Ponn

Darkest Before the Dawn: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed]

“It would appear the matches shall be starting soon,” Gaia told Connie and the others at her table once she’d returned from her chat with Mariette. “Would you like to go watch them? I am fairly certain Mayra shall be one of the participants.”

“Uh, I g-guess we could…” Connie replied hesitantly, still a little saddened by how the previously festive mood had been shattered. “I-I, mean, I r-really want to c-cheer M-Mayra on, b-but umm… W-What even is K-Keijo?”

Despite her normally serene disposition, her friend’s question brought an awkward smile to Gaia’s face. “W-Well, the answer to that is somewhat complicated, little sister,” the verdant girl began hesitantly. “Some consider it a sport, others a respectable martial art… and still others a rather scandalous form of entertainment.” Sighing, she reluctantly continued her explanation. There really was no easy way to say this was there? “Essentially, it involves two competitors on a floating platform, who each try to knock the other into the water. However, they can only use two very limited parts of their body to do so- their chests, and their rears.”

“Uhh.. T-That s-sounds r-really s-strange…” Connie observed with an uncertain frown.

“It certainly is, little sister,” Gaia agreed with a sigh. “And I completely understand if it’s not something you’d want to watch.”

“N-No, i-it’s fine…” Connie replied still sounding a bit uncertain. “A-And it c-could even be f-fun!” she added with a hopeful smile.

Returning Connie’s smile with one of her own, Gaia placed a comforting hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Then shall we be off?” she inquired.

With everyone in agreement, Gaia and Connie, along with Rose, Iris, and Shane set out for the Keijo arena.

Although she had been a member of the magical community for some time now, it still amazed Connie how she was able to travel from winter to summer in a single step. Making their way along the palm tree lined paths of the central tropical island, the small group soon arrived at the arena. However, the sparkling waters of the beach, as well as the myriad fountains and pools they’d passed, reminded Connie of something she’d been thinking about ever since her first visit to Dan’s dimension, something she had finally gathered the courage to act on.

“Umm… Mia?” Connie spoke up hesitantly, after they’d taken their seats in the viewing stands.

“Hmm?”

“S-So, uh, you k-know how I c-can’t s-swim? W-Well… I was w-wondering if m-maybe w-we could c-come back here s-sometime a-and you could h-help me l-learn…”

“Of course, little sister,” the nymph-like girl replied with her warmest smile. “I would be more than happy to do that for you.”

“T-Thanks, Mia,” Connie told her softly, while giving the verdant girl a big hug. “W-With you h-helping me, I j-just know I’ll be s-swimming in no t-time at all!”

Giving voice to a melodic giggle, the botanical beauty returned Connie’s hug with interest. “That is only because you have already overcome your greatest obstacle,” she replied.

“Huh?”

“Your fear, Connie,” Gaia explained, her voice filed with admiration. “You conquered your fear of the water. If you hadn’t done that, then I couldn’t even begin teaching you the basics.”

“Oh, w-wow…” Connie whispered, her eyes widening with understanding. “I-I guess you’re right…”

“As I have always said, my dearest Connie, you possess far greater strength than you realize, and it fills my heart with such joy when you display it.”

Soon, the matches commenced, and Connie found herself captivated by each contest. While the “sport” was indeed more than a little strange, it was still fascinating to see the incredible feats each pair of competitors managed to accomplish, even under the confines of Keijo’s bizarre rules. This was especially true in the case of Mayra’s match, which saw Connie gasping in awe at her draconic friend’s abilities, culminating with a metamorphosis into a full dragon! However, her awe swiftly turned to alarm, as she watched Mayra slam into the water and then sink into the depths.

“M-Mayra!” she cried, leaping up from her seat. “I-Is s-she okay?!”

“I believe she will be, little sister,” Gaia reassured her as they watched Jelena leap into the pool after the defeated dragon. “But if you would like, we can see if we might be able to check up on her, once she recovers.”

“Y-Yes, please!” Connie nodded vigorously, her trembling hands clasped over her heart.

A few minutes later, they were outside the door of Mayra’s locker room. After being granted permission to enter, Connie rushed inside, her eyes filled with concern. Although that concern appeared to be unwarranted, at least if the draconic girl’s cheerful demeanor was anything to go by. “M-Mayra? A-Are you okay?” Connie asked as she nervously played with her hair. “I-I saw what h-happened and…”

‘Oh, I’m feeling great! I’m ecstatic! Such a powerful opponent! Aaah, I wish I could have kept fighting! Silly water rule, if it wasn’t for that I wouldn’t have fallen to that attack alone! But, aaah, I wish I could keep fighting. There’s gotta be more powerful opponents in the tournament. Oh, whatever! I had fun! Hahaha! Aaah, I want to fight her again sometime…’ Mayra said dreamingly as she thought back on the battle.

Connie was understandably a bit surprised by the draconic girl’s cheerful enthusiasm, but she was happy that her friend was unhurt, and was taking her loss a lot better than she’d expected. After exchanging a (nearly bone breaking) hug with the dragon girl, Connie and Gaia returned to their seats to watch the next few matches. However, if Connie was expecting them to be less shocking than what she’d just witnessed, she would be sorely disappointed…

As upsetting as the conclusion of Mayra’s match had been, the ending of Penny and Sam’s had been far worse. Clasping her hands over her mouth in horror, the timid girl could only watch in stunned silence as medical teams rushed to aid the fallen competitors.

“O-Oh my gosh…” she whispered, her eyes beginning to water.

“Come on, little sister,” Gaia said gently as she rose to her feet and held out an elegant hand to help Connie do likewise. “Let’s take a little stroll. It will help you relax and free your mind from all this unpleasantness. Okay?”

“O-Okay, Mia,” Connie replied, allowing Gaia to support her trembling legs.

“That’s my little sister,” Gaia told her warmly, while giving her an affectionate head pat. “We’ll be back shortly,” she told their companions, before leading Connie towards the exit.

With the first round concluded, everyone was slowly beginning to file out of the stadium for a food and restroom break. Gaia decided to avoid the crowds by choosing to explore a seemingly unnoticed path through the tropical foliage. The path led them to a secluded hut, which, if the sign above the entrance was to be believed, contained a book shop. Stepping inside, the pair discovered a quaint and cozy little store, filled with books on fish, ships, lighthouses, pirates, and other nautical topics. There were even a few comfy chairs to sit and read in. It was the perfect place to calm one’s mind, and it wasn’t long before Connie had picked out a book to look through. Sitting side by side, the two friends looked over page after page of beautiful landscape paintings, each depicting a ship, lighthouse, or palm tree decorated with Christmas lights. The images were a perfect merging of the tropical nature of the summer islands and the holiday spirit, which so suffused the winter island, reminding the two magical girls that it was still Christmas, even if it didn’t much feel like it, currently. A few minutes later, the chime of a small bell above the door alerted the pair to the arrival of a new visitor, and Connie smiled upon seeing who it was.

“Amanda!” she greeted the dream magician with cheerful surprise.

“It is very nice to see you, Amanda,” Gaia added warmly. “My dearest Connie and I were just taking a little break to de-stress after all the recent drama,” she explained. “So, what brings you here?”

Amanda managed a tired smile when the two spotted her. "Yo..." She waved. When asked what brought her to them, she simply shrugged. "Same as you, I guess? I just...wanted to see you guys for a bit." Once she walked over and sat down next to them, she detransformed back to her normal self. "Ugh, I feel like I'm gunna puke."

“W-Why?” Connie asked, her concerned demeanor having returned in full force. “W-What h-happened?”

"Take a guess." Amanda only said.

“U-Ummm…” Connie frowned, looking thoughtful. “D-Did o-one of t-those, uh… Ascendancy p-people do s-something?” she asked, clasping her shaking hands over her chest.

The magician rose a brow. "No?? Did I miss something else?" She then shook her head. "Nah, it's just...the last tournament. This whole thing. Penny. It- It ain't right." She frowned. "I just don't wanna think about it."

“O-Oh! N-No,” Connie hastened to clarify. “N-Nothing h-happened… A-At l-least, n-nothing t-that I k-know of. I was j-just g-guessing…” She then listened with increasing distress as the weary magician expressed her displeasure with the tournament. And with Penny…

“Mmm, that last match was indeed intense,” Gaia agreed, “But something tells me that isn’t what you’re referring to. I completely understand if you do not wish to speak of it further, whatever it may be,” the verdant girl added in a tranquil voice as she placed a reassuring hand on the magician’s shoulder. “But please know that my dearest Connie and I are here for you if you need someone to talk to.”

Amanda sat back up, and smiled. "Thanks. Most of it's out of my hands anyways."

“Then perhaps taking some time to relax with friends is precisely what you need?” Gaia suggested with a warm smile. “And the local ambiance is quite calming, don’t you agree?” she added, gesturing at the cozy shop around them.

Amanda looked around. "Bookshop..." She giggled. "Hehe, ironic. Yeah, I could stay here for awhile, nice and quiet."

“M-Mia and I were l-looking at this b-book with t-tropical landscapes decorated with C-Christmas lights,” Connie told her. “O-Our c-chairs are s-so c-close together w-we c-could all p-probably see the p-pages if M-Mia held it in her l-lap,” the timid girl observed. “S-So… W-Would you l-like to l-look at it w-with us?”

"Sounds neat. I'm in." Amanda nodded.

---

Sometime before Penny's match...

The tournament was ongoing, and so was Dina’s work behind the scenes. Not much of a fighter, despite being chosen by Dan as one of her girls, she instead had decided to take a less direct approach than the slugfest Penny and Dan had proposed.

It was a draining affair, and she was aware that her party butterfly self was reeling from it. She was a socialite, not a backstage general, nor a wizard of strategy. Well, at least so far no major setbacks on their side. Sann was a bit rough, but a little force would not hurt to deter people from acting against Sanctuary, and Penny was being her immovable self as ever.

Sakura had been a wild card, and the less she thought of it the better.

So much sunken in thought she was, she did notice the person in front of her until it was too late to avoid contact.

“Ugh...you.”

“Huh~? Oh~! Hi Dina Wina~! (giggle!)” MDP greeted the aristocratic cat-girl with a happy smile. It was between matches, and the whimsical Princess of Dreams was getting some refreshments from one of the food stands in the tropical courtyard. “Like, have you been enjoying the Keijo Weijo matches~?!” she asked excitedly. “Magical Dream Princess thinkie winkies they’ve been, like, super duper fun so far~! (giggle!)”

“I have seen them, Princess.” She said, her ears downcast. “But this is fun where people are getting hurt.” She gritted her teeth and balled her fists. Was this Penny’s idea of a companion? Two sentences and already she was getting on her nerves. Yet, she exerted herself to remain calm. She was a Builder. Not a Destroyer.

“Well, at least some people are having fun with it.” She pondered. “Could I rob you a few minutes of your time? There’s something we need to talk about.” She said. There was none of her usual flair, nor her commanding aura. She just looked… like a tired grandmother.

MDP tilted her head slightly when Dina mentioned people getting hurt. After all, weren’t some minor injuries to be expected in a sporting event? And wouldn’t Dan’s magic heal those injuries in a matter of seconds? In any case, Dina went on to ask if she could talk with her for a bit, causing the whimsical girl to return to her usual bubbly demeanor.

“Like, totally wotally~! (giggle!)” MDP confirmed with a playful wink. “Magical Dream Princess would wuv to talky walky with Dina Wina~! (giggle!) But, like, Dina Wina looks super duper tired wired…” she noted, a look of concern on her cute face. “Is everythingie wingie okie dokie~?”

Dina raised an eyebrow. “No, not everything is alright, I’m afraid. But it is beyond what you can do to be honest.” She indicated to follow her inside a private lounge.

“Awww…” MDP replied with a frown as she followed after Dina. “Magical Dream Princess is super duper sorry to hear that… Would a huggy wuggy helpy welpy~?” she asked once they’d entered the lounge, spreading her arms wide.

“I’m not that starved for affection right now.” Dina huffed, in a very grouchy cat fashion. She could need a hug, but she would never admit it.

“Okie dokie…” MDP replied with a dejected sigh, her arms falling to her sides. The poor girl looked like a deflated balloon, having lost nearly all of her cheerful enthusiasm.

Dina rolled her eyes. “Just a little one.”

MDP gasped with delight, her typical cheerful demeanor instantly returning. “Yaaay~!” she cheered, jumping up and down, before glomping Dina and squeezing her tight. “That makes Magical Dream Princess soooo super duper happy wappy~! (giggle!) Like, she just knows a nice huggy wuggy will make Dina Wina feel lots better~! (giggle!)”

Of course Dina reacted very much like a cat being given an unwanted hug. Few people ever hugged her, except perhaps that stupid grabby Sanngridr. She had a taste for social distance most of the time.

As one might expect, MDP was blissfully oblivious to Dina’s discomfort. She let the hug linger for a while longer, before finally releasing the cat girl and giving her a big smile. “Like, does Dina Wina feel better nowie~?”

"Sort of." She lied through her teeth, as her tail swished. She breathed deep and then went for the kill.

"If I may be so bold, what is the current relationship between you and her Highness?"

​​MDP’s eyes seemed to sparkle at the sound of Dina’s question, and her smile grew even wider. “Like, Penny Wenny is Magical Dream Princess’s super duper wuvy dovey girlfriend wirlfriend~! (giggle!)” the whimsical girl declared, clasping her hands over her chest, while small hearts formed in the air around her.

So it was true then. It was somewhat vexing and surprising for Dina that Penny had chosen such a girl as companion. But then again, a self-called infant machine entity borne of a small portion of a human’s bound was to have some queer tastes.

Well, that meant less comfort for the regent, who even sometimes wanted company from the machine girl… but she had been once a mother and a grandmother. Sometimes you just had to let the young ones fly. She bit her lip, she probably had shown her jealousy before. She wanted to be beside Penny and enjoy tea, but now an empty title and work behind the scenes awaited, most of it being thankless.

“Young love, always a beautiful thing.” She mused. It was mostly a lie. Young brats were known not for their level headed decisions, but what could she do but support the Queen she had helped to rise? Doing otherwise would make her seem treacherous. “Still, I should warn you. Being a girlfriend to a Queen will expose you to no small amount of vexations and anger.”

“You’ve witnessed it. People have used you to hurt Penny.”

MDP frowned at that last part, averting her gaze while a small blush colored her cheeks. “Like, there are always gonna be meanie weanies who hurt other people weple, but Magical Dream Princess’s wuv for Penny Wenny is lots stronger than anywany of them!” the whimsical girl declared. “If Penny Wenny gets hurt, Magical Dream Princess will be there to make it aaaall better, and, like, she just knows Penny Wenny would do the same thingie wingie for her~! (giggle!)”

"Your dedication is admirable. And worrisome." Dina replied. "However, do you honestly think that because love is involved, things will go your way?" She paused. "You have strange powers, but even those fall short when there is an entire city craving for a crown."

“Like, Magical Dream Princess thinkie winkies that wuv can conquer anythingie wingie~!” MDP replied emphatically. “She knows that thingie wingies might get super duper toughy wuffy, but, like, if Penny Wenny and Magical Dream Princess do their very wery best, then they’ll totally wotally make all their dreamy weamies come true~!”

"If only I could share your optimism." Dina replied, blinking at how… naive this outlook seemed to be. "Okay, look. You are a specially annoying womanchild, but you seem to make Penny somewhat happy, and the satisfaction of a Queen is good for its subjects." Dina carefully measured her inflections, as if talking with an hyperactive child. "I want you to focus on what I am going to say. This tournament might fail and we might have to fight for our lives." Dina said.

"When that happens, come to me and I shall see you are evacuated. Don't try to demonstrate the power of love to zealots. You don't need to fight our battles. Just evacuate with the rest."

She eyed the whimsical being, awaiting an answer

MDP frowned slightly when Dina called her annoying, but didn’t say anything to refute the cat girl’s claim. After all, even with her current, ditzy mindset, she was still well aware of how bothersome her behavior could be to others. Indeed, one of the reasons she loved Penny so much was because none her childish idiosyncrasies seemed to bother the mechanical monarch, who had even gone so far as to say she actually liked them.

However, when Dina mentioned evacuating in the event that Rachel was victorious, the whimsical girl’s visage took on a look of righteous indignation. “Like, Magical Dream Princess believes in Penny Wenny, and she thinkie winkies Dina Wina should, too!” she declared placing her hands on her hips. “And, like, even weven if that meanie weanie with the glasses wasses decidey widies to destroy Danny Wanny’s placey wacey, then Magical Dream Princess will helpy welpy to protect it with all her heart, ‘cause that’s, like, totally wotally what magical wagical girls do~! (giggle!)” she added, striking a triumphant pose.

"Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. Even Penny can fail." Dina said, as her eyes narrowed to slits upon the display."It's not your war, princess… and once you are made an enemy of Beacon they tend to hold grudges."

Besides Penny herself might side with Beacon Dina grimaced at the thought. None of this seemed to work with this particular girl. Dina herself had always boasted about her diplomacy, and indeed her magical girl powers somehow reflected that.

No, It wasn't this particular girl. Nothing had ever worked as of late. The party, a mostly joyful affair, had ended in a fight and a tournament. Oros had gone back to her ways after just a token agreement to her convincing.

She was so tired. She wanted to summon a dream eater and scare this perp off. Better to be feared. But she did not. Instead she made sure the door was closed, before closing the distance between the two.

Her hands took the Princess hand, and clasped around it.

"I implore you, be reasonable. For all what's important in the world. Once you got involved with Penny, you have basically involved yourself with the entire Sanctuary. If either of you is crippled or maimed this will be bad for all of us. I cannot ask Penny to just… leave the front and seek safety, but I can ask you."

She then swallowed. "I am begging you. Please… I am so tired of people not being reasonable at all…"

While it was true that MDP often had trouble following along with complex subjects while in her magical girl form, if anyone around her was feeling distressed, she was always quick to pick up on it, and it was clear to her that Dina was feeling very distressed. Placing her free hand atop Dina’s, she gave it a gentle pat. “Awww, it’s okie dokie, Dina Wina~” she told the cat girl with a reassuring smile. “Magical Dream Princess knows you’re worried about Penny Wenny, and Danny Wanny, and lots of other wother stuffy wuffy, but, like, Dina Wina doesn’t have to worry about everythingie wingie all by herselfy welfy~ Magical Dream Princess is here to helpy welpy~! Even if Penny Wenny doesn’t beat that meanie weanie, and even if Fanfany Wanwany can’t convince her that Danny Wanny’s placey wacey doesn’t need to be destroyed, Magical Dream Princess will still do everythingie wingie she can to helpy welpy everybodywody escapey wapey safey wafey and soundy woundy~! But, like, Magical Dream Princess can’t just run and hidey widey if that meanie weanie starts doing nasty wasty stuffy wuffy…” she added, a look of determination filling her eyes. “She’s gonna do everythingie wingie she can to make them stoppy woppy! Magical Dream Princess knows you’re super duper worried about Sancuwanctuwary, but, like, she thinkie winkies you’re more important wortant to it than she is~ That’s why she’s also gonna do everythingie wingie she can to keep you safey wafey~! And she’ll keep Penny Wenny safey wafey, too~! That’s, like, her super duper special wecial magical wagical girl pinky winky promise~! (giggle!)”

Dina looked at MDP, but she was far from being appeased. "What is so shameful about relying on your elders? No one here is asking you to hold the line. I may be important, yes, but I cannot abide throwing the likes of you into the fray just so I can be protected. That is Sann's job."

“Shameful wameful~?” MDP asked, tilting her head in obvious confusion. “Magical Dream Princess doesn’t understandy wandy… She’s gonna stay and helpy welpy because she wants everybodywody to be safey wafey and happy wappy~! You don’t need to ask her to do it, Dina Wina, ‘cause that’s, like, totally wotally why she became a magical wagical girl in the first placey wacey~! (giggle!) And, like, if she didn’t helpy welpy people weple in needy weedy and make their dreamy weamies come true, then she wouldn’t be Magical Dream Princess anymoresie, and that would be, like, super duper awful wawful, ‘cause she wuvs being Magical Dream Princess sooo much, and, like, being Magical Dream Princess and helping welping people weple in trouble wuble is how Magical Dream Princess met Penny Wenny~! (giggle!)”

Dina just rose to her feet, her anger growing by each second. "You are not even going to listen to my pleas, aren't you? I need you to stay out of trouble for Penny's sake."

“Magical Dream Princess is listening wistening!” the whimsical girl shot back. “But Magical Dream Princess couldn’t live with herselfy welfy if Penny Wenny got hurt and she wasn’t there to helpy welpy her!” she added, becoming increasingly upset. Indeed, just the thought of such a terrible thing had caused tears to well up in the childish girl’s eyes, with the waterworks threatening to erupt at any moment. “Can’t Dina Wina understandy wandy that?!”

"And do you think Penny will approve of me willingly let you get in the fray so you can be hurt? She already mistrusts me." Dina answered back.

“Penny Wenny knows that Magical Dream Princess can handle wandle herselfy welfy,” MDP replied with an indigent huff. “And besidey widey, Dina Wina isn’t in charge of Magical Dream Princess, so, like, you can’t order her aroundy woundy like you do with other people weple! And Penny Wenny knows that, too! Like, did she ask Dina Wina to keep Magical Dream Princess from helping welping her, or is this just something womething Dina Wina wants?” she asked pointedly.

"I am the Regent. It is on my plate to safeguard Sanctuary and those involved with Penny in that stead should she be not present." Dina would answer. "If it were up to me and me only, we would not even be in talking terms." She then pointed. "Besides, trying to help and actually being helpful might not even be the same thing."

She let a deep breath."You don't even need to prove anything to her Highness. She was elated to see you. That much is plenty. It's true I cannot order around, and I am loath to use force, which is why I am trying to convince you are giving yourself into folly at a whim!"

“But it’s not folly wolly!” MDP shot back. “And Magical Dream Princess knows she doesn’t have to prove anythingie wingie to Penny Wenny! She wants to helpy weply because she wuvs Penny Wenny with all her heart, and because it’s the right thingie wingie to do!”

Dina then looked as if she was going to reply, but instead pulled something out of her pockets. "You have forced my hand in this." She said… as she called Penny with her phone.

The call would be picked up within the first ring. Penny’s voice sounding out almost before the ringing stopped in fact. ‘Dina’ The queen would greet her voice a bit more worn than would be expected ‘How can I help?’ She would ask readily.

"I beg you pardon, your majesty, but your paramour… is hard to deal with. Worst case scenario… she doesn't wish to evacuate and claims to want to protect everyone. Naturally I am trying to convince her otherwise and be evacuated to safety should the worst happen, but she won't budge. Since I cannot order her, I am letting you know of this fact." Dina answered, before fiddling around with the phone settings until she managed to find the loudspeaker.

There was a crackle of static from the phone that almost sounded like muttered swearing just as Dina switched it to loudspeaker. ‘Princess, Dina’s right’ Penny’s reply was quick and sure ‘More than she knows in fact. As the worst case would be back to back evacuations. Because I found out recently, and by recently I mean a few minutes ago, the Sanctuary is even less hidden than we feared. We’ll get everyone we can out, but staying might do more harm than good because of that’

MDP frowned. “B-But, doesn’t Penny Wenny want Magical Dream Princess’s helpy welpy?” she asked, sounding somewhat saddened by the mechanical monarch’s response.

‘That’s not what I’m saying at all’ Penny would say softly ‘If worst comes to worst I’m not going to be sticking around either. The Ascendency has good reason to believe they can destroy a dimension, and as far as I am aware they don’t need to be here to do so.’ She would explain, even if it wasn’t as cut and dry as she was making it out to be. ‘I am absolutely going to need your help getting people out of the beach and back to Penrose if they decide that they are done with all of this, and that might include Dan. The loss of the beach will be a big one if that does happen, but keeping everyone else safe and Dan alive will give us the chance to rebuild it.’

“Okie dokie…” MDP conceded. As much as she hated to admit it, Penny made some good points, and if the mechanical monarch herself wasn’t going to stay behind to oppose the Ascendancy, then there was little point in MDP staying behind either. “But, like, Magical Dream Princess doesn’t thinkie winkie that’s gonna happen wappen, ‘cause she believes in Penny Wenny with all her heart, and she just knows Penny Wenny will stoppy woppy that meanie weainie before she can do anythingie wingie terrible werrible~!” she added cheerfully.

‘Thanks for the vote of confidence, and I don’t think it will get that bad either.’ Penny would agree with a chuckle. ‘But it’s always better to have a back up plan in place.’

“Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst.” Dina would add, as she eyed MDP. “It seems I will need to revise my prediction.” Dina would then add, aghast at the revelation that Penny had brought. Why can’t anything ever work.

“Sooo, like, Magical Dream Princess knows you don’t really like her all that muchy wuchy, but she’d still really like to helpy welpy if she can, so is there, like, anythingie wingie she can do for Dina Wina right nowie~?” MDP asked the cat girl.

‘Sorry Dina’ Penny would chime in ‘I wanted to tell you as soon as I learned but time was against me. Silver lining is we won’t be blind sided by it. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help as well. Though I’m going to be limited by more than just the matches, as it seems that the dear Inquisitor has her eye on me.’

Dina's ears would droop, as her tail set itself tightly around the leg. "Just… stay out of trouble. If trouble somehow finds your way to you, meet with me or her Highness with haste." The catgirl said, as she then mumbled something under her breath.

"Worst comes to it, we can just lock Rachel somewhere to win time."

“Okie dokie~! (giggle!)” MDP replied with a playful salute. “Magical Dream Princess is gonna go and get some refreshment wehsments nowie~! (giggle!)” she added, while turning and skipping towards the door. “See you later water~!”

Dina just sighed, as her shoulders visibly slumped. There was much work to do yet. “I’ll continue on doing things behind the scenes.” She said, finishing the call.

Before the line would terminate Penny would have one last thing to say ‘Thank you Dina. And I owe you an apology, let me know when you have time so we can talk about it. Until then keep up the good work.’

Nova Lux: A Magical Girl Game

---

“See? I told ya you’d enjoy it!” Dana said with a happy laugh as she and Penny walked back to their dorm after the ball had concluded. “Yeah, she’s really somethin’ else,” the cheerful Norban agreed when the discussion moved to the subject of Nicole’s rather magnetic personality. “Oh! But you wanna hear somethin’ that’s really crazy?!” she asked with an excited gleam in her eyes. “Noah told me that the officers are gonna get to work with actual, real-life giant robots! Isn’t that awesome?!”

Penny had agreed that it was, in fact, very awesome, and the two had spent the remainder of the evening geeking out about the new machines’ potential capabilities. Unfortunately, hard information on the robots would prove difficult to come by, and sadly, but perhaps predictably, Noah was unable to gain permission for the two Ars Magi to see the drones in person. He did, however, manage to acquire tickets to see the new Magical Maid Altea movie, something Dana knew her bespectacled roommate would certainly be interested in. Penny had indeed been interested, but she had also been somewhat hesitant about going on a double date. For her part, Dana wasn’t really the romantic type herself (at least not on the level of the redheaded whirlwind that was Nicole). No, she just enjoyed making new friends and doing fun things with them. Thus, she had done her best to assuage her roommate’s trepidations, although, as Dana soon discovered, Penny’s social anxiety wouldn’t be the only thing the bespectacled Ars Magi had to worry about…

As it transpired, about a week before their double date, the gung-ho Siscian had taken part in a 2-on-1 sparing match against a veteran Ars Magi, a match that had left her a bruised and battered mess. Dana discovered just how bad a shape Penny was in when she tried to give her roommate a friendly hug upon her return to the dorm, which saw the normally tough as nails Penny flinch in pain at the relatively mild contact.

“Oh crap! Are you okay?!” Dana asked, her voice filled with concern as she quickly released her roommate.

Penny went on to explain everything, after which Dana offered to reduce her bespectacled friend’s pain as best as she could. Even with the minimal amount of magic she could employ in her mundane state, the upbeat Norban managed to take away most of the soreness, although Penny would still be moving rather slowly for the next several days. Thankfully, by the time of their double date, she had almost fully recovered, and Dana eagerly led her to where Noah and Dima had agreed to pick them up.

The movie itself (although nowhere near as action packed as a Guardian Gunslinger Alexis film) was a lot of fun, and after it had concluded, the quartet decided to go out to a nearby pizza place for dinner. While waiting for their meal, Dana and Noah paid a visit to the restaurant’s small arcade. Dana had been to the place before, on one of her various outings with Nicole, and although it was rather small, it was still the only arcade in the city that had one of her favorite games ever- Area 51. The light gun game was nearly two centuries old, but this particular example looked as though it had probably been made during a resurgence in appreciation for classic arcade games, shortly before the First Void War. The fact that it had survived the apocalyptic conflict, and the following hundred and seventeen years, was nothing short of a miracle, and Dana couldn’t help but wonder at the journey it had taken to get to its current location.

“So, care for a game?” Dana asked, pointing her thumb at the archaic machine. “I promise I’ll go easy on ya!” she added with a playful grin.

To Dana’s surprise, Noah proved to be quite the skilled marksman, and the massive cadet had little trouble keeping pace with his diminutive date. Not that it bothered Dana. The cheerful Norban enjoyed the challenge.

“Wow! You’re really good at this!” she told him with an exuberant laugh. “Those Voids wouldn’t stand a chance if the two of us ever teamed up!”

The remainder of the evening went smoothly enough, and almost before Dana even realized it, she and Penny were back at their dorm. Despite Penny’s initial reluctance, it was clear that the bespectacled girl had enjoyed herself, probably due in no small part to the outing’s relaxed atmosphere. Much like Dana herself, Noah and Dima had been content to keep things at the level of simple friendship, and although someone like Nicole might be disappointed at the lack of romantic elements, Dana knew Penny was glad the evening had been mostly devoid of them. Indeed, the Siscian had said as much herself, when Nicole met them the moment they passed through the dorm’s entrance, wanting to know everything.

She really is like a big sister…. Dana had reflected with a giggle.

It was also unsurprising to learn that Nicole had received an invitation to go out with the Duodecim girl she’d met at the ball, something Penny had wasted no time poking fun at.

Dana couldn’t help but laugh at her roommate’s overly dramatic teasing. “Hey, Nicole’s welcome to her fairy tale,” the upbeat Norban told her roommate. “I’m more interested in an action/adventure story!” she added excitedly. “Noah’s one heck of a shot, and I’d love to get the chance to fight alongside him!”

As it happened, an opportunity for just such a paring arrived only a few days later…

---

Sitting in the briefing hall, Dana’s anticipation grew with each passing second. Oh sweet! So we’re gonna be fighting the new robots?! the energetic Ars Magi thought to herself, a gleeful smile spreading across her face as Instructor Drier continued to enumerate the details of the upcoming training mission. And I’ll get to team up with Noah, too?! This is gonna be SO awesome!

---

Unfortunately, the actual mission would prove to be somewhat disappointing in that regard, for while they would indeed be teaming up with a trio of officers, Noah and Dima were not among them. However, one of their friends, Garnier, was present, and despite her slight disappointment, Dana cheerfully greeted the bespectacled cadet. In addition, none other than Nicole’s new paramour appeared to be leading the officer contingent, and a small smile crept across Dana’s face as she glanced at her redheaded teammate. “It’s good to see your amazing luck is as strong as ever,” she noted playfully, before Penny followed up with a “warning” not to flirt during the mission.

Talk then turned to strategy and tactics, with Penny mentioning a few possible courses of action.

“It’s probably best if I hang back with the officers and provide some covering fire,” Dana suggested. “I should also be able to knock out a few of the drones’ optics before they realize they’re under attack, which should give you guys a better chance of takin’ ‘em out up close. Hey, Garnier,” she asked the bespectacled cadet as a thought occurred to her. “Got any idea what these things are armed with?”

Darkest Before the Dawn: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed]

---

Meet...

---

"A big collab deserves a big banner!"
-Kate

Both Betty and Justine won their first rounds. Okay, that's great!

Is it?

To be fair, Finn didn't know how to feel about it. He did see the bracket, it only meant Betty and Justine were going to face each other. Yes regardless of who wins that, it'd give their faction another step towards...whatever the hell's at stake at this point. But even he dreaded the escalation that would come from the matchup. He facepalmed with a sigh, letting his hand push his hair back. Why can't they just skip the tournament and go straight to culling? Would it even matter who wins?

...Must be the boredom talking.

Here Finn was, sitting back at the Feast Hall watching the tournaments with his ghostly companion and a snowbun, questioning the validity of a sport obviously designed for fanservice. Yeah no, he probably drunk too much.

"Well, looks like it'll be a bit before the next one. Wanna go find a harebringer or something?" Oliver asked him.

Finn looked back at him with an uncertain expression. "Not really?? All this info we got on Penrose makes me want to go back out there and help fix things, yknow?" He idly pet the snowbun resting on his lap.

"We could ask Maura if we can leave early, but it seems our main concern is stubborn enough to cooperate for now." The ghost shrugged. "Too bad Dan doesn't allow real conflicts."

Finn thought with furrowed brows. "There's gotta be a way to bypass his pacifistic magic, even if it's for a moment. We can't leave any stone unturned. Atleast to make sure everyone else is safe..." he frowned.

"I dunno man, it'd be a small group versus the two of us. Maybe more. Maybe quality trumps quantity. Maybe that keijo shit's rigged for her to lose regardless." Oliver listed off, then turning to address the girl nearby, eating by herself.

"What do you think?"

“Huh?” Kate asked, pausing in her ravenous consumption to look at the two boys. “Me?” she added, pointing to herself, while swallowing a mouthful of food.

Oliver looked around them, then back at Kate. "I mean, I could ask the snowbun. But I don't think they understand australian." He joked.

Then it hit him.

"Wait, why are you back here anyways? About everyone else went to the other island." He asked. Finn glanced over the other boy's shoulder.

"Before you ask, Oliver wanted to scout out any leftovers, and I only care about three of the people in the tournament." Finn shrugged.

“Oh, uh, I’ve… kinda got a private viewing area upstairs,” she replied hesitantly, while pointing above her. “And besides, the food here’s way too good to pass up! I mean, I don’t know if you’ve ever been to this dimension before, but Dan really outdid himself this time!”

"Oh, okay then. That's kinda smart!" Oliver smirked.

"Actually, it's our first time here. And already someone wants it destroyed. Fuckin' hilarious if you ask me." Finn shook his head, a hint of sarcasm in his tone. Though he did draw it back, had to behave after all. "Forgive us if we're bothering you. I'm Finn. Er, Vanhorn." He waved slightly to Kate. This was getting tiring.

“Kate Carson,” Kate replied. “And I wouldn’t be too worried about that Ass-endancy bitch,” she added with a chuckle. “There’s no way she’s beating Penny AND Oros. Anyway, this place is supposed to be for vacations. You should just try to relax and enjoy yourself. Y’know, get rid of some of that tension.”

The both of them snickered at the jab towards Rachel.

"Yeah, we were- are fine. Just their little intervention irritated the best of us. But it's not back to work mode yet, ya get it? Though I do prefer solitude like this." He explained to Kate. Though an eyebrow did rise when Penny and Oros were mentioned. "So it is rigged??" He tilted his head.

“I wouldn’t say that,” Kate grinned. “It’s just that I’m pretty sure Rachel’s never played Keijo before, and I’m positive both Penny and Oros have more than a few tricks up their sleeves.”

"Well, with one of them being able to defy known logic, it's almost expected for Penny to win." Finn said, resting an arm against the table. "Dunno much about this Oros though. Assuming it's the...ambitious one who amped up the stakes, she comes off as unpredictable. Who knows, one may trump over the other." He explained what he could piece together.

“Yeah, Oros is kinda nuts,” Kate agreed with a chuckle. “But she definitely makes things more interesting. So, I take it you guys are new to Penrose?”

The two of them nodded in unison. Didn't even bother with verbal answers at this rate.

“My condolences,” Kate told them with mock seriousness. “I’ve heard that place can be really bad for your mental health.”

"Hah. Assuming I haven't already lost it??" Finn joked(???) back with a crooked grin.

"Assuming it won't affect your anger problem too?" Oliver spoke up, giving the other boy a comical look which he nervously laughed off.

"Eheheh...right." Admittedly, he forgot about that in the moment.

“Wow… You’ve really got some serious issues, huh?” Kate asked with a lopsided grin.

Finn went blank faced. It took a moment for him to continue talking. "......Perhaps. Look, for how long I've been around, I've been through and witnessed some shit. He can vouch for me," Finn motioned to Oliver. "So I can say that there are, and were, worse people than I could be. So what if I'm a little bit nuts?" He looked down and picked up his pet snowbun, gently holding it in his arms."I'm not as bad as people may think..."

“Hey, I’m not sayin’ you’re psychotic or anything,” Kate replied, while holding up her hands in a placating manner. “Just that you could maybe use someone to talk to,” she added, frowning slightly. “PTSD’s nothin’ to mess around with.”

Finn waved it off. "I know, I know, I've been doing my best getting better. I was just saying." Though he frowned slightly as well. "...Sorry."

“S’okay,” Kate told him, after taking another bite out of her meal. “I’m just concerned about ya. Penrose is a really crazy place, and worrying about all the shit that goes on there’s enough to give anyone a nervous breakdown. Me, I try not to sweat the big stuff. I’m just here for a vacation. I’ll leave all that ‘saving the world’ crap to the ‘important people’. And honestly, who wants that job? As far as I’m concerned, the background’s the best place to be. Like, take those two over there,” she added, pointing at a pair of obviously related girls who were clearly enjoying themselves while eating a bucket full of chicken. “They’ve got the right idea. You guys should take notes.”

Finn smiled. Her concern ment well to him. Unlike those that seemed okay with him and Oliver helping out, Kate suggested they leave Penrose's problems to other people. "That's the thing, we have been in the background. Just, somewhere else." He moved his snowbun onto Oliver's head, earning a look from the ghost. "As much as I'd love to let the important people handle things here, when those important people aren't enough to keep the world safe from fuck-knows-what, sometimes the little man has to step up. One of the things I abhor is incompitence after all.

“That so?” Kate asked with a chuckle. “Then you’re gonna LOVE Penrose. From what I hear, the leaders of most of the major factions are total idiots.”

"Uh...yeah I hope you're not including Cradle's leader in that regards." Oliver finally spoke up.

"Long story." Was what Finn could tell Kate.

“Actually, I haven’t really heard much about Cradle’s new leader,” Kate replied. “But whoever they are, they’ve certainly got some big shoes to fill.” She paused for a moment as she gave the pair a closer look. “I take it the new boss of Cradle’s your patron?”

The both of them nodded in unison again, though only Finn sighed afterwards. "Tell me about it. From what Maura told me, the two dunces that stayed behind were more than happy to ditch her after she gave this Justine lady another chance." He explained, though it didn't feel right calling Betty a dunce.

"Look, I dunno the full story yet, and I'm not exactly a basket of roses either. Betty's testimony was enough to make my current moral confliction see red flags, but...christ, it's a dime a dozen for your local villains to seek redemption like Justine, and I'm not saying they should just kiss and make up, that'd make me a bloody hypocrite against my own traumas. But why drag Maura into it?? Yes, she can be a bit stupid, but her heart's in the right place. Charging at her all pissed off, assuming she's replacing everyone; which is also rude, considering she cares for everyone all the same, and then thinking her lesser than their old boss? Of fucking course she'd reconsider her position! I mean," Finn ranted on. "If they really miss Veronica that badly, then why bother staying? You can just...leave, yknow? Nothing's holding you back."

Oliver on the other end blinked twice, before handing the snowbun back to Finn. "You may need this more than I do. _{Ya big grump.}" He said, his expression unphased.

“Justine?” Kate echoed. “You mean, Justine von Visceral? The vampire girl who wanted to destroy love itself? Wow… And people wonder why Penrose gets called ‘Drama City’…” She chuckled while shaking her head. “Seriously, though, if these two dunces you’re talkin’ about are as loyal to Veronica as you claim they are, then that’s probably the only reason they’re stickin’ around. I mean, think about it. If she told them to follow her replacement, then leaving would mean disobeying a direct order from their beloved former boss. I gotta say, though, that Maura lady’s really got her work cut out for her… I don’t envy her one bit.”

Finn took a deep breath. "Y'may have a point there. Apparently Justine was purified after their last bout with her, so I guess Maura wanted to see how she fairs fresh out of corruption." He shrugged. The small bit of information about Justine herself did give him some more insight, that he was thankful of. "But it's never that easy, is it? Reception was lukewarm when the two of them first arrived at the party."

“Well, that’s understandable,” Kate replied. “Even if she’s been reformed, someone with her reputation is gonna turn more than a few heads. I’m not really one to hold grudges,” she added, “but I can easily see how others might, especially after all she’s done.”

"See, at least you get it." Finn shrugged. "I can't really see the point in grudges. Maybe back then, but not now."

“Yeah, some people can’t even let go of shit that happened centuries ago,” Kate agreed. “But I’m glad to see that you’re not one of ‘em,” she added with a grin. “I guess you’re not completely hopeless after all!”

"Heh. Told you I've been trying to get better." The boy smiled.

It was at that moment the trio heard the sound of maniacal laughter, just before a deranged-looking young woman entered the hall.

“Nyahahaha! Hey, Kate!” she called excitedly. “I just finished chatting with her mechanical majesty, and thanks to my incomparable super-scientific genius, I was able to…” her voice trailed off when she noticed that Kate was no longer alone. “Oh. It’s you two…” she observed, her previous gleeful demeanor having shifted to one of obvious annoyance.

They both tensed up once the scientist glared at them. "Oh shit. Who'd you piss off this time, Bud?" Oliver nudged Finn.

"Me?! You're the walking lab hazard here, you tell me!" Finn loudly whispered back, the ghost comically shrugging. He then looked back to Nykannis. "Do we happen to know you? By chance??"

“Probably not,” the new arrival replied in a dry tone. “I’ve been trying to keep a low profile. Allow me to introduce myself,” she added as a maniacal grin began to spread across her face. “I am Doctor Nykannis, Queen of the Mad Scientists!”

“Self proclaimed,” Kate added.

“Shut UP, Kate!” Nykannis snapped. “ANYWAY,” she added, once more addressing the two boys Kate had been talking with. “The only reason I know you is because I’ve been watching you chatting it up with nearly everybody here! You don’t strike me as the type to make big plans, so what are you, professional busybodies, or something?”

"Oy vey..." Once more, Finn gracefully faceplanted into the table. Before Oliver could answer for him, he quickly sprung back up all the same. "LOOK- Look, it's part gathering information about Penrose, and part my goddamn Power of Friendship seeing a gold mine here. Whether or not it proves useful, hell if I know, but I'm not planing on anything besides a plan B against the Ascendancy!" There was a hint of tiredness in his voice as he explained. Then Oliver raised his hand.

"I'm just here with him??"

“Yeah… He’s kinda… tense…” Kate added, giving Finn a concerned glance.

“Oh, I get it,” Nykannis said with a nod. “You’re new to Penrose, and you're just now beginning to understand exactly how nuts the place really is. Let me give you some free advice- if you’re trying to change the status quo, don’t bother. Unless you’re on personal speaking terms with one of the Grand Magistrates, or your name is Penny, it ain’t gonna happen.”

"Eh, he's always a bit of a grump. Hey," Oliver turned to address Finn. "Once this is done with, we can swing by Riona's bar on the way home, that okay?"

Finn nodded in response. "Anyways, I dunno what the hell the Grand Magstrates are, but what's Penny gotta do with it?" He asked Nykannis.

“Heh, Penny’s the biggest big shot in Penrose,” Nykannis explained. “She’s an incredibly unique monster girl with an insane power level, not to mention Queen of the city. It’s pretty obvious she has the Grand Magistrates’ favor, but if you don’t know who they are, then I really wouldn’t worry too much about that. You sound like you’ve got enough issues without adding stuff like them into the mix.”

"I mean, I already got the hint. A purfied monster girl's bound to have a few aces in the hole. But..." Finn took a moment to think. "If she's as much of a big cheese as you guys claim, then why hasn't she taken initiative to go against the-" His eyes widened. He then groaned with a facepalm. "Right. Same faction. If she's failed to do anything about the Ascendancy until now then they're probably chummy for all I care." He'd note, despite Penny's claims to be against them.

“I wouldn’t know anything about that,” Nykannis conceded. “But since she’s the one who decided to do this whole ‘tournament thing’, I’m willing to bet she doesn’t see eye to eye with the Ass-endancy on everything,” she added with a smirk.

"But that still offers a chance for their cooperation doesnt it? Good or bad, beats me." Finn sighed, then the mention of Penny being the one to kickstart the tournament made his eye twitch. "Yep. Now I'm certain it's all rigged. Some convoluted plan this is."

“Well, yeah,” Nykannis chuckled. “She’s trying to save this dimension from those fanatical idiots, so of course it’s gonna be rigged. You honestly think she’s not gonna use every advantage she has against them? Still, you’re pretty paranoid, huh?”

Atleast she admitted it. Though Nykannis calling him paranoid was a bit rude. "Uh, the correct term would be irritated, ma'am." He corrected, unamused.

Oliver snorted. "With you? Irritated's an understatement." He managed to stop Finn's elbow from connecting to his stomach, moving it back to the table.

“Hey, why don’t we all chill out a bit?” Kate suggested. “Y’know, like I was saying earlier? I mean, there’s really no reason to get worked up about all this, since I’m pretty sure it’ll all work out okay in the end.”

“Yeah,” Nykannis agreed. “This place is waaay too important to the Grand Magistrates for them to allow a bunch of zealots to erase it from existence.”

For as long as he was quietly listening to the other three talk, the ghost took his turn to sigh. His partner can be a real piece of work sometimes, but he was patient with him regardless. He knew him best. Finn was about to argue back, when Oliver pulled him into a hug. An attempt to calm him down that caught him by surprise.

"Finn? Finnegan?? Buddy?? I know you're a stubborn asshat, but you gotta stop overthinking things." The ghost quietly told him. After a second, Finn burried his head into the other's shoulder, letting out a frustrated groan. "I know, it's a lot to take in all at once. We can help when the time is right, but you gotta relax, man. There are plenty of people here that can make sure things don't go haywire." Oliver tilted his head with a smile. "At least cheer up for me?"

It wasn't clear if Finn decided not to answer verbally, but the other boy can be seen returning the hug in response. Oliver giggled. "That's more like it."

“Awww.. You two are adorable,” Kate chuckled.

Oliver turned his head back to the other duo, playfully shaking his head at Kate's comment. "Y'better not be assuming things. I just ran out of ideas at this point." He tried to clarifiy, yet he didn't break away from the hug yet. "Anyways as long as no one has any alternative motives, ya might be right."

“Of course I’m right,” Nykannis replied pointedly. “I’m ALWAYS right! Nyahahaha!”

“So, I’m guessing you guys have been friends for quite a while?” Kate asked, completely ignoring her companion’s maniacal laughter.

Oliver nodded with a smile. "Yep. Even before we became magical boys, we've always stuck by each other. Besides the dying bit on my end, but you get it."

“That’s cool,” Kate said, offering the pair a genuine smile. “The universe is a pretty crazy place, to say nothing of the multiverse, and knowing that you’ve got someone you can rely on is a really nice feeling,” she added, glancing over to Nykannis.

The ghost chuckled, glancing back to Finn himself. "It really is."

“Uh, Kate, if you’re about done here, I think the matches are gonna start soon,” a somewhat bored-looking Nykannis noted. “Y’know, I was gonna bring the rest of this food upstairs, but I didn’t expect there to still be people down here…” she grumbled.

"Oh, go on ahead! I don't really need to eat much anyways. But can ya leave some of the sweets? We planned on taking some home if the magic persists outside this place." Oliver asked.

“Yeah, I guess I can allow that,” Nykannis grinned.

An instant later, all the food not being eaten (minus a few snacks) vanished in several flashes of yellowy-green light.

“Come on, Kate!” the mad scientist called over her shoulder as she began walking towards the exit. “I don’t wanna miss Penny’s first match!”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming,” Kate replied as she got up from her seat. “Well, it was nice meeting you,” she told the two magical boys. “Hopefully we can chat again before the party’s over.”

"You too, see ya later!" The pair waved goodbye as Kate and Nykannis left. "...Okay wise guy, you can let go now."

"...Nah."

Oliver's eyebrows rose, but he conceded anyways with a chuckle. "Fine. But I ain't afraid to carry you like a goddamn koala."

Nova Lux: A Magical Girl Game

---

“Yeah, she’s from house Diana,” Dana replied with a nod when Noah inquired about Vanna. “I’m not really sure how rare it is for nobles like her to become Ars Magi,” she conceded, never having given such matters too much thought. “But it kinda makes sense, doesn’t it? I mean, they are descended from the first Ars Magi, after all.”

Noah went on to marvel at her ability to fight an actual Void, and Dana couldn’t help but grin when the cadet gave a hearty laugh, before lamenting his own inadequacy, when compared to the supernatural creatures.

“Well, like I said, it was more of a team effort,” the upbeat Ars Magi replied with a giggle. “I mean, with as scrawny as I am, I probably wouldn’t last two seconds against a Void up close, but thankfully, my teammates are great at keepin’ ‘em occupied! I’m more of a long-range-support-fighter-slash-medic,” Dana explained. “But, like, Penny, for instance, well, she’s a one-girl wrecking crew!” the cheerful Norban added with an excited grin. “Like, during the battle against the C-Class, she blasted herself into the air with her rocket hammer, saved Nicole from falling, and then smashed it right into the Void’s jaw! Talk about an uppercut! She really sent that thing flyin’! In fact, it’s only thanks to her that I was able to get a clean shot on it to finish it off,” she concluded. “Yep she’s pretty much the Ars Magi version of Thor, if Thor was a teenaged girl who raced around on rollerblades,” the cheerful Norban added with a laugh.

“Working with us?” Dana echoed when Noah expressed his interest in a potential collaboration between Officers and Ars Magi. “That’d be pretty sweet!” she agreed. “No offense to our current set of instructors,” Dana whispered. “But most of ‘em have been pretty cold and stony-faced. I can’t speak for the rest of my team, but personally, I think you’d be a big improvement!”

Then Noah mentioned the robots…

“Have I?!” Dana asked when he inquired if she’d seen any giant robot shows, an enormous grin spreading across her face. “You better believe I have!” she added, images of all her favorite mecha anime racing through her mind. “Are… Are you tellin’ me that you’ve got real mechs?! Seriously?!” The energetic Norban’s eyes seemed to glitter with joy, and it looked as though she could barely contain her excitement. “And they don’t even need a pilot?! Holy freakin’ crap! That is SO awesome! Hey!” she asked as a fantastic idea occurred to her. “Do ya think we could see ‘em?! My friends and I,” she quickly clarified. “Do ya think we could, like, take a tour, or somethin’? ‘Cause my roommate and I just LOVE that kinda stuff!”

After the repercussions of his robotic revelation had been dealt with, Noah asked Dana if she’d like to take a break, almost apologizing for monopolizing her attention. “Sure, that sounds great!” the cheerful Norban replied. “And don’t worry about me,” she added as she followed the imposing cadet back to his table, smiling up at him and linking her arm around his in the process. “I’m havin’ lots of fun hangin’ out with ya, and I’d love to meet some of your friends, so if ya wanna get rid of me, you’re gonna have to try a lot harder than that!” she added with a playful giggle.

The rest of the evening was spent in animated conversation, as Dana’s irrepressible amiability made her a popular presence at Noah’s table. Eventually, however, the festivities drew to a close, and, bidding her new friends farewell, Dana rejoined her teammates as they headed back to the dorms.

“So, how are ya feelin’, Penny?” Dana asked her roommate during the short walk across the campus. “Did ya have at least some fun?”

Darkest Before the Dawn: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed]

“Like, Magical Dream Princess really really super duper hopes that FanFany WanWany can stop that meanie weanie lady with the glasses from destroying Danny Wanny’s placey wacey…” MDP told Penny as she sat down next to her girlfriend. It was clear to see that she was still very upset, and the poor girl’s glistening eyes looked as though they might overflow at any moment. “Magical Dream Princess wuvs Danny Wanny’s placey wacey lots and lots, and, like, she’d feel soooo super duper terrible werrible if it had to go bye bye…”

An instant later, Dan’s voice caught her attention, as the dolphin announced a tournament to decide who got the Mirror, along with control of his dimension. MDP didn’t really understand most of it, other than the fact that not many people seemed to be too enthusiastic about this latest development. She heard a tired-sounding Penny mention how things seemed to have returned to their usual status quo, and the sullen Princess of Dreams gave voice to an equally tired sigh. “It totally wotally does…” she agreed. “But, like, Magical Dream Princess hoped that since it, like, was Christmas Whistmas timey wimey, everybodywody would be nicey wicey to eachotherwother, and eat lots of yummy wummy food, and make lots of new friendy wendies, and sing lots of Christmas Whistmas carols, and, and ALL that stuffy wuffy, but, like, that didn’t happen wappen…”

Her plaintive voice trailed off as she started to cry softly, but then Penny gave her a hug and asked if she wanted to go see the other islands.

“Magical Dream Princess guesses wesses we could…” she conceded. “But, like, Magical Dream Princess has a question westion… Can Penny Wenny tell her what Keijo Weijo is? Like, everybodywody’s been talking about it lots and lots, but, like, she’s never ever heard of it beforesie…”

Nova Lux: A Magical Girl Game

---

“She really is!” Dana agreed with an enthusiastic nod when Noah mentioned how good a teacher Vanna must be. “In fact, she’s amazing at pretty much everything!” the cheerful Norban added with a grin. “But then, I’d expect nothin’ less from a member of the Duodecim!”

Noah then went on to talk about his studies at the Officers Academy, which led to the discussion of training exercises, and, in particular, the recent drama at the testing grounds.

“Nah, it’s fine!” Dana reassured her partner with a smile when he worried about getting her in trouble with his line of questioning. “We’ve been talkin’ about it for days, now. And you heard right,” she added. “After we finished the last of our tests, there was a big spike in Nox levels, which caused a C-class Void to show up. It was kinda scary,” she admitted. “But also pretty cool, since it gave us a chance to work together as a team! Well, most of us, anyway…” she clarified. “For some reason, they decided to hold Vanna back. I guess it probably has something to do with her bein’ a noble and all, but what’s the point of training to become an Ars Magi if ya can’t fight Voids? So, yeah!” she continued, chuckling a bit at getting sidetracked. “We worked together and totally kicked the crap outta that thing! It was really great!”

“What’s your training like?” she asked after a moment. “Do ya get to go out into the field, or is it all desk work?”

Darkest Before the Dawn: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed]

A little while after their chat with Penny, Kate and Nykannis heard Dan’s announcement that Christmas dinner would soon begin.

“What are you doing?” Nykannis asked as her companion started heading for the door.

“What does it look like?” Kate asked with a chuckle. “I’m going down to have dinner, and you’re coming too!” she added, grabbing the mad scientist’s arm and pulling her out of her chair.

“The hell I am!” Nykannis protested. “It’s bad enough everyone and their brother can apparently find this ‘private balcony’. There’s NO WAY I wanna get dragged into the middle of their little clusterfuck down there! Besides, we’ve got plenty of food up here, don’t we?” she asked, gesturing to the snack-covered table.

“Those were just appetizers,” Kate corrected. “Dan’s putting together a feast! So come on!” she insisted as she dragged the reluctant Nykannis out the door. “Stop being such a Grinch and have some fun!”

Soon enough, the pair arrived at the feast hall.

“See?!” Kate asked as she gestured to the enormous spread. “You can’t say at least some of this stuff doesn’t look delicious!”

“I guess…” Nykannis grumbled.

Then the White Elephant began.

“Y’know, if you weren’t so antisocial, we could have participated in that, too,” Kate noted with a wry grin.

“Please…” Nykannis rolled her eyes. “It’s completely random, and besides, I could make most of these gifts in my sleep.”

“I guess,” Kate conceded with a resigned frown, before her eyes widened as something caught her attention. “Huh, looks like things are startin’ to heat up,” she observed, jerking her thumb towards where Rachel had stepped forward to begin her tirade.

“Leave it to the Ass-endancy to start shit. And you call me a Grinch…” Nykannis muttered as Lily made her challenge. “See, this is EXACTLY why I didn’t want to come down here. I mean, we could have watched all this from the privacy of our cozy balcony and not risked getting dragged into all this sh… Is that Oros? She’s STILL wearing that fucking makeup?!”

“Forget that!” Kate told her, while trying not to burst out in hysterical laughter. “Did you miss the part where that self-righteous bitch signed up for a Keijo match?! Pfft! That stupid prude has no idea what’s she’s gotten herself into!”

“I’d expect nothing less from one of those sanctimonious morons,” Nykannis replied. “Come on, let’s find a nice secluded spot and start having some this food you’ve been going on about,” she added, fervently hoping to go unnoticed by the anarchic crowd surrounding them.

Darkest Before the Dawn: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed]

Upon entering the lodge’s feast hall, Connie and Gaia were met with the largest spread of food they had ever seen. However, before the feast could start, there was the White Elephant gift exchange.

“T-Thank you,” Connie said with a smile as Ruby handed her and Gaia their presents. “G-Gosh Mia! I-I’m s-so excited to s-see what we g-got!”

“Let’s find out,” Gaia suggested, while carefully opening her own present. Inside was a single slip of paper.

“My gift for you is a way to always get out of danger.”

With that, the slip of enchanted paper transformed into a large red button, similar to the “Easy Button” that was popular a few years back. There was also a short set of instructions. “Hmm…” the verdant girl mused as she read them over. “This could certainly prove to be very useful, although I wonder if it would also bring along someone I was physically touching? What did you get, Connie?” she asked her friend, who was currently staring at her present with a look of shocked amazement.

“I-It’s an u-upgrade to m-my Interdimensional Home!” she replied, giving Gaia an overjoyed smile. “I-It t-turns it i-into an entire h-house! A-And t-that’s not even t-the b-best part!” she gushed. “I-It d-doesn’t have to be c-creepy anymore! I-I can m-make it as n-nice as I w-want!”

“That’s wonderful, Connie!” Gaia said as she gave her friend a big hug. “It would appear you received the perfect present.”

“I-I really did!” Connie agreed with an enthusiastic nod. “A-And t-thanks to M-Miss Kayli, I h-have t-two wonderful n-new homes!”

It was around then that Dan announced the winners of the snowman building and ice sculpting contests, after which he prepared to give a special present to Mariette. However, before he could do so, a bespectacled girl, who looked somewhat familiar to Connie, began shouting about Horror Relics and taking the present into Beacon jurisdiction. It was all very confusing to Connie, and more than a little upsetting. This was supposed to be a fun party where everyone could enjoy themselves, and here this girl was, calling Dan a demon! And that was only the beginning. The next thing she knew, Lily had stepped forward to challenge the bespectacled girl to a game of something called Keijo. The Ascendancy girl had accepted, with the condition that if she won, she would not only take possession of the “Black Mirror”, but Dan’s dimension as well! Connie gave a horrified gasp, and even Gaia was taken aback. While the verdant girl agreed that the Mirror was dangerous, and indeed was even planning to speak with Mariette about a similar portal she and Shane had discovered in a cavern beneath Penrose, erasing Dan’s dimension from existence was going much too far. Still, there was little she could do, as even now, events continued to accelerate, with Dina taking Lily’s place in the challenge and Oros challenging the winner of that match.

She always has to be the center of attention, doesn’t she? Gaia thought to herself, a scowl marring her normally serene visage. And is that… clown makeup she’s wearing? Can’t say it doesn’t suit her…

“M-Mia…” Connie asked, while tightly hugging her present with trembling hands. “C-Can’t w-we d-do a-anything to h-help…?”

The sound of her friend’s concerned voice brought Gaia out of her musings, and, turning to Connie, she placed a comforting hand on the timid girl’s shoulder. “I do not believe there is anything we can do at the moment, little sister,” the verdant girl explained. “Aside from enjoying this wonderful dinner our host has prepared,” she added with a smile.

“B-But M-Mia…” Connie began to protest, before an embrace from Gaia forced her to relent with a resigned sigh.

“Be at peace, little sister,” Gaia whispered. “You heard Empress Denisova. This is her battle to fight. Let us both be strong and have faith in her,” she added, gently wiping a tear from Connie’s cheek and bringing the beginnings of a smile back to her face. “Let us have faith in all our friends.”

Nova Lux: A Magical Girl Game

---

Dana frowned when she heard the annoyance in Penny’s voice. “Hey, I was only messin’ around!” the Norban protested. “I mean, you are really fun to tease, but I didn’t wanna make ya feel uncomfortable or anything, honest! I just thought that ya might have a bit more fun if ya opened up a little and got to know some of the other people here. And let’s face it,” she added with a grin. “You’re kinda a celebrity, so I’m sure they’ll wanna get to know you!”

Soon enough, the pair had reached the trio of young men. Incidentally, and much to Dana’s amusement, the officer cadets seemed just as nervous as Penny, but after introductions had been made, the tallest of their number managed to muster up the courage to ask Penny for a dance. Dana, meanwhile, received an invitation from a cadet who, although slightly shorter, was far more massive. Noah, the cadet in question, presented a stark contrast to the rather diminutive Dana, and the pair made quite the incongruous sight as they moved about the dance floor. Thankfully, both seemed to have enough dancing ability to keep things from becoming too awkward.

“My parents made me learn how to dance a little,” Noah explained. “But it’s been a while.”

“That’s cool,” Dana observed. “And you’re doing great! I recently got some lessons from my teammate, Vanna,” she added. “So hopefully I shouldn’t mess up too badly,” the cheerful Norban giggled.

Noah went on to say that he, too, hailed from Norba, which made Dana’s smile grow even wider. “Wow, really? That’s awesome! And yeah, it’s kinda crazy to think how far away from home we are,” she added. “But I don’t really mind it all that much. I mean, being chosen as an Ars Magi and gettin’ to come to Nova Lux is like somethin’ right outta my favorite stories and shows, a real adventure! How about you?” she asked her muscular partner. “Have ya been enjoyin’ your time here so far?”

Darkest Before the Dawn: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed]

@Shifter_Master

Still standing safely behind Penny, MDP continued to glower at Oros as she listened to Dan’s little spiel. She wanted to protest that she didn’t have a chance to “stand up for herself”, since Oros had taken her completely by surprise, but she begrudgingly decided to remain quiet until the dolphin finished. “Okie dokie, Danny Wanny…” she mumbled, still looking quite upset.

Oros then gave a more formal apology, although even someone as innocent as MDP could clearly tell that the beast girl wasn’t even remotely sorry for what she’d done. And for some reason, she kept calling MDP “Baby”.

“Like, Magical Dream Princess isn’t a baby waby!” the whimsical girl shot back. “She’s super duper sweet sixteenie weanie!” And as evidence of her maturity, the indigent Princess of Dreams stuck her tongue out at the departing Oros.

She then heard Penny’s distorted voice offer her an apology for not stopping Oros sooner, which brought a smile back to the whimsical girl’s face.

“Like, it’s okie dokie, Penny Wenny~!” MDP told her cheerfully. “You totally wotally saved Magical Dream Princess from that awful wawful meanie weanie, and that’s all that matter watters~!”

Turning to look at Penny, MDP watched in childish wonderment as her mechanical girlfriend removed her warped appendages and regrew new ones to replace them. Such a sight might have creeped out some people, but for MDP, the process was utterly fascinating. “Wowie zowie~!” she exclaimed. “Penny Wenny fixed herselfy welfy aaaall up~! (giggle!) That’s just sooo super duper cooly wooly~” she added in a dreamy tone.

Once Penny had finished repairing herself, she asked what MDP wanted to do next, noting that they would probably have some of the more relaxing activities all to themselves. That was something MDP could definitely appreciate, especially after all the excitement and drama that had just transpired.

“Ice skating wating sounds super duper nicey wicey~” MDP replied, her face once more taking on a dreamy look as she imagined how romanic it would be to skate with her girlfriend. “Magical Dream Princess always wanted to go skating wating,” she explained. “But she was never ever able wable to, so she would just wuv it if she and Penny Wenny could do it together wether~! (giggle!) But firsty worsty, she has something super duper important wortant to do~!” Waving her magic wand, she conjured a swarm of giggling ice fairies, which swiftly set to work rebuilding the ruined snow fort. In no time at all, the whimsical spires of a new fortress rose up to tower over the former battlefield. “Tadaaa~!”