Member
Kero
Einherjar 906
Festive
Lunamaria Hawke
Villamvihar
Sep
Divorarel
hanzo
TheWendil
Ivar
Mariette and Nuncio
Ally in the Alley
Nuncio stepped out of the portal and into the alley. At a glance, it looked like any other snow covered alley in Penrose. Nuncio had walked past so many alleys he wondered if he had deja vu or had gone insane. The dumpster was overloaded with garbage, a wall was covered in graffiti, and the tall buildings on either side obscured everything in shadow.
Every.
Damn.
Time.
”Keep watch Rossa.”
His faithful white tiger looked up at him with her crossed eyes before looking out. Nuncio pulled out a doll. To many it would look like an artist's mannequin, but it was an artifact that let Nuncio divine things from his surroundings. He held the doll out and swept it from side to side as he walked deeper into the alley.
The doll opened its eyes when it was swept in the direction of a spot right next to one of the buildings. After he cleared away the snow Nuncio discovered a balled up piece of paper, frozen in ice, and also a scrap of black fabric stained red with blood.
”Hmmm...”
Reading the paper in its current condition would normally be out of the question. Fortunately that did not pose a problem to Nuncio. He twisted the arm on the doll, and before long it was projecting an image of the note on the wall. He just had to track the note’s condition backwards through time until it was in a state he could read. He’d do the same thing with the bloodied cloth once the paper satisfied his curiosity.
Nuncio was able to restore the paper’s original writing on the wall, and was shocked to see he recognized the handwriting; it was Sammy’s. The paper was ripped from a notebook Sammy always held on her person, and was a list of clues regarding a case of disappeared people. While most entries on the list were crossed out, the last one remained: “Valerie Herztein, worked at the Virtuous Pie”. As for the bloodied cloth, upon closer inspection it was not from Sammy’s clothes, but instead those of another person, possibly the one who had kidnapped Sammy.
With trembling hands, Nuncio slipped the frozen ball into his pocket. For the cloth, he needed a more delicate touch. ”You’re up, Fabio.” He pulled a house cat out of his vest and placed him near the torn cloth. The cat picked up the corner in it’s mouth before looking up to Nuncio. ”Good boy.” He grinned. ”Let’s look a bit more, then we get outa here.” The mobster pointed his doll straight ahead and finished examining the alley. If there was something else here, he’d find it. But that seemed to be it.
Nuncio stashed his doll and picked and pulled out his phone. He dialed up Mariette and waited for her to answer. ”It’s Nuncio.” He sighed before looking at Fabio. ”Didn’t find much, but it’s somethin’. Wanna see?”
‘If your findings are inconclusive, do not worry,’ Mariette mentioned over the phone, before a portal opened near Nuncio’s location. Out from it came Mariette, walking directly from one alley to the next, looking around where she was for spies or eavesdroppers. She emitted a slight bit of light-magic, reveal any secrets kind of thing, after which she looked to Nuncio. ‘Amaryllis found Virtuous Pie to be a Mint infestation, she was attacked and we have captured her attacker. What have you found?’ she updated Nuncio before asking, portal closing behind her.
Nuncio pulled the frozen note out of his pocket and dropped it in Mariette’s outstretched hand. ”Seems Sammy was workin’ on a missin’ person case.” He used his doll to project the note for Mariette to see. ”Fabio’s got a cloth scrap in his mouth. It ain’t Sammy’s, but it’s gotta be related to all this.”
Fabio pawed Mariette’s leg while looking up at her. The cloth scrap was still hanging out of his mouth.
Mariette accepted the note, looking at it. Then, there was the cat pawing at Mariette’s leg, making her take a small step back by instinct as she looked down at the cat. … She also very instinctively lifted bunny higher. Cats were known to scratch stuffed things, right? Still, that cloth… ‘… I… don’t know if I can do a lot with it. That’s not what my methods use. …’ Her eyes were fixated on the cat by her leg. … She was not looking away. ‘… But suppose I could try finding someone who could.’
”I leave it all in ya care.” Nuncio tipped his hat. ”I’d stick around for that interrogation, but I’d give ‘em concrete shoes and punch in their lungs so they don’t float.” He turned around to leave. ”Ya can keep Fabio for the time bein’. He don’t claw too much.”
Mariette listened and nodded to the interrogation part. Then he mentioned keeping Fabio. ‘… Eh?’ Mariette looked a touch surprised as she looked up from Fabio to Nuncio. ‘…’ she was about to say that her home wasn’t the most cat-friendly of places, but… she gently, gently deposited bunny into her hammerspace handbag, and then attempted to crouch down to attempt to similarly gently pick up Fabio, to inspect him. Now, not all cats appreciate being picked up, but Fabio seemed more like a living plush than an animal. He was content just to be held. Mariette felt her cheeks burning and eye widen as she held the soft furry living creature in her arms.
Nuncio looked over his shoulder. ”I spoke with the others. If we can get Sammy back, they’ll get ya a red coin.”
Mariette’s eye was finally pulled from Fabio to blink a bit in surprise at Nuncio. She had 100% gotten the impression she’d been tricked into only getting a doll for her services, and while she was super-happy with the doll, it wasn’t something she could show off to Lea or Asengav as fruits of her labour. Due to this, she’d already made a completely different arrangement… ‘… Thank you, so very much. We’ll get her back,’ Mariette said, having already decided to get involved with this, regardless.
“I noticed you like traps…”
“Dude, no!”
— Veronica & Dolly
Penrose Middle School had been closed down for some time. The faculty members and students had fled long ago. What remained was a vacant building covered in snow. So much of the building had been snowed in that it started to look like a massive igloo.
The basketball court had been neglected even before the monster attacks, but Veronica had cleared away the snow to shoot some hoops. The ball she used in question was actually a magical girl weapon, but it served the same purpose. She’d been shooting hoops for the past ten minutes, but killing time was not her goal here. She had arranged for a meeting with one of Brittany’s suppliers, and had come early to ensure she met her contact.
When Veronica could hear the snow crunch under something’s feet, she snapped her fingers and banished the basketball. The woman in red turned to examine the newly arrived.
A girl, monochrome in complexion and dressed in gothic attire strangely fitting for Penrose’s current atmosphere, curtsied as Veronica turned to face her. “This is our first encounter. My designation is Dolly. It is fortuitous to become acquainted, but for what purpose do you seek us?” Gray eyes remained affixed to Veronica’s face; even when the gothic girl had been curtsying, her head did not bow.
Veronica turned her body to face Dolly. “You may call me Veronica.” She also bowed, not taking her eyes off the stranger before her. “You have a curious appearance, not that it will affect our transaction.” Veronica folded her hands together. “I’ve chosen to meet with you in person because I wish to commission a large project. Because it is not located inside Penrose, I cannot rely on Brittany to take care of it. She has willingly sent you to me after I also became a supplier of hers. Dealing with me will not compromise any standing relationship you have with her.” She folded her hands behind her back. “As for my request, I wish to furnish a lab. I have observed your wares and they are among the finest I have bore witness to.”
“Research being?”
“Does it matter?” Veronica shrugged her shoulders. “Medical artificing. That’s what I’m primarily interested in.”
“It matters if you are to obtain the correct furnishments,” Dolly responded blankly. “You are Crimson, affirmed?”
“If you mean to say that I lead Crimson Cradle, you are correct.” Veronica walked closer to Dolly, but stayed out of her personal space. “And you are an affiliate of the Gourd. A group of artisans with legendary origins. I’ve wanted to make contact with someone who holds such connections for a while now.” She stopped. “Are you interested in my organization?”
“No. For clarity and to prevent possible issues further down the line, we would like to inform you that, as an individual, we hold contracts with the Mint,” Dolly responded blankly. “Do you wish to proceed with your commission?”
Veronica grinned. “Of course, it was when I was working for them that I first witnessed the Gourd’s work. If I had a problem with it, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.” Veronica continued to pace around Dolly. “I would like the details of my commission kept confidential. Otherwise I don’t really care.” She turned to face Dolly. Her grin had vanished already. “So, what’s next?”
“Specifications, then discussion of payment,” Dolly responded blankly. “We don’t need coin, and prefer unique materials. A world eater’s heart is cheap, compared to the magic of a gifted mage.”
Veronica nodded. “To start, I would like a focus, a strong one. Something that can be used to broadcast one’s magic hundreds of miles away. The distance is more important than power mind you.” She approached Dolly. “As for payment, the Cradle is home to a vast array of treasures. There’s junk like you mentioned, such as monster organs. But I also possess artifacts and weapons that were crafted by some of the best mages. Some are tools used by renown magical girls who are centuries old.” A wreath of treasures appeared around Veronica’s head. “Some of my treasures harken back to the age of myth.”
“And some of our colleagues harken back from that same age,” Dolly responded blankly.
“Then you know they’re good.”
“Of raw material, what do you possess? And of your focus, is this for the purposes of communication, or for an actual magical effect?”
“Both. I plan to use it for telepathy.” Veronica tipped her head side to side as she examined Dolly. “I should have a near endless supply of mundane materials. As for things more mystical in nature, I haven’t taken stock recently. With the imposed vacation and everything. I should still have an abundance of black orichalcum.” The treasures behind Veronica vanished, and a black bar with a purple aura appeared in her hand.
“We’re interested in rarities, not abundance,” Dolly responded blankly. “What do you have that the Mint can not provide?”
Veronica blinked. She looked between the block of black metal in her hand, then back at Dolly. After doing this a few times, she laughed. “I don’t think I’ve shown you a single thing that you could get from the Mint.” The bar of metal disappeared and Veronica folded her hands behind her back. “You seem to know a bit about me. Perhaps there’s something you want that I haven’t offered yet? Because the only other thing I have are secrets and connections, which are far less rare around these parts.”
“Mayhaps not this planet’s Mint,” Dolly said. Her silver eyes flashed momentarily, a flicker of knowledge passing through. “But understood. I will clarify my intent. Magical girls are known for stumbling across magics that frustrate the capabilities of trained mages. We can start your payment with a Stasis’d object.”
Veronica threw out her arms. “There it is.” She tipped her head in thought. “I’ve never viewed my agents as gifted mages, but she fits that discription, doesn’t she?” Veronica pointed in the air and a time bomb appeared. It looked like a digital clock with TNT tied to it, and the display was frozen at 00:02. “Items locked in stasis are difficult to transport without magic.” To demonstrate why, Veronica jumped on top of the bomb. It remained in place. “I can deliver it to a specified location for retrieval.” She hopped down. “But you’d have to sweeten the deal for me.” Veronica placed her finger on Dolly’s forehead, and traced it downward, between her eyes and over her nose and lips, before stopping on her chin. “I wouldn’t mind having a doll that looked like you. Roughly this size.” The Astolpho plush appeared in her other hand. “If these terms are agreeable, I will draft a contract.”
Dolly’s countenance remained unaffected by Veronica’s touch. Her skin was cold and smooth, bereft of oil or other imperfections. “A to-scale doll, in exchange for information on the magical peculiarities of your agents,” she replied, her eyes dimmed once more.
Veronica squinted her eyes. “The magical peculiarities of my agents, with the understanding that such information is strictly for the Gourd.” Black flames appeared under Veronica’s outstretched hand. When she closed her palm, the flames parted to reveal a contract. “It is preferable that the doll’s head is slightly larger than scale.”
“Understood.” From her sleeves, Dolly produced a matchbox that she pulled a feathered quill and a pot of starry ink from. “Any other preferences we should be aware of? Viscera and genitalia to match?”
Veronica squinted her eyes further. “To match?” Her eyes scrolled up and down Dolly. “Do you have any surprises I’m not aware of?”
“Would you like to draft another contract and find out?”
At this point, it was hard to tell if Veronica was closing her eyes, or actually squinting. “Let’s table the doll for now.” The contract in her hands was engulfed in flames, and a shorter one appeared in its place. “Just the focus today, as was agreed upon.”
“Understood. Your medical artificing and broadcasting equipment will be delivered within three days, in exchange for magical effects generated by your agents, starting with Silhouette’s Stasis,” Dolly responded, dipping the quill in ink. The gothic girl offered the quill to Veronica first.
Astolpho seemed to melt away as a thin stiletto took its place. With a swift thrust, Veronica drove the blade into her neck, causing a bit of blood to spray onto her shoulder. She didn’t flinch, but proceeded to use the blade as a quill to write her name on the contract. Once she was done, the blade vanished, and her wound had healed. “Your turn.”
For an instant, Dolly’s lips twitched upwards. A smile? Or just a trick of the eye? In the span of a blink, she was expressionless once more. With the quill, she marked the document with a symbol of a stylized circle.
With that, both items disappeared into her matchbox once more, and she motioned towards the time bomb. “If you please.”
Veronica stepped off to the side and gestured towards the bomb with an open hand. “It is yours.”
Dolly curtsied once more, before kneeling before the bomb. She obstructed the frozen explosive from Veronica’s sight with her sleeves, and when she stood up once more, it was gone.
“Thank you for your business. Have you need for further provisions?”
“Not for the time being, no.” She placed a hand on her hip. “Though that will likely change if the Gourd’s focus lives up to expectations.”
“Certainly.”
Contract completed and verbally dismissed, Dolly curtsied once more and dissolved into dust, leaving nothing behind.
Veronica blinked. “Was she some form of golem? That would makes sense.” She blinked. “He a golum? It a golum?” She growled and clenched her hand into a fist. “Mark my words, Dolly. I always get what I want. I will have you added to my collection if I need to burn down Penrose to do so!” Before departing from her location, Veronica snapped her fingers, and a black mist rolled off of the school and surrounding area. It had all been an illusion, and the former middle school had been reduced to nothing more than a crater surrounded by frozen timber. Only the basketball court had been spared.
”...Fuck...”
— Tonya “Mac” Murphy
The good news was that the rave was going to be a very proffitable event for Mac. The bad news was that it was going to be a slaughter. No matter how many showers she took now, it wasn't going to make the upcoming event any easier.
Why something like this had to happen at all was beyond Mac's understanding. But at least it would land a good solid blow on Beacon... as well as the rest of Penrose. This was the turning point in Penrose's history when the scales of power shifted. All of the factions would get weaker as a new power rose from their ashes, and Mac dared not speak their name.
But it was Penny.
In preparation for the onslaught, Mac requested lots of military gear. Proximity mines, pyrotechnics, the works. She'd be hard at work right up until the rave's scheduled date. Though most of her work would be done at the nearby park. She would not be noticed, she was never noticed...