They raced through the night, Suna laughing all through out. Laughing through the exhaustion and pain, through the way her ribs wheezed with every inhale and exhale, through the way each step rattled the microfractures in her bones.

Perhaps it was just a few blocks. Perhaps they passed by police boxes. Perhaps they were out running for far too long, or perhaps they ended up getting into places that they really shouldn’t have been. Regardless, by the end of it, the blue-eyed criminal collapsed beside a vending machine, her breaths coming in and out heavily as she wiped the sweat off her brow. They were in a side street behind a love hotel, having weaved their way in and out of the crisscrossing grids of Hibusa City before finally reaching this point. Close by were the saccharine voices of young men and women alike, host clubs catering to all orientations, while alcohol, fried foods, and cigarette smoke mingled into an aroma that was mature to the point of being just slightly nauseating.

Not a place for shrine maidens and good little kids to be, but what hero was repulsed by humanity’s cravings?

“Phew,” Suna spoke, popping back up to her feet. She unzipped her jacket, fanning out the sweat-soaked undershirt beneath. A coin purse somehow found its way in her other hand, though she had made no moves before to retrieve anything from her pockets, and she shook it, as if to confirm there were any coins left in it. “Didn’t think you’d both follow me this far! Whatcha want, Kaeru, Teddy Girl? I’d recommend the red bean soup myself.”

A tilting of her head, a half-smile cresting her features. The love hotels walls were sound-proof, of course, but all the soundproofing didn't mean too much if one of the occupants opened a window.

"Know a place 'round here with pretty cheap food too, if you're hungry instead."

---

"I am, actually." Roche was once more unflappable, taking Nyxia's taunts without ire or wrath behind her unflinching gaze. "Sitting on the table like this has your leotard do interest things to lift your ass. But Suki won't mind that if you give her a kiss and find how persuasive she can be."

She found it a bother that they seemed to be back to square one, but if appraised from a more positive angle, that meant Nyxia wasn't holding a grudge strong enough to be averse to her either. Perhaps they could try a more straight forward and soft approach.

But first they had to survive dinner, and given that Nyxia had chosen this course, she wasn't quite willing to offer her another lifeline just yet. Having been Suki's partner previously she had a deeper understanding of her culinary ability then most, and it truly was a wonder to see it in action once more.

"You're alchemy is nearly at the level of creating life. Well done, Suki." In complete disregard for common sense and self preservation Roche was the first to take a bowl and serve herself from the pot. A bubble burst as it sloshed before her and she could almost swear to have heard a moan of soul wrenching despair amidst the fleeing gases. The tanned Magical Girl looked at it before seeming to look up with a start and favor the picnic table with a cutting smile.

"Ah, where are my manners? I should help the host and serve the table." One by one she ladled portions out, placing them before the gathered and aghast Detention Club. Red received a generous portion, but with her powers there really was no fear that anything there could harm her stomach. Only once everyone was treated to the vapors rising from their meals did Roche sit down and with a spoon that seemed to be rusting on contact with it, devoured a generous bite.

"Delicious." Roche said with a completely straight face, though the lines across her skin were subtly glowing brighter as she swallowed.

Suki groaned when Roche attempted to help set the table. "Can you sit down?” Whatever. Roche might have been trying to needle Suki, but she was doing it in a really subtle and underhanded way. It wouldn’t do to get flustered by her. It was like one of her teachers said: If you don’t react when they push your buttons, they won’t know what buttons to push.

But the bigger issue was their bowls of piping hot, still wiggling Endless Eclipse. They were practically begging to be eaten, but everyone was just looking at their bowls. Nyxia voiced her concern immediately, comparing it to something that came out of the toilet.

"No?” Suki’s tone implied the answer was obvious. "But you know, Pruno is fermented in toilet tanks, and a lot of people go out of their way to try that stuff. So don’t knock it ‘till you’ve tried it!” Her smile perfectly masked her nerves. But her smile only lasted until Roche commented on her food. Suki looked over her shoulder and that was it. Roche was the only one to take a bite. Willow fled, and no one else had done as much as picked up their spoons.

It was going to be one of those nights, huh?

"Alright, here.” Half of the girls were transformed, so what was one more? Suki reached into her skirt ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) and pricked her finger on her tattoo. Then she took her bleeding finger and pressed it against the side of her head. An ornate hairpin jetted out either side of her head, and the hemorrhage briefly covered her body in blood. Oros the Joyful had returned.

Did this offer Suki any advantages while eating? No, but she was way cuter while doing it!

Suki picked up her own bowl and nodded at Nyxia. "I’ll have some first. I bet I can get at least half of the bowl down in one go!” And then she lifted the bowl to her lips.

Some might even say she had kissed her food.

The amorphous blob in her bowl shuttered. "Weird. Miseria usually do that before they backla-” With a bang, Suki’s food exploded all over her face. But most of it coalesced into a single black blob that flew into the pot. In a matter of seconds, the pot seemed like it might boil over. But what eventually emerged was more than the burnt remains of an under prepared meal. A fist larger than the pot reached out and pounded the ground. Then a torso with a mouth on it, a smaller arm, and then some legs. It was almost like watching a group of clowns emerge from a clown car. Now a giant, nightmare version of taz the tasmanian devil emerged from the pot. Endless Eclipse had become sentient.

It looked away from the picnic table to the one escaping on foot. A fool that would excuse themselves without so much as tasting what had been lovingly prepared for them.

”FeAsT…”

With freakish speed, Suki’s casserole charged after Willow. Each step shook Hibusa Town as the behemoth followed after the cat girl.

---

“You, hrm, don’t eat much of Suki’s cooking do you,”

Tsubomi caught herself before shaking her head. If this was going to work as an experiment, she couldn't reveal that yet. All she'd have to do is make sure she didn't eat any of it herself. Which meant that as soon as the smell of the food became apparent, her sloth-like mindset fell away. Sure, Rei said she'd protect her, but that wasn't going to be enough. Tsubomi's guard was up now, and for good reason. So by the time Roche started putting the "food" in front of everyone, Tsubomi was back to her quick-thinking state that was usually preserved for life threatening situations. Then again, this was probably exactly that.

Willow had, rightfully, run away. Tsubomi gave her some credit for that, but... When the meal became a monster in form to match its taste... That's uncalled for. Luckily, it seemed to focus on Willow, which was good for her.

"Sorry, I'm on a diet recently. Need to keep my carbs down." she said, still sounding as detached as before, at the least. And it wasn't even technically a lie! She was on a diet, as of thirty seconds ago. She was even going to stick to it for a week or so, since that's about how long the leftovers would "last" before "going bad." "I'm not used to it yet, but it just hit me that I drank too much soda to be able to manage this into it."

Still though, she found herself poking at the food with her utensils, popping the bubbles that rose from it occasionally and flipping it over itself several times. Having to fake caring for people's feelings was exhausting, and she was ready to go home and finally relax from the day for real. But this was an opportunity, so she found herself stealing glances at the Club Leader, which quickly gave way to full-on staring at her to see how she'd handle the situation.

“There is no fucking way I’m eating that,” Nyxia told Suki, even as a trembling finger pointed at the gurgling slop the piranha-mouthed girl had so creatively named “Endless Eclipse”.

The others seemed to have similar sentiments, with the blonde who’d been sitting next to The Neon Tempest going so far as to actually run from the meal as fast as her legs could carry her. Earthshaker was the only exception to this otherwise all-pervasive disgust, and The Neon Tempest watched with astonishment as the tribal girl not only began serving everyone a bowl of the bubbling goop, but upon completing that task actually ate a spoonful of it!

“D-Delicious?!” Nyxia echoed, even as her visage contorted with revulsion. “Are you out of your fucking mind?! I can’t fucking believe you actually put that shit in your mouth!”

However, before Roche could respond, Suki decided to sample her own twisted creation, but not before changing back into her magical girl form. As far as Nyxia was concerned that was proof enough of how hazardous this toxic waste masquerading as food was to one’s health, and what happened next only reinforced that sentiment…

As The Neon Tempest watched, Suki’s serving exploded out of her bowl to not only splatter all over her face (served the psycho right), but also fly back into the larger pot. A few seconds later, and something that, while possibly not a Miseria, certainly looked like one, emerged from it. “The fuck is that…?” Nyxia wondered aloud, even as the creature lurched into horrifyingly swift motion in pursuit of the perhaps-not-so-wisely-fleeing blonde…

“Well, at least things just got more entertaining!” The Neon Tempest declared with a sadistic giggle as she aimed her massive weapon at the departing monstrosity and disgorged a wildly crackling torrent of incandescent annihilation. “Ya might make me wanna vomit, but my precious little baby is gonna EAT YOU UP!!! HAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!”

"Well technically, I shot the first arrow." She corrected Sayuri, she had indeed shot the first arrow and started the interaction. Just moments later Homura was like a shattered mirror opposite Suna, she cried out and heaved heavy breaths as they ran through the street, away from the 'crime' that Suna had committed and all with the evidence in Homura's hands. She almost tripped with every step, each crack in the concrete serving as it's own obstacle to overcome.

"S-Stop!" She shouts through those heavy breaths, but it appeared Suna had no intention of stopping as they cross by many of the now closed stores and plenty of folk walking to their night-shift jobs. Suna led them on a wild goose-chase through Hibusa, taking them to places Homura had no idea even existed. "I don't know... If I can run any longer!" Her pace begins to slow and she switches between jogging and stumbling all until she collapses against a wall and slides down next to Suna. The unique aromas and the sound nearby felt wholly unfamiliar to the new girl and the atmosphere felt entirely off to her. "So, where even are we? Is this your hideout, where you hide more of your crimes?" Homura mostly jests as she gasps for air and keeps herself from collapsing onto the ground and dirtying those clothes of hers, she still needed them for school after all.

"Of course I'd follow you, I couldn't stand there and get in trouble for your actions!" The naïve girl replies, eyeing the coin-purse and the less-than satisfactory vending machine stuck in this dingy back alley. She pondered on an answer for a moment before she nodded, "Red bean soup, sure! I'll pay you back another time. I don't want to owe you more than two favours! What would you prefer, Kaeru?"

At least they all had a moment to reflect on the night's events and relax in each-other's presence. "So what's up with this town anyway? I had no idea there were so many girls that wanted to hunt us."

"Oh well, I guess the show's over for the time being," Yayoi said when their generous host arrived with tonight's meal. Oh, and what a feast would that be indeed. Certainly, a banquet to die for... literally, considering that it looked like it could knock the lights out of anyone who tried so much as a whiff.

"We— Well, you certainly have a way with these things, don't you, Miss Keeper?" A drop of sweat ran down Yayoi's brow as she watched Roche stuff a spoon of the food into her mouth as if it was indeed the most delicious thing in the world.

The blue-haired magician took her place at the table as well, looking at the food in front of her with apprehension. She swallowed hard a couple times before closing her eyes and summoning the resolve to take a bit of her own portion.

"Thanks for the foo—" And just as Yayoi was about to shove it into her mouth, she noticed the commotion regarding the running Willow.

"So that's what they mean when saying that fast food is trying to kill you, huh?" Yayoi said with a straight face after elbowing Rei a couple times to call the attention of their green-haired leader. And then, she ate a spoon of Suki's food, and immediately, the water clone that Yayoi was using burst like a bubble, soaking anyone who was unfortunate enough to be close to her.

Suki did not move.

She stood there, blinded by her creation. She couldn’t be bothered to wipe any of it away. With how shameful the dinner service turned out to be, she would rather remain blind and hidden from her surroundings. Endless eclipse dripped onto her chest and ran down the front of her body. All while she stood as still as a statue. She could hear her surroundings, but chose to ignore them. If she got hit by a laser that might end her misery.

Endless Eclipse had almost reached Willow when Nyxia’s laser carved through the center of it. But rather than dying on the spot, the monstrous food waste split in half. Oddly, both halves were smaller than the original creature, but not by much. It was almost as if it had grown while it was being split apart. But this did not stop Nyxia, who’s lazer simply curved to strike them again. And again, they would split into two slightly smaller versions of their original self. Willow needed to teleport and play jump rope with Nyxia’s laser to avoid getting vaporized.

One of Yayoi’s water bubbles burst and splashed Suki. Anything that wasn’t washed off of her face was thrown off by the violent impact. But what Suki saw wasn’t what she was expecting.

Yayoi was eating her food?

Nyx was laughing?

Willow was playing jump rope with her creation?

Even some mogalls had come to help clean the dishes. They used their tendrils to draw Endless Eclipse from the uneaten bowls.

Some weren’t enjoying her food in the conventional sense, but anyone could make food that nourished the body. But what about the soul?

”I’m glad your baby’s going to be well fed tonight.” It was unlikely that Suki’s voice could be heard over the roar of magical lasers. She stepped behind Tsubomi and patted her shoulder. ”That’s too bad about your diet. It looks like Nyx and Eyeball have the leftovers taken care of, so don't worry about it. I’ll have to make a bigger batch next time!” Yayoi was the one she really wanted to see. Other than the mogalls and Roche, she was the only person who was enjoying her food the normal way. At least she was pretty sure she was enjoying it. She’d never seen anyone make a face like that in her life. ”If it’s too hot, we do have popsicles!” She patted the magician on the shoulder before making her way to Rei. ”All done? I can clean up later. But we should go shopping before the stores close!” She held up her list. ”Let’s grab Bastet! We can get everything we need at the grocery store. The twinkies and pork rinds are the most expensive ingredients, so this won't hurt your purse too much.”

In truth, Suki wanted to take a single girl shopping with her, the looser of Rei's little challenge. But Rei and Willow were fine. It was just a shame the latter was so protective of the former. but an outing with two girls was still an outing with two girls!

Endless Eclipse seemed to understand who the bigger threat was. The hundred or so creatures turned around and charged Nyxia. By this point, some of them were small enough to get vaporized by her lasers instantly. There were still a lot of monsters, but the detention club probably had it under control. Probably.

”FeAsT!” Cried out a hundred tortured voices.The monsters barrelled towards Nyxia like a sea wave. Willow had little difficulty slipping away from the sentient food and lasers. They didn’t even pay Suki and Rei any mind as they walked past them. Suki pulled the hairpin out of her head and returned to her normal form.

”Hey Bastet! Wanna go shopping with Boss Baby and me?”

Nyxia’s psychotic laughter continued even as The Omega Obliterator’s crackling beam caused Suki’s food monster to burst into dozens of smaller, but no less disgusting, creatures. Indeed, the sight filled The Neon Tempest with delight, as it meant that her precious “baby” would have even more toys to play with. As for Willow, Nyxia barely paid her any thought at all, figuring that if the blonde wasn’t capable of dodging The Omega Obliterator’s ravening torrent of annihilation as it wildly writhed around her, then she probably would have already been eaten by a Miseria long ago. Even as the swarm of culinary abominations turned their full attention towards her, The Neon Tempest’s sadistic grin only spread wider.

“That’s it!” Nyxia cried, an excited gleam filling her eyes. “Come and die for me, you little shit stains!” she added with a deranged giggle as her two octahedral hair decorations detached and, in a blur of shifting geometry, reconfigured themselves into floating drones, which promptly disgorged their own death rays to join The Omega Obliterator’s own ruinous cylinder of annihilation. “Die! Die! DIE!!! HAHAHAHAHAAA!!!”

Maybe the meal had been a festering pile of garbage, but at least she was enjoying the entertainment…

---

“You don’t say.”

Rei spoke in deadpan or maybe it was sarcasm. Either or, it was evident she was not eating whatever hell dish Suki served up for them. She drew herself away from the purple-coated bowl. Whether she knew Tsubomi was faking her little act was known only to her but in the end, did it even matter? Her partner already fled the scene, departed like a specter as per her namesake. In truth, there were two Reis but she doubted anyone even noticed.

There was she, the true Rei, frowning at the bowl and now Tsubomi; her staring wasn’t exactly subtle anymore. And then there was the illusion, the fragment Willow manifested who sat down at her table next to Yayoi. It said nothing even as the blue Dark Magical Girl prodded her. Then it dissolved away as “Yayoi” popped in a water spasm. Seems Willow wasn’t the only one throwing parlor tricks tonight, the blonde girl long gone with Suki’s abomination chasing yet another illusion.

And that then was the other issue. The monstrous thing summoned by Suki’s unholy cooking. Rei wasn’t sure if Suki’s cooking truly spawned a brand new Miseria or if the dish was so toxic, so nauseous in fumes, that it was playing tricks on the entire Detention Club’s senses. Did it matter? Nyxia was handling the problem anyway, gleefully at that.

“It’s getting late and we still have school tomorrow. I’m calling it a night,” Rei told Tsubomi, getting up from the table. “Enjoy your diet, you’ll have to recommend me whatever recipes you find. I should consider watching my own weight,” she followed up with an empty smile. That should have been the end of it, that should have been her cue to escape and join her partner who was already on the other block gorging on pizza.

But the chef herself came to greet condolences, or something. Oros the Joyful in all her bloody glory graced her with a happy proposition. Rei stared at her, one eye blank and processing just how to react. Maybe she should be annoyed but, in the end, did that even matter? “You know what. Sure, what the hell. Since when do we care about being late to school,” Rei finally said with a renewed grin. She punched in a swift text to Willow to save her slices while Oros transformed back to Suki.

A couple of killed hours hounding Hibusa Town would do wonders on her mood, she was sure. She had nothing better to do anyway and her club had enough power and competence to take care of itself. And if not, Roche could clean the mess leftover by her loving new partner. A brim of excitement sparked from Rei's neck to her fingertips. Maybe that was the cold night weather finally getting to her at last. Or maybe she was just excited to finally meet the new Magical Girl in school tomorrow.

What a strange night.

---

While not laughing as they were making their mad dash to locations unknown through the night, Sayuri still found herself smiling as they finally stopped and everyone was catching their breath. The smile turned into a laugh that accompanied Suna. Though Homura and herself may condone Suna's earlier act - and though many at their age would deny it - they were still kids after all.

They had landed in a place that was not made for young adults, some might argue. Others would tell you that young adults were the number one customers of such a place, and that's just the nature of youth. However, the trio of friends were not here to take advantage of all this district's businesses - only the food, apparently.

Sayuri, having her own idea of where that coin purse came from, shook her head at the invitation, "No, thanks. I shouldn't be surprised this is your go-to place, Nonsuch, shouldn't I?" she'd add, with a sigh. Suna definitely, didn't answer to the usual criteria of a shining hero fighting for light and hope. The blond girl walked beside the vending machine, laying her back against it while the two others were making their transactions.

"Isn't it beautiful??" Sayui would answer to Homura's question first part, about the town. "I grew up here, pretty much. It's generally peaceful, and it looks great in the spring! But it has its flaws...and you saw some of them tonight." Kaeru's voice lost its usual peppy tone as the subject turned to the dark girls' club.

"The Depression Club. Or Detention Club, as they like to call their little therapy group. They are like us... or at least they were, but for some reason all of them decided to give up trying to make this world better and are in it only for themselves. They are led by the biggest Scrooge of them all, Schrade. Real name Rei Ishiko - we met a couple of times through our families business. A real downer night or day."

For the first time since Homura met Sayuri, her expression turned sour and her true feelings towards those that had fallen was made all too apparent, the voice even gaining some tinge of hate. Suna would not have seen Kaeru or Sayuri with such an expression often, either. "They still fight the Miseria, but make no mistake - they are not our friends. As far as I'm concerned, they are worse than the Miseria itself. Were you to tell me they are part of the reason why so much of it show up around here, I wouldn't be surprised one bit."

“At least you know to protect yourself then,” Suna sang. With only one other taking her generous offer, she slotted in the coins one by one, before posing in preparation as the machine read the money. The moment it pinged to the correct amount of money, the girl pressed the button as fast as she could, before repeating those presses even more in a clear effort to mess with the programming.

Alas, her index finger wasn’t nearly as fast as the electric signals shooting through the vending machine’s circuitry, and only one can plopped out, which she tossed over to Homura. The one that she got for herself was the same, and she cracked it open, downing it with all the gusto of someone enjoying the first can out of a six-pack. The subtle sweetness and warmth spread down her stomach in a way that was always most comforting, like a heat pack against a sore back.

Kaeru was really feeling herself tonight though, wasn’t she? “You’re gonna get wrinkles like that, Kaeru,” the blue-eyed girl replied. “You can think of ‘em as the types to hunt Miseria for personal gain though. Can’t get the Miseria big and juicy without feeding them, right? So…”

She stuck out her tongue and tilted her head back, shaking out the last drops of the soup. Satisfied with its emptiness, Suna placed it between her two hands and clasped them together, crushing it flat, then returned her gaze to Homura.

“…you can see how that goes, right? If us Magical Girls are hunters, then those Dark Magical Girls are farmers.” She threw the crushed can upwards, a three-pointer that clattered against the rim of the recycling bin and then bounced off to roll against the stained pavement inside. Suna let out a little giggle as she slid between her two companions to pick it up and toss it in where it belonged. “But you can form your own opinion on em, Homura. I’m more curious about, y’know, where you came from? Kaeru’s born here, and I moved here for work, but what about you?”

Ember let out a light laugh as Kiyo took a picture. Her eyes tracked the other Majokko's fingers while she typed the message, making sure to put on quite the shit-eating grin and look like a cat which caught a most delicious canary. It was the start of their little revenge, certainly, but not nearly done yet if Ember had her way. Even as her companion lifted her from her spot, her thoughts filled with questions on how to prank the others. Sylvia frowned at her for that, especially as the woman's thoughts turned towards more risque methods, but she remained silent. After all, it was Ember's turn to drive their body.

"Let me know if it is too much, Kiyo-chan," she said out loud to her teammate. "The night's still young; we can walk." Kiyo, however, seemed insisted on flying and indeed, they made it to Shuuko's apartment within a couple of minutes. There, Ember switched to her preferred Oss - one with long, red hair, striking, blue eyes and more mature features, still wearing the same smile as before.

"I figured it out," she said. "I'll need a day or two to do it, but I know the best way to give everyone a heart-attack. They won't even know what hit 'em." Ember laughed again as she rolled the idea over in her head. Yes, it was just so absurd, but hilarious. She would need Kiyo's help to pull it off completely and it would likely fall apart within a couple of minutes, but the baffled expressions were all that she needed to see in order to be satisfied. "But... well, until then, let's show them a good time. Did you find them, Kiyo?"

@Emeth

Kaeru and Suna seemed like good friends to the newcomer who only exchanged glances between the two as they exchanged words. She hardly fit in with this scenery and it showed as she jumped at every little noise and looked uncomfortable in this unfamiliar area. Even still, she did her best to remain and get to know her new companions, a hospitality the dark girl's didn't offer her before they began their chase.

"It's incredibly beautiful, there's so many things I want to protect in this town. No, in this world!" Homura reaches out and thanks Suna for the can, slowly cracking it open as if she's attempting to remain hidden, despite her bright pink clothing clearly screaming: 'I'm here!' She takes slow sips of the drink as the two explain their experiences with the Detention Club. Homura's brow furrows at the mention of 'for some reason'. It showed that the two held some disdain for the dark magical girls, especially Kaeru.

"There has to be some reason why. People don't just change because of nothing! Maybe something bad happened to the leader and they're really persuasive?" Homura pondered, taking another sip. "But still, the idea of letting the Miseria fester... Think about all the lives that they've ruined because of their selfishness!" She shouts. She quickly covers her mouth with a free hand and her cheeks flush a bright red in embarassment at her little moment. She bows to the two in apology before continuing on. "I guess I'll have to find out their side of the story... As long as they don't come after us like last time!" She states in her now shy-ish state, much quieter than before.

"Oh! I'm really not that interesting. I just come from another boring prefecture. Hibusa is a nice town to be! Aside from tonight... My parents moved here because the prospects were better than back 'home'." She pauses to enjoy her drink for a moment, pulling her sleeves up over her hand as the cold wind and can begin to freeze her skin. "We're somewhat well-off, so money was never a problem but we aren't super rich. I'm happy with my life and I became a magical girl so I can protect all of the beauty in this world, there's just so much you know?" She finishes.

"Why did you two choose to become magical girls? Especially ones that commit vandalism and theft for a cute little stuffed bear." She holds the stuffed animal close to her chest and her eyes bounce between the two, curious for their answers. It's not every day you get to meet someone similar to you, especially not in this town.

The next day bred much of the same for life in Hibusa Town. The average clutter stock of conversation ran through students quicker than the cold winds of a town firmly rooted in Autumn. Rumors and gossip of seeing the town’s mysterious spirits flit and flicker about the night was a usual topic among Hibusa High’s youth. While the older generation were firmly rooted in their beliefs, the younger wards were more skeptical.

It was probably just funny lights in the sky, aliens even, or maybe even late-night cosplayers too bashful to strut in public. Whatever the case, it was often disregarded with airy light laughter. That’s how Rei perceived it, always airy and light. The school day was as average as any other; she was used to her peers passing off whispers of Magical Girl exploits.

Of course, none of them had knowledge of what they were. None of them could see Magical Girls or Miseria, such forces invisible to the human eye; but the town’s roots in superstition helped to propagate any sort of myth. The day waned, the soft glow that was the afternoon sun beating through cold-tinted windows. Students hung around and talked amongst each other. Some already left for the day and fewer still attended their after-school activities.

She should be doing that, Rei thought. She wasted enough time at her desk, staring out the window for some form of amusement. She rose up and started to pack her bag in a half-full classroom.

The Detention Club. That was their cute little name. In public they were a volunteer club, doing selfless acts for student and citizen alike, gaining a good Samaritan reputation to the rest of the town. But favors didn’t come for cheap. A debt was unconsciously owed for every little kindness their members enacted. A contract of sorts, and when the time came to ask back for such “favors”, the Dark Magical Girls were not hesitant to demand payment back for their kind gifts. In more than one way. Not like normal people ever remembered such things.

That was how they controlled the city, Rei mused. Always from the shadows. For now, she had to smile and wave and give her peers whatever they expected of her. She bowed and passed off farewells in her soft voice, heading for the door. Maybe she was too deep in the act. Or maybe she just wasn’t paying attention. By choice or chance, Rei walked out the door and right into another girl.

There was a shriek and a tumble, a flash of pink fallen to the ground. Rei remained standing and flashed an eyeroll before offering her hand to the fallen. Only then did she notice just who was in her grasp, a fallen Homura. Rei smiled; one eye glinted with happy surprise.

How interesting.

---

The harsh report of a whistle rang across the delineated field where Miso High's Track team was put through a brutal pace. There's came in visible puffs as the chill of Winter air saw the heat of their bodies meet the environment with a wave of contrasts. A time where injuries came easier and muscles were sorely tested, yet to Roche it was a good a time as any train hard and make up for the laxity of their rivals.

Her blazer was and the whistle fell from her lips, settling next to her Emblem now affixed on a fresh necklace. Aquiline eyes watched her juniors finish their lips, parsing between those who lagged from true exhaustion and those who were holding back from a lack of effort. Rancor in the ranks was nothing new, and as the Detention Club proved even the harshest grasp could not weed it utterly.

"Enough!" Her voice carried over the cold, and several girls tumbled off the track, sprawling across bristly grass in sweet relief. Roche nodded to herself, feeling confident in who would go forward to represent them in the next race and who was going to be warming the benches. She held no true punitive power, but when parents questioned why their child wasn't given a chance to display the fruits of their labors, Roche's words could be just as cutting as the knife she wouldn't mind plunging into a few of the laziest of her lot.

"Those of us with second clubs can move on. Get a drink, towel off, and enjoy your day. Everyone else, put the equipment away and head out. We have a track meet in two weeks, so work hard or enjoy the bench. I can only bring the best to the starting line." Some before her were determined to meet that goal. Others wavered, doubts gnawing at them. Yet a few more looked bitter, disgruntled at the harshness of her regime and the arrogance she wore with the ease of her transformed headdress.

It all washed off her back as she turned, walking off to the club room where the Detention Club would be hosting their first meeting after Nyxia's hectic first night and the discovery of a new Light Girl intruding on their domain. The halls of the school proved warmer than the outdoors and she tugged down the zipper of her track jacket entirely, letting the ends splay out behind as she soldiered on with a stony expression and searching eyes.

In truth, she was hoping to catch Suki before she got to the club room. It was hard enough talking to her alone, but her with the others around was just going to be a mess of distractions. No, better to corner her out here and get some straight answers with no blood tentacles or interruptions.

Talk to almost any dark magical girl and they wax philosophical about the night. But as dingy as Hibusa town was, the night only lasted so long. During the day, darkness receded into its little recesses where the sun didn’t shine. Yet Suki found the early morning best for mischief. Noi one else was awake between four and six o’clock. The night owls were asleep by then and the early birds wouldn’t be up ‘till six.

Main street was empty at this hour. Hibusa wasn’t the sort of place where you encountered much security. Most of the smaller shops couldn’t afford things such as cameras, and the ones that could had no idea how to properly set them up. Even if they did, this town was Suki’s home. She knew which shops had cameras, which ones had alarms, and which ones had neither.

A small shutter shop was Suki’s target today. She didn’t know what was inside, only that it wouldn’t be hard to get her hands on whatever they had. There were plenty more nearby if this didn’t yield anything. The only catch was that the lock for this particular shop was of good quality. Her wave rake wasn’t able to open it, nor rapping on it with a small dead blow hammer. This would require actual lock picking to get open. She bit her tongue and slid her turning tool indies.

---

As far as Magical girls were concerned, it was hard to answer whether they firstly were the magic and then the girl, or the opposite. Perhaps it all depended on the individual, perhaps not. Most if not all of them eventually got caught up in the duty that befell them, it taking an increasingly big chunk of their lives. Inevitably, it seemed. While it may or may not be the case for some or most of the dark magical girls plaguing this city, some of them still had to keep up appearances during the day and during the night. It was certainly the case for Sayuri. Otherwise known as Kaeru, the ‘Frog Maiden’.

Before the night’s duty, Sayuri more often then not could be found wandering the city with a few friends, visiting whatever spots the young people of Hibusa town liked to visit or simply walking around the sparsely populated night streets. Sometimes it happened *after*, whereas Sayuri would wander alone while waiting for exhaustion to catch up to her. As she was making her way back to her family’s home on the mountain, she took a road not a lot of people took this early in the morning. Suddenly, she stopped.

Out from the corner of her eye, she spotted something… someone. Someone was definitely there, right in front of a door leading inside of a store, and by the looks of it they were trying to get in. Slowly, carefully, Sayuri walked up to them. Once close enough, she brought a fist to her mouth and pretended to cough;

“Ahem. Hey there. Are you…okay? Forgot your keys, did you?”

"Noimnotafloormatdon’tsteponme!” was what the flustered school girl said. She stood up, gripping a stiff wire in her hand. Suki’s eyes moved between the lock, Sayuri, and then the wire in her hand. "I know what this looks like.” She tugged on her skirt. "So I was at school, and they gave me some really hard homework. My parents aren’t really around that much, but Mr Chen is nice to me.” She looked side to side. "And he works here.” She tapped her chin. "A-and when I went home last night, I left all of my notes in his shop. So uh, I woke up early hoping to grab them before the morning rush. ” She looked at the wire again. "They make it look a lot easier in the videos.”

Sayuri remained there for a few moments, allowing the weight of Suki's lie to settle in. She had a serious look about her, briefly making it appear as though she was on the verge of or taking some drastic action. Clearly Suki thought so, if her deepening frown was anything to go by. However, a change quickly took place as a faint, mischievous smile began to grace Sayuri's lips. It wasn't directed at Suki; instead, it was more about the whole situation.

“I'm sorry," she managed to say between fits of laughter. "I'm a bit uh... tired. I worked late last night," she added with a chuckle. "So, it's like that, huh? Haven't we crossed paths before...? I'm sure I've seen you around somewhere."

"Come to think of it, you look a little familiar too.” Suki rubbed the back of her head.

Sayuri paused to ponder, tilting her head with a finger resting on her chin. Then, she had a eureka moment.

"I bet we both go to the same school!" Sayuri's eyes lit up as she came to this realization. With great enthusiasm, she clapped her hands together in triumph.

"There’s only one school around here.” Suki folded her arms. "But that’s probably it, we just- Eh- Ah-” She stammered as Sayuri gently took hold of Suki's hands.

"How did I never notice you before? I absolutely love your outfit!" She expressed her admiration while examining Suki's fishnets and frilly shorts, running a finger along the unique fabric. Suki may have been accustomed to people reacting with mockery or confusion to her goth look, but Sayuri's fascination was entirely sincere. A longer look at Sayuri, and Suki might notice; they were not so different. Sayuri's attire was just as striking, though it leaned toward vibrant colors instead of the dark and gloomy.

"...Heh.” Suki’s pale skin was starting to change to a warm shade of red. "Yea I uh, I don’t really dress like this when I go to school. Uniform codes and everything.” She pulled away from Sayuri and folded her hands over her chest. "But yea! Guess I’ll have to return home empty handed.” She chuckled.

Sayuri’s had been on the lookout and her watchful eye seemed to catch the exact moment Suki finally gained some colors. Glad that she actually managed to go through to the girl, she continued on with the same jovial attitude. “That sucks… but I have an idea.” Sayuri pulled on the strap of her bag to bring it forward and ruffle in it a bit.

Suki rubbed her arm. "You should probably go home and get some sleep. School’s going to start in a few hours.”

“Bah! It wouldn’t be the first night I barely sleep - or don’t at all. I bet it happens to you too, am I right?” She had no idea how close she was to the truth. “Since you lost your notes - let me help you with your homework! We still got a few hours.” Sayuri finally managed to get out her own notes, proudly grinning at her achievement.

"You’d do that for me?” Suki pressed the tips of her fingers together. "I-I mean I’ll probably remember everything when I get back home. Heh! Maybe I can even swing by and pick up everything before coming to school.”

“Nonsense!” Sayuri exclaimed at Suki’s show of hesitation. “It’s way more fun to do this together, isn’t it? Beside you look like good company. Come on!” she said as she’d pick Suki’s hand as if to lead her away. “We’ll knock those homeworks down, and the exam will be a piece of cake. Trust me!”

"Ah! Ngh! Hmm, b-but-”

---

The two girls ended up returning to the picnic area beside Suki’s group home. Sayuri had her own homework on her, so they would have to pick up Suki’s textbooks to get the ball rolling. They were from different classes, and had different assignments as a result. Suki’s backpack sat at one end of the table with all of her homework and textbooks spilling out of it.

"Um, so Mr Chan was helping me with my history homework.” She opened one of her textbooks. "Feudal Japan was never my strongest subject, heh. There was a lot going on at that time.”

If Sayuri knew Suki was lying, she did not let it show. Instead, she picked up her own homeworks to look over the relevant notes. “Lots is going down even today, trust me!” she couldn’t help herself adding.
“Now, let’s see…”

The two of them went at it until the sun came up. The school’s day was going to be tough - but unbeknownst to them, a sleepless night was hardly a novelty to the two new friends.

…

…

…



There were only two types of school kids: those that liked school and those that didn’t. And Suki hated it.

She understood its importance. Your parents weren’t exactly a roadmap to a perfect life, so someone has to show you the ropes. The issue was that the Japanese school system was based around making you their perfect little pawn. Students were required to help clean the classroom after lunch, conform to a strict dress style, and they had to be on time. Faculty also felt like they could dictate how you behaved out of school. No late nights, no romance with other students, the list went on. Suki dreamed of being in an American school where a janitor kept things clean. She’d have even been able to dress how she liked. Her attendance might have been better as a result. But there was no skipping class today. After all the “help” she got from that Sayuri girl, it wouldn’t make sense to be absent from school. Speaking of which…

“Huh…”

Suki was seated at her desk with her report card in hand. Did she really score above eighty today? It was hard to believe, but maybe some of the things Sayuri said had stuck in her brain. The temptation was to try and find her, but club activities were starting soon.
Suki wasn't too punctual, but today they were going to hunt for a pink haired super cutie. Unless Rei just randomly bumped into her during the day. Wouldn’t that be the most anticlimactic thing to happen? Wouldn’t that suck hard?

Not as hard as running into the rule keeper.

Alone.

Suki had enough awkward one-on-one with Roche during yesterday’s fiasco. She was well aware things hadn’t quite calmed down between them. She had gotten a dirty look from Roche earlier in the day, which confirmed there would be many more awkward encounters if Roche had her way. But while Roche might have been a dark magical girl, but she was also the track team captain. She had been molded by the school system into everything Suki didn’t want to be. The punctual timing, the approved outfits, it had all been hammered into Roche. No surprise that she was Rei’s rule keeper. She was an obedient pet that never tugged on its leash any harder than it had to. That was how Suki could keep track of her. Track practice wrapped up a few minutes ago, so she was probably strategically placing herself around the club or tailing Tsubomi. She’d just have to take the long way around.

She took advantage of the fact that no one was in her classroom. Suki flung open one of the windows and crawled outside. She closed the window behind herself to cover her trail. Then she crept along the outside of the school until she reached their club room. There weren’t a lot of opportunities to get spotted. Not by members of the school anyway. So long as she stayed beside the building and kept her head below the windows, she’d be impossible to spot. Some people driving past the school might have noticed a student slinking around outside of it, but none of them were going to stop on account of Suki. They probably had mistresses to visit or something.

The only real obstacle in Suki’s way was the club windows. They were all shut and latched, impossible to open from the outside. With a groan, Suki slipped into a nearby bush. A white hand reached out, and a ribbon of blood slipped past the window gasket and opened the latch from the inside. Suki looked up over the window sill just to make sure Roche hadn’t decided to go to the club room early. She ducked under the window frame, transformed back, and pulled out her phone. She then started to type a text message for Tsubomi.

Rainbow! ^-^ Wanna do me a solid and get to the club room ASAP? <^o^>

---

Tsubomi, for her part, barely managed to stay awake through class today. Which wasn't exactly an uncommon occurrence, but that she didn't pass out was slightly rarer than her doing so. Tsubomi's peers kept a running bet on whether the youngest member of the Detention Club would fall asleep in class or not. There was even a bonus for if she hit her head on her desk when she did. Her classmates believed that she didn't know their secret, but the truth was that she just didn't care to influence it. After all, she wasn't getting anything out of it. It wasn't as if she could get away with transforming to fully siphon their excitement or anger at the results, and proper gamblers were a better source anyways.

She was already watching the clock for the two minutes before the class ended, making sure not to let herself be startled by it. So when it came, she stood up slowly, grabbing her class materials to put in her bag and stretching to try to wake herself up. Chances were that the Club would have to do something today, so it wouldn't do to not be ready. Still, she waited until the rest of her class had left before moving from next to her seat and-

Her phone buzzed in her pocket just as she finished her near-minute-long stretches. Finally standing up properly, or as properly as you can when you hunch over, she checked the message.

Rainbow! ^-^ Wanna do me a solid and get to the club room ASAP? <^o^>

Tsubomi blinked slowly. Was something wrong? Would Suki send those faces if something was wrong? ... Probably. So she picked her bag off of her table and headed out the door, speed-walking towards the club room. That would probably garner some attention from the other students, that the slow girl would be moving at anything other than a snail's pace, but luckily nobody tried to stop or speak to her. However, it seemed that a few of them were trying to sneakily follow her... She didn't bother stopping or slowing down, or even try to lose the ones trailing her. If something was wrong, it was in her best interests to get there and fix whatever it was.

When she finally arrived, she didn't bother to set her stuff down or talk to the three students who had kept following her while the others had given up. She immediately started looking around, only to see nothing out of the ordinary. It even seemed like, for the first time ever, she was the first one to arrive to the Club. So she pulled out her phone and sent Suki a message of her own, speaking into her phone.

"I made it, what's up? ... ... ... Did you know how weird it is being the only person in the club-room? I don't like it." Finished speaking her text message, she hit 'send.'

@BrokenPromise

Ah, regular reasons then.

Suna too remembered when money wasn’t ever much of a problem.

“Vandalism and theft?” She laughed dryly. “It’s striking back against unjust systems! Like I said, that claw machine has eaten up way more money that the value of the toys it holds. If you think about it that way, well…”

The girl curled one of her biceps. It was impossible to see her musculature through her jacket though.

“When laws don’t protect the weak, I do. That’s my magical girl way.”

She smiled. It was impossible too, to understand just how many meanings there were beneath that expression.

---

Her injuries had healed overnight, but the public onsen had closed before she could bath herself. So, of course, while 'students' were still stuck in school, 'runaways' like herself were free to enjoy all the rights that came with someone who could go where they wished, when they wished. It had taken her a bit to find her way back onto the main road, and there were a couple of policemen in bikes that she avoided by ducking down side streets, but after all that, she stood before a humble little establishment: Otsuake-Ryu.

This early in the day, the large communal baths themselves would still be closed off for cleaning, but showers and saunas ran regardless, and she slipped in with a small plastic bucket that held all her maidenly hygiene products. A nice little afternoon break, then some roadside work to scrounge up some change, before a visit to the convenience store for sandwich ingredients and maybe a discounted bento. She'd have to find a day to visit the laundromat again, of course, but that could be considered next week.

For now though?

Suna crouched beneath a showerhead, humming a cheery little tune as the warm water began to run.

Norika sighed in a mixture of relief and despair as her personal tutor departed for the day. Unlike her beloved brother who had always excelled in his studies, she had always struggled, often failing to grasp even basic concepts in math, science, and literature. In the past, her dear Kaito had helped her whenever he could, giving her the advice and encouragement she so desperately longed for. Her actual tutors, on the other hand, seemed more interested in berating her, disparaging her every effort, and never holding back in expressing their frustration at her lack of progress. In fact, it seemed like the only reason her parents continued to fund her lessons was so that she would have a constant reminder of just how utterly pathetic and worthless she really was…

“Oh Kaito…” Norika whispered as she pressed her delicate hands against her chest and the ray gun pendant hidden under her clothes. “I-I wish you were still here…”

Fighting back tears, the frail young woman looked up at her ornate wall clock. It was almost time. School had just let out, and although Norika’s feeble constitution had always prevented her from attending classes, her new membership in Rei’s “Detention Club” necessitated a visit to Hibusa High for her inaugural club meeting. Although a part of her found the idea of spending an entire meeting simply socializing with her fellow club mates to be tedious in the extreme, another part of her couldn’t help but be intrigued by the thought of actually going to a school for the first time in her life. Plus, if the previous night’s fiasco of a meal was anything to go by, there was no telling what interesting surprises might present themselves. Thus, after taking a deep breath, Norika called upon the vast power stored within her pendant, allowing it to once again transform her into…



Slipping out of her palatial home, The Neon Tempest leapt from rooftop to rooftop, relishing the strength and vitality her magical girl form provided. The invisibility from mundane eyes was an added benefit, although Nyxia didn’t really care if people could see her or not. After all, it wasn’t as though they could recognize her, in any case. Yes, being like this was worlds removed from her everyday life as weak, pitiful Norika, and she often found herself lamenting the fact that she would eventually have to return to that depressing existence. Still, that was an issue for the future. Right now, in the blissful interlude between the suffocating control of her parents and Rei’s club, she was truly free, free to celebrate the joy of having a body that actually worked, a body that was strong, agile, and beautiful. Performing a series of somersaults, splits, handstands, and impromptu pole dances on her gigantic death ray, Nyxia laughed with wild abandon as she made her way to Hibusa High.

Although she had never been to the school before, she still knew its general location, and soon enough, she came within sight of its sprawling campus. Jumping onto the roof of the main building, she sprinted along until she was over the club room Rei had marked on the map she’d provided. Dropping off the roof, The Neon Tempest made a three-point landing, before slipping in through the half-open window. As it happened, she hadn’t been the first to arrive.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Suki, shittiest chef in the whole fucking world,” Nyxia greeted. “Bring any snack monsters for me to feed my precious baby?” she inquired with a smirk, while gently caressing her death ray. “And just who the fuck might you be?” The Neon Tempest added as she turned her attention to the gloomy-looking girl next to Suki. “The club mascot?”