Ah, no! Don’t mind me! I’m kinda new here, I don’t have that kind of funding, hahaha!’ she grinned and shared looking super-happy. ‘But woah, that’s amazing! Are you some kind of super-big-shot-rich-lady in town or something!?’ she asked, with a look of utter amazement at Veronica. Also, didn’t she have the strange feeling she had seen her before, somewhere?

“I am the one they call Vermilion Veronica, former Ebon Vampire, presently mother of the Crimson Cradle. Though I must admit I am not the most curious person in this shop right now.” Veronica took a step closer to the tiny Ronin. “It’s you, someone who has no money but is surrounded by things to buy.” The plush vanished in a cloud of black mist. “Do you not have a patron that pays you?”

… That sure is a fancy name, and a bunch of titles. Ooooh, this is the woman Amanda and the rest were working for! Ronin but grinned as Veronica walked closer. ‘I do not!’ she called out, as if proud of it. She took a step back, and then did a mock bow of sorts. ‘Lady Veronica, allow me to introduce myself! I am Ronin! I’m a tiny masterless samurai, aka, a tiny ronin! And… I’m basically new in town! I’m just here to whet my appetite, seeing all the kinds of things I could buy whenever I actually DO get money… You wouldn’t mind sponsoring me, would you? Actually, before that, can I be your friend!?’ Ronin asked, looking up at Veronica and grinning happily.

“My friend?” Veronica ran her finger down the bridge of her own nose. “We’ll see. I don’t typically befriend people unless there’s some benefit.” She extended her hand. A puff of black smoke tumbled down from her fingers, and before long there was a contract in her hand. “I don’t do sponsorships. But if you wish to be my friend, a loan might not be a bad place to start. Especially if you’re looking for spending money.”

‘Aw, you don’t hang out with people and just have fun sometimes? I can be your that kind of friend!’ Ronin said, smiling so widely. And then… there was that part about sponsorship. The tiny Magical Girl basically recoiled. ‘Woah- you mean it!? Awesome! Thank you! Let’s see this contract!’ Ronin called excitedly, hopefully being let to look it over for Veronica. ‘This… this is excellent. I wholeheartedly accept, lady Veronica!’ Ronin said with a grin. Now, there was a scary part in that about losing her arm if she tried to escape the deal, but she wasn’t gonna flee, so that’s fine! She’d earn that money quickly enough! If Eli was around, she’d probably complain about Deni being too trusting right now, but eh! If Amanda and those trusts her, than she could too! Let’s see what happens!

“So you wish to sign? You’re sure?” After seeing the tiny ronin nod, Veronica stepped closer to her. “I noticed you haven’t signed it yet. I suppose you need some help.” Veronica’s free hand shot into Ronin’s shoulder. The impact was hard enough to drive the woman’s fingers inside of Ronin’s flesh. Her blood oozed over Veronica’s fingers, which she brushed along the girl’s lips. “If you wish to be my friend, why not sign with a kiss?” Veronica grinned as she pressed the contract against Ronin’s blood stained lips. Once signed, the contract disappeared in a puff of black smoke. That was when Veronica pressed her fingers against the side of her head.

”Veronica!” Betty knelled beside her employer. ”Are you okay?”

But her employer’s health and mood was confirmed with dark laughter. “Ronin, you did not read the fine print very closely.” Veronica stood upright. “The thoughts of anyone who signs my contracts are no secret to me. Their minds are open books I may freely peruse of my own accord. I do this to protect myself from Mint spies.” She extended her blood stained hand to Ronin. “But you could save me some time explaining what happened since your death, Deni.”

Ronin was about to comment on her lack of a pen, when instead she had to recoil because of a sudden intrusion into her shoulder. ‘O-ow-!?’ she winced, wide-eyed. She was not used to bleeding. Not used to having a body that could bleed. She continued to be in a state of mild shock as her own blood was put on her lips and Veronica pressed the contract at her lips, the little girl wincing back after the fact. Then, as Veronica described what had just happened… ‘… Okay, yeah, I probably should have been seeing red flags when I heard the word “vampire”, haha!’ Deni said, regaining her grin at the end of the sentence.

‘Still, uh, the deal wasn’t necessarily bad for me, right? I can still borrow coins, repay them, and then just be on my way after, right…?’ Deni grinned a bit more, because, well, that’s how the deal looked to her. ‘Still, um… don’t… use that name if you can avoid it. If you-know-who hears it… I’ll be recollected so fast you don’t even know. And, uh, let’s assume she has no ears in the shop, but can we talk somewhere else? Indoors, secure? Because… she sure has a lot of ears…!’ Deni said, not being able to help it but to grin in the face of strange turns of horrifying events. ‘That goes for you, too!’ Deni called back to Brittany. ‘You didn’t hear that. Okay~?’ Brittany responded with a thumbs up and an exaggerated wink.

“Very well, we will table this for now.” The blood on Veronica’s fingers vanished in a puff of smoke. “So long as you do not betray me. Because your arm will be the first thing I take, not the last.” Veronica leaned against the counter. “Your first loan, how much would you like?”

Weeeeeeeell… there was that one thing that Deni wanted… ‘… Yeah, nine silvers should do~!’

A black ring appeared on Deni’s left bicep, which wrapped around her entire arm. Then nine silver rings appeared on it, which faded into existence as the coins came tumbling out of her hand. “There you are.” Veronica looked over Brittany’s items. “I’ve come to get what I want, but I do wonder Brittany, do you have need for more supplies?” She placed both hands on the counter.

Brittany nodded, looking up at the taller woman with a happy smile.
"I'm always in the market for new stock to sell!"

“I have some items that might interest you. You see, I have a great collection of magical weapons and artifacts. All unique and one of a kind. I grade them from A to C. A items I use exclusively for myself and my best agents, B items are given to the rest. But the C items…” She shrugged. “… Are not quite what my agents need. They’re not useless. They’re quite exotic actually, but cursed. I think that gives them their allure however.” The Astolpho plush appeared in her hand, which she began prodding with her finger. “Normally I would not let a merchant touch any sort of cradle gear, but you have been good to me. The swimsuits and this plush were of the highest quality.”

"I'm glad you think so! Huh...Cursed, you say?" Brittany repeated, rubbing her chin in a contemplative manner.
"Depends on what kind of curses we're talking about here. I can't sell stuff that would seriously harm it's user, at least not without some kind of benefit."

Deni took a deep breath and smiled as the black ring wrapped around her arm deposited those nine silvers into her hand. Alright. Guess that worked out, huh? She placed the coins on the counter. ‘And I guess I’ll be getting that Infiltrator!’ she simply stated, just aside from Veronica and Brittany’s current discussion, all those coins already to be spent.

Veronica shrugged. “Seems you have a business transaction to take care of. We can talk once you’ve helped them.” She stepped off to the side. “I’m sure she’d like to start working off her debt as soon as possible.”

Brittany smirked, fully aware of Veronica’s scheme.
"Alrighty then!" She gave the Infiltrator device to Deni and counted the coins.
"Thank you very much!"

‘Awesome, thank you!’ Deni said, quickly taking the Infiltrator and pocketing it, because she didn’t want anyone to know she had it. So, now, she spun to Veronica, and… ‘Well, okay. Where do we talk? When? How? Is it safe? Should I just run off for now and let you talk to Brittany? How do I contact you? Hahahaha, this is an excellent start,’ Deni said with a grin, and needing to think this over for a bit.

“I will meet with you when you lay your head down tonight. My link with your mind will last the duration of the contract, so I’ll know when you’re alone.” Veronica stated.

‘What a lovely arrangement! Alright! I’m staying with a friend, so I might not be alone when I lay my head down tonight, but alright! I’ll see you then, my mindly accomplice!’ Deni said with a wide grin, before turning to Brittany and- ‘And I’ll be back after I’ve paid back the loan and either gotten a new loan or gotten money of my own! I’ll see you then!’ Deni said, before she turned and skipped out the door. Whoops, okay, that happened. Wonder what other big shots she’d yet to coincidentally accidentally get accompanied with!?

---

^{Findings of the Portal Sleuth}

An evening some days after Mariette’s conversations with the two, Amaryllis and Nuncio both found themselves receiving the absolutely briefest of phone calls.

‘Are you available?’ Mariette asked.

When they were free, cracks in reality opened in front of them, round portals to a different area of the town through them. Through the portals, they could see what looked like a normal-looking apartment, the lights lit by the bulbs in the roof and just a homely mess of books, shelves, paper, carpets and paintings, browns and yellows the primary colours. It clearly didn’t belong to the one who had taken residue in the apartment. There sat a simple table for four people, two of which chairs were occupied. One was by bunny. The other was Mariette, who was looking down on the papers on the table, which appeared to be a map.

To each of the two in turn, Eli the slime harpy showed up at the opening of the portal to bow politely to them and greet them.

‘Mistress Mariette desires your presence. Would you like some tea?’ Eli asked, looking at them attentively. If she got their answers, she’d turn around and hurry to the kitchen regardless.

In case they actually entered, Mariette had a short statement to make. She looked a slight bit annoyed.

‘I apologize for summoning you like this, but I have reasons not to have this conversation by phone. Please, sit down. I have something brief to tell you both.’

They’d find that the portals for each of them had opened side by side, Amaryllis on the left and Nuncio on the right.

For a moment, Amaryllis was bothered. The portal lead to a normal place, for sure, but it was normal enough that she certainly didn’t want to go into it when monster blood still clung to her body. A week had passed now, and still, the barrier had not yet fully recovered. Troublesome, certainly. She held out her hand and manifested her Big Backpack once more to retrieve a bottle of water, pouring the contents over her head before quickly scrubbing the viscera off her face and body. In the end, the Knight of Rose still smelled like the rusted roses that bloomed around her, but at least she was no longer bloodstained.

Just a bit wet.

Stepping through the portal and brushing back her damp hair, she smiled towards Eli, shaking her head in response to the offer for tea. She leaned over the table beside Mariette, one hand planted on the table as she poured over the maps. “Sage,” Amaryllis spoke, “What have you learned?”

Nuncio did not hesitate to walk through the portal. Given what was at stake, it wasn’t hard to picture why. He simply gave a nod to all present before standing at attention. Amaryllis had asked the important question, and it fell on Mariette to deliver.

The portals closed behind them, leaving them inside the apartment. Eli showed up next to Amaryllis offering a towel.

‘I will tell you. But first, I must ask both of you. Are either of you affiliated with the Ebon Mint?’ Mariette asked. And she’d know if they lied. She was pretty sure on Amaryllis. Less so on Nuncio.

“No,” was Amaryllis’s clipped response.

”I’ve had dealin’s with ‘em before. Can’t say I trust ‘em.” He folded his arms. ”They got my Sammy?”

‘Alright. Before I start, tell me that you have no intention of reporting any of this to the Mint, and that you’re willing to oppose the Mint if they have Sammy,’ Mariette said. Simply because house-cleaning and being prepared. If he could say that without lying, then he was cleared for hearing the rest.

”You think I’d tell them anything? Let alone I’m bustin’ my girl out?” His irises lit up. ”NO! I ain’t gunna tell em shit about what we’re doing! Ya dumb broad! I wanna bust her out, not get locked up with her!”

Mariette winced a bit. She'd asked to appease her light-specialized truth-detector, but that wasn't exactly pleasant. Regardless, she got what she wanted.

‘A-alright. Then, here goes,’ Mariette told, before taking a moment to calm down and focus again. And then…

‘Indeed. Word on the streets is that Sammy was taken by the Ebon Mint. I have not found any evidence to support this, but at this point the list of likely kidnappers is dreadfully short,’ Mariette started out with, crossing her arms and looked at them with a frown. ‘What I do have evidence of, is that she was kidnapped. I will not tell you my means, for they are my secrets and you will have to take me at my word, but I found her trail just before she was kidnapped and followed her. And, it appears Sammy was doing what she does; investigating a murder.’

‘In this alley…’ Mariette put a finger down on the map, on the alley in question. ‘Sammy found the body of a Valerie Herztein. The name matches a common worker at a restaurant specializing in pizza and ice cream called Virtuous Pie, which seems innocent enough.’ Mariette briefly poked at the location of said restaurant, before continuing her debriefing. ‘Shortly after finding the body, Sammy screamed, and was taken. I would have told you by whom, except whoever it was blinded me. That alley became a blind zone just as the perpetrator struck. This may have been just blacking out any magic, or it might have been meant specifically for me.’

‘I don’t know who attacked her. I couldn’t find their presence or how they then left the alley. It’s like they’re aware of me and have the means to avoid me. Which is… most unsettling,’ Mariette said, explaining her annoyed look. ‘... That said, I managed to pick up her trail again, and I did so in the present, not the past, which should mean that she was not killed in that alley. She was taken here,’ she told with finality, as she brought her finger down on the map, hitting it decently hard on a warehouse by the docks on the map.

‘We have three places we can potentially investigate. I have examined none, in fear of my own safety. The first is the alley where Sammy was taken, which could just be an empty alley, but it could also be something far more sinister. The second is Virtuous Pie, a seemingly innocent restaurant, which is probably exactly what it appears to be, or maybe it's far more insidious. But, one of its employees was murdered and it’s a place to ask around. The third… is the warehouse where Sammy was taken, if her trail is to be believed. She may be there, trapped and suffering, awaiting to be rescued. However, I did never see her, I just followed the trail. It is worth noting whoever this is has avoided me until now. They may have been tricking me. The trail may be fake and this could be a trap. We might go there, only for the trap to trigger to murder anyone who entered. If it’s the Ebon Mint we’re up against, then no amount of caution is exaggerated.’

With that, Mariette sat back, and then fished up bunny from the adjacent seat to put into her lap and lightly press against her stomach in a little hug. ‘So, with this information, what will you do?’

Nuncio placed a hand under his chin. ”Fuck, FUCK!” He lifted his foot up to kick something, but with nothing nearby but Amaryllis, he lowered his foot back to the ground. ”Alright.” With a deep breath, he regained his composure. ”I’m gunna say, if the warehouse is undah Mint watch, best to look everywhere else first. Might get a clue what we’re walkin’ into.” He bit one of his fingers. ”Gotta be careful though. Sammy can see the future and she got ambushed. Wouldn’t mind havin’ some backup when we poke around.” Nuncio looked to Amaryllis as he said this.

It was a lot to take in. A waitress from the Virtuous Pie, dead, and Sammy, who investigated that death, kidnapped. Amaryllis sat down after all, her brows furrowed as she did what she could to piece all the bits together. The Mint, if they truly did perpetuate this crime, was a big target to go after, bigger even than the Ascendancy. Might not be a Greater Horror, but with an organization that enigmatic and that large…

It was fine. She had slain behemoths before. About time she tried out hydras.

“Magic that conceals individuals from divination is problematic, but workable,” Amaryllis spoke, her thumb grazing the pommel of her Sword. “We’ll begin our investigations at the Virtuous Pie, then the alleyway, and end with that warehouse. As far as backup goes...if it’s really the Mint that we’re going after, I hesitate to bring too many into the fold.”

But that was all just hesitation. If things came to it, well, Amaryllis certainly knew someone who was once part of the Mint.

”No backup?” Nuncio shrugged. ”Risky, but I don’t even know who I’d call. We’ll just have to be cautious. My cats are great spies. The smaller ones anyway.” He slapped his hands together. ”I’ve got no problem with that order. Sounds good to me. I can divine stuff if necessary.”

‘… Risky, indeed. Backup might not be necessary when investigating the restaurant or the alley, but when knocking down the door of the warehouse some more firepower would be greatly appreciated,’ Mariette told, and she didn’t really want to bring her own forces into this. ‘I do know some people I could contact, who I don’t think would object. There are good-hearted people in town, who even without having a connection to us may jump at the opportunity to help in a rescue-mission… but you don’t want to get them involved for their own safety, is that what I heard? Or is it because they may have Mint ties?’ Mariette asked Amaryllis.

“When we storm their gates, having stalwart companions on our side will be a blessing I shall not refuse,” Amaryllis replied. “But until we are certain that the Mint still has Sammy, until we have completed our investigations and reconnaissance to the best of our capability, I do not wish to draw the ire of the Mint upon those not deeply involved. For war, an army. For rescue, a squadron.”

Nuncio nodded in agreement. ”As ticked as I am that the Mint is involved, I gots some good news.” He passed a note to Mariette. ”Open a portal at that address. Ya gunna find a friend ya never knew ya had.” He winked at her..

‘… Very well,’ Mariette eventually nodded to Amaryllis words. Then, she blinked a bit as Nuncio passed her a note. ‘Huh? A friend?’ she asked. Friend? What friend? Now she was very curious. And also… ‘Should I get said friend now?’ she asked, while also fishing out her phone out of her hammerspace handbag to (slowly) type down the address to search (showing very much she isn’t used to phones) because she isn’t exactly keeping track of the street names and numbers.

”Just do it! ya a paranoid little bean ain’t ya?”

Eventually, after Eli had ran over to help, Mariette figured out the address. Those present might note a remarkable amount of time between starting to use magic and a portal actually appearing, the first one just to find the building from above and then the second and third portal homing in opening with much more dramatic speed. Finally, she found the right room, opened a portal-

, and saw it riding on the back of a white tiger.

”Come on Rossa!”

The tiger stepped through the portal with its special passenger. It was a plush bunny with mostly pink fur but a white tummy. Much like Mariette’s current bunny, it wore no clothes. But it had an eyepatch with a bunny insignia on it and wore a madcap. It was hard to deduce much more without hugging it, but it looked soft.

”Might be a bit early, but she’s ready for ya.”

Mariette immediately winced back, having not expected the white tiger come through and into the room not entirely made to have a tiger inside it. However, any distraction the tiger might have been completely and utterly vanished as Mariette saw the bunny on top of the tiger. She immediately placed one hand in front of bunny’s eyes.

‘D-don’t peek, bunny,’ she told her bunny, before picking him up and placing him with his back to the rest of the room in the other chair. Mariette then got up, drifting over with a wide, amazed eye, slowly lifting up the new bunny from Rossa’s back. Mariette took some time, admiring every last detail, the eyepatch with the insignia, the different colours, the cap… but before long, she edged back towards the table, looking like she’d completely forgotten she might be looked at. She placed the mostly pink bunny on the table, and then picked up her old bunny…

‘So, um, bunny? I was thinking that maybe it got lonely, having nobody but me to comfort you all the time…’ Mariette said, her voice a lot softer than usual. ‘… so I had uncle Nuncio make a companion for you,’ she said, placing her old bunny on the same table, now with both bunnies facing one another. ‘B-be nice to one another, okay?’ Mariette said, watching the two immobile bunnies looking at one another… before she promptly crouched, putting her eye-level at the same level of the bunnies’ eyes, grabbing their little arms and then having the arms touch, letting the “hands” of the bunnies touch…

and then Mariette promptly hugged them both, her one eye looking a bit overwhelmed as she squeezed both bunnies against one another.

Shortly thereafter, she deposited the bunnies on the leftover chair, taking extra care to ensure they looked like they were holding hands. The old nostalgic bunny and the new pretty bunny. Mariette clasped her hands together in front of them. ‘I now pronounce you, bunny and bunny.’

With that, Mariette stood up again and turned to the other two in the room, blushing considerably. ‘Um…’ she made a noise, and then bowed lightly to Nuncio. ‘Thank you… so very much.’

Amaryllis blinked. And before the Sword could remind her of all the murdering and slaying that had to be done, the Knight of Rose said, “Damn, you’re cute.”

A Horror was a Horror, but Mariette ought to be protected, at least.

From her hand, a silvered clover wove itself out, gleaming with an internal light, and she offered it to Mariette. “Keep this with you, will you? Decided that if we’re going up against the Mint, it’s best to have some assurance after all.”

Nuncio graciously tipped his head and lowered his hat over his chest. ”Ya gettin’ me closer ta Sammy. The least I could do was this.” Once he put his hat back on his head, he turned to look at Amaryllis. ”We gettin’ started soon then? Am ready for anything.”

Mariette blinked a bit in surprise at Amaryllis’ comment. It had not been her intention to be cute, and she frankly had no idea what to do with this information, other than rise from her bow and look a little awkward. Still, she nodded to Nuncio’s acknowledgement, happy that he was fine with this. Then she was offered a clover from Amaryllis, which also confused her a bit, but she could guess as to what power that it might hold. ‘… I will. Thank you,’ Mariette said, taking hold of the clover, and… for now not knowing what to do with it, so she held it. ‘… Yes. Allow me to continue assisting you. You’ll need my portals if you end up ambushed,’ Mariette told. She felt really indebted to these two, now.

“I’ll check out the Pie then,” Amaryllis said, straightening her back, “If you’re willing to go to the alley solo?”

”I don’t do nothin’ solo.” Rossa rubbed her head against his leg. ”Let’s do this.”