Ponn

Grimoiric Heart

“Then, a really nice tourist took our picture, and then we went to the Sherlock Holmes museum!” Olivia told Xolys, as she prepared for the upcoming sleepover, the eldritch beast listening to the blonde beauty’s happy ramblings in polite silence.

“It sounds like the two of you had a very enjoyable day,” Xolys noted.

“We really did!” Olivia agreed, her eyes sparkling with delight. “And I’m so very glad we didn’t have any surprise rainstorms,” she added, picking up her umbrella, which had now become an elegant parasol. “We only had a single umbrella, and it would have been rather awkward for both of us to try and squeeze under… Oh my gosh!” Olivia gasped as a small white rectangle fell out of the umbrella. “Another letter!” she exclaimed excitedly. “And it’s addressed to you, darling!”

“Curious…” Xolys replied as he took the envelop and sliced it open with a scythed appendage. “Ah! It’s from Master Xozooth, my old instructor, and the original Master of Xhar’doth!”

“Your instructor?” Olivia asked, frowning in puzzlement.

“Why yes, my sweet,” Xolys replied. “We all have much to learn in our youths, and I was no exception. In fact, I would not be Master of Xhar’doth today, if it were not for Master Xozooth's exemplary tutelage. Still, he was a rather mischievous and unorthodox teacher,” the gentleman horror reflected. “Not unlike some of Marrywell’s own faculty. We were actually quite good friends, although we haven’t spoken in several millennia,” the eldritch beast added as he unfolded the letter. “I wonder what he has to say…”

After a few moments of silence as he read the letter, Xolys’s imposing form began to slightly quiver, which soon turned into far more pronounced shuddering, as the monstrous horror unleashed a hearty laugh.

“Oh, that devious rascal!” he declared, once his laughter had finally subsided. “I see his sense of humor is still very much intact!”

“What did he say?” Olivia inquired as she leaned over to take a look at the letter, only to find that she couldn’t make an ounce of sense out of the strange symbols inscribed upon the piece of parchment.

“Roughly speaking, he said, ‘You are stupid!’,” Xolys replied, incinerating the letter in a burst of blue eldritch flame.

“T-That’s it?” Olivia asked, not at all comprehending how such an insult could in any way be considered funny. “But that’s so horribly rude!”

“Now, now, my sweet,” Xolys reassured her. “It isn’t nearly as offensive as it seems. Much of the humor and hidden meaning is lost in translation, and very hard to explain to anyone not versed in the intricacies of Non-Euclidean geometry.”

“I see… Well, I suppose I shall have to take your word for it… But wait! How do you suppose the letter got in my umbrella in the first place?”

“You mentioned leaving it behind in the restaurant,” Xolys pointed out. “Perhaps the letter was inserted then?”

“Oh my gosh!” Olivia gasped, placing her delicate hands over her mouth. “Do you think Kate could have done it?!”

“It is a distinct possibility,” Xolys noted. “But I wouldn’t fret, my sweet” he added, placing a consoling appendage on her shoulder. “Xozooth would often employ all sorts of people to carry out his various pranks, most of whom were almost entirely unaware of what he was actually having them do. So even if Miss Kate did convey this message, I doubt her intentions were in any way malicious.”

“I suppose you’re right…” Olivia conceded, her demeanor brightening up once again. “Um, darling…?” she asked as she watched Xolys produce a large white sheet with two black circles colored on it and drape it over his sizable form. “What are you doing?”

“So as not to intimidate any ghosts that may appear, I thought it prudent to wear a disguise,” Xolys explained. “This way, they shall be lulled into a false sense of security, allowing you more time to observe them.”

“Oh, you’re just so clever, darling!” Olivia gushed, while giving her consort a brilliant smile.

“Thank you, my sweet,” Xolys replied, the eldritch beast not having the heart to tell the endearingly naive beauty that the real reason he had chosen to wear a disguise was to keep from unnerving the other girls with his monstrous appearance. “Now, then, let us be on our way.”

“Yes, let’s!” Olivia agreed, wrapping her free arm around one of Xolys’s tentacles, while the other held a comfy pillow.

…

…

…

“You know, it’s too bad Helmi probably won’t be joining us tonight…” the azure robe-clad maiden noted in a sullen tone as they walked along, her mouth drooping into a frown. “I haven’t really talked with her in quite some time, and she was the one who told me about the possibly-haunted classrooms in the first place!”

“As much as I hate to say this, I think that it may be for the best that Miss Wilhelmina refrains from joining us tonight,” Xolys replied. “From what little I know of her, I do not believe she is particularly enamored with the idea of possibly encountering ghosts, or any supernatural phenomena in general.”

“Oh, don’t be silly, darling!” Olivia playfully admonished, while giving voice to a melodious giggle. “She summons all those spectral sailors during battle! How could she possibly be afraid of ghosts?”

…

…

…

After careful consideration, Olivia and Bonnie had decided upon the music room as the venue for their slumber party, in large part because the rumors surrounding it were the most long-standing and well-defined. It also didn’t hurt that Olivia was particularly fascinated by the idea of being transported to a fantastic world and exploring it with Xolys and her other friends. However, when the incongruous pair reached the location where the door to the music room should have been, they were instead greeted with a drawbridge, leading to the open gates of a gothic castle…

“Oh my goodness!” Olivia exclaimed in utter astonishment. “Wherever could this enchanting structure have come from?! It certainly wasn’t here yesterday! Unless…!” she gasped as in idea occurred to her. “That’s it! The haunted piano! Instead of bringing us to another world, it brought part of another world here! Oh, this is just so incredibly exciting!” she gushed as she practically dragged Xolys along after her, the fair maiden’s eyes sparkling with jubilant anticipation of what wondrous discoveries lay in store…

Symphony of Espers

Even as blasts of neon energy dug ever-deeper into the Diver’s massive form, Ashley was dimly aware that a pair of equally massive wings had appeared behind the creature, and were now carrying it (and everyone on it) further into the sky. This was bad. The tenth, and final, plague would soon begin, and over a thousand lives would end. They had to move faster! With Ashley’s help, the cat girl had reached the harp that served as the monster’s heart and grabbed hold of it. But she didn’t seem to have the strength to destroy it, or pull it out. Not only that, but she and Ashley were both starting to sink into the behemoth’s molasses-like body…

That was when Ashely heard the sound of a loud crack. Looking up, she was barely able to see the Diver’s head falling off its shoulders. Before the Knight of Tomorrow could fully register what she was seeing, Leroux’s war pick shot out to imbed itself in the behemoth’s rapidly descending cranium. Despite the Diver’s myriad supernatural abilities, in this instance, at least, it was still beholden to the laws of physics, and Leroux clearly intended to use that fact to her advantage. Quickly comprehending the armored esper’s plan, Ashley tightened her grip on the cat girl, while pushing away from the Diver with every last ounce of strength that remained in her legs. Gritting her teeth as her body was stretched to its limit, Ashley felt her grip about to give out, when, all of a sudden, the harp was finally yanked free, and the chain of espers holding onto it was sent plummeting to the ground below.

D-Did we do it…? Ashley’s dazed mind wondered, even as she fell to her impending death.

It was so dark, she was so tired, and the wind and rain rushing by her was so loud, that Ashley didn’t realize a giant inflatable bag had manifested to keep her and the other falling espers from having a very fatal meeting with a building’s roof until she had landed on it with a loud “Thump!”. The impact was far from pleasant, and the force of it knocked the wind out of her, but Ashley knew she was still alive, from the painful soreness suffusing every inch of her battered body, if nothing else. Slowly making her way off the bag to stand on wobbling legs, the Knight of Tomorrow saw Veronica emerge from the darkness, asking about Breacher. Before she knew it, Fable had stepped up to their leader and begun explaining what had transpired, his voice filled with anguish, with rage.

Stepping up beside him, Ashley placed what she hoped was a reassuring hand on the boy’s shoulder. She should have been the one to tell Veronica the somber news, or Leroux, or Silhouette, not their youngest recruit, not a child! And yet, Fable had been the one say it, to convey the terrible truth, without sugarcoating a single awful piece of it. Was it bravery, youthful impetuousness, or something else altogether? Whatever the case, Ashley’s admiration for the boy had grown considerably.

However, as she listened to Fable speak, the high-tech heroine found herself increasingly troubled. The darkness still persisted. But why? If the Diver had perished, shouldn’t it have dissipated by now? And even if they truly had killed the behemoth, had they done so in time? Ashley had no idea, but she was sure of one thing- it wouldn’t be long before she found out…

---

18 | Female | GEMINI | Vision of Tomorrow
Implements of Tomorrow | Wand, Shield | Arcane | Tune of Tomorrow
Raiment of Tomorrow | Stride of Tomorrow
Light of Tomorrow | Light | Power of Tomorrow
PRO-TEK 4000 Defensive Surgery Implement | Kevlar Coat, Kevlar Padding, Clip Light
[Reveal (2), Purity (4)], Damage (2), Damage X (6), Shield (4), Reflect (4), Heal (6), Major Heal (18), AoE (2), Powerful (0), Piercing (2)

DAMAGE: B | SPEED: E | SENTINEL: C | 750

PHYSICAL: E | ARCANE: C | CHAOS: B | 6

Nova Lux: A Magical Girl Game

---

Over the next few days following her field test, Nova Lux’s common room had almost become Dana’s home away from home. Everyone was telling stories about how their exams had gone, with questions, answers, and a particularly unfortunate hamster flying left and right, along with no small amount of boasting and, occasionally, grumbling…. Indeed, it seemed that an unlucky few cadets had actually failed their exams, and as the school’s resident living ray of sunshine, Dana found herself working overtime to brighten their spirits with friendly hugs and optimistic words of encouragement. Still, it was the tales of victory that really filled the cheerful Norban with eager excitement…

“Really?! The Amara Volkov?!” Dana exclaimed when Priya had revealed the identity of her instructor, the sunny sharpshooter’s golden eyes seeming to gleam even brighter than usual. “That’s so freakin’ cool! Y’know, Shel and I just watched the episode of Guardian Gunslinger Alexis she cameoed in a few days ago! The part at the end where Alexis and Amara team up to take down that swarm of cyber-bugs has gotta be one of my favorite moments of the entire series! Check it out!” she added, turning to face some of the poor souls who had yet to see the episode in question. “So, Doctor Xylannis unleashes this army of Cybugs to wipe out the military research base on Delta Primus, right? And Alexis and her team jump into action to stop ‘em, but they can’t take out the queen’s control node, ‘cause even though Alexis can make the shot, her pistols don’t have the range, which is when Amara makes this super dramatic entrance and is all ‘Leave that to me’! It was just so freakin’ badass! So, like, anyway, she lines up to take the shot,” Dana continued, excitedly acting out the scene by holding up an imaginary sniper rifle. “And Alexis is using every trick shot she knows in order to keep the Cybugs from swarming her, and then finally, Amara fires, and the camera follows the shot all the way to the queen’s control node, until… BLAM!!! It takes the thing out, causing the mother of all shockwaves to race through the Cybug army and make all their heads explode! Doesn’t that sound absolutely AWESOME?!!” she asked, her gleeful visage looking over each of the gathered cadets in turn, most of whom were too stunned to answer.

Or were desperately trying to keep from laughing their heads off…

Once Dana had calmed down from her little “performance”, she listened with rapt interest as Penny gave a synopsis of her own exam.

“Wow, Penny,” the cheerful Norban said with a giggle. “Your test sounds like somethin’ straight outta a horror movie! Y’know, once Halloween rolls around, we should totally get Yagami to set up a haunted house!” she added. “Anyways, at least now I know where your recent hatred for rodents came from!”

---

The end of exams also heralded the start of a two-week break, during which Dana found herself spending much of her time alongside Penny, while attending Priya’s exercise group. Vanna’s roommate, Cara Kelly, was also present, and Dana wasted no time in getting to know the redhead better, both in and out of combat. As it turned out, her first name was actually Nora, but she preferred to go by her middle name to preserve the “sweet alliteration”, something Dana wholeheartedly approved of.

However, it was just as the break period was starting to wind down that the biggest surprise came…

“A party?” Dana asked, as she took a closer look at the text Nicole had received. “On a boat? And we’re invited?! Count me in!”

Grimoiric Heart

After doing some research, Olivia finally found the perfect place for Suzuya to try pizza for the first time. Located on Baker Street, just across from the Baker Street tube station, and only a short walk away from the Sherlock Holmes Museum, L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele was widely considered to make the best pizza in London. Their Neapolitan-style pizza, while incredibly delicious, was also noted to be easy on the stomach, something she knew Suzuya would be grateful for. It was a rare sunny day, with clear, blue skies, but Olivia had still decided to bring an umbrella, just in case.

“I haven’t really read too many Sherlock Holmes stories,” Olivia was saying in her nasally voice as the pair entered the restaurant. “But Edgar Allan Poe wrote quite a few detective stories, so I thought I’d give some Holmes stories a try. They were actually pretty interesting! Plus, I really enjoyed reading Neil Gaiman’s ‘A Study in Emerald’, which combines Holmes with H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos!” she added excitedly. “So, yeah, I think it would be really fun if we could visit the museum later!”

The restaurant they found themselves in was rather small, although Olivia had mentioned that most of the seating was actually in the basement. Still, with it being such a nice day, the bespectacled brunette picked an empty table by the window, right next to a wall upon which the words “I want someone to look at me the way I look at pizza” were spelled out in bright neon letters. It was also hot, the large oven taking up the center of the room emanating the warmth of a bonfire. Yet, on such a crisp day, the heat was quite appreciated, at least by Olivia.

“You know, I’ve never actually had a genuine Neapolitan pizza before,” Olivia noted as they sat down. “So this will be my first time, too!”

Suzuya was unsurprised to find Olivia had no issue keeping up conversation even as Suzuya was taking in all the sights without the filter of concern over Pageless to dull the surroundings. A pleasant day on the town, no Merrywell or Magical Girls to worry over, and the even sunnier disposition of her roommate to keep things lively. She'd done a little looking into pizza after accepting the invitation and the pictures of greasy, starchy discs of pizza wider then she was did little to fill her with confidence.

Olivia's words of reassurance, however, did. Trusting that she wouldn't steer her wrong and had put thought into this she went along with a small smile and her hands clasped before her. Her eyes bounced from the museum across the way to Olivia herself, finding it odd that- of all things- Olivia wasn't a blonde out of her transformed state. "We'll enjoy it together than...you know, it's a little funny, but I don't think I realized you wore glasses until today. I'm a little used to you being transformed to keep Xolys out and about. It's almost like we match."

Suzuya nudged her own frames higher up her nose for emphasis, her expression soft yet tentative as she tried to keep Olivia engaged as the warmth of the ovens washed over them. A comfort that reminded her of being enveloped in her Grimoire, but seeing as they actually wanted the staff to see them, neither had come with tails or tentacles in tow. "Sorry, I got a little distracted. I actually rather like books...I guess that's no surprise given who we are...though my knowledge of Western literature is a little limited."

Would Olivia think less of her for not knowing? Feeling herself flush with color she looked down, fiddling with her napkin rolled around a bundle of steel utensils. "Not that I haven't heard of Sherlock Holmes. He was, umm, done by that guy who wrote Hamlet, right?"

“Oh gosh! You’re right!” Olivia exclaimed with a smile when Suzuya pointed out how they both wore glasses. “And I suppose I am often transformed,” she conceded. “I just love being able to have darling Xolys around to chat with, but I wanted this to be a girls’ day out,” she added. “A special treat for just the two of us! Plus, for some reason, Xolys didn’t think they’d let him in here… He can be so silly sometimes!” she said with a giggle that came out as more of a snort.

Then Suzuya mentioned the author of Sherlock Holmes…

“Oh, no,” Olivia corrected, her expression one of cheerful amusement. “Hamlet was written by William Shakespeare. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote Sherlock Holmes. Well, the original stories, anyway,” she clarified, adjusting her glasses ever so slightly. “Like I was saying earlier, lots of other people have written about him over the years. So, um, what kinds of stories do you enjoy reading, Suzuya?”

The image of Xolys stooped over their table did bring a giggle to the blonde easterner, and it was so easy to see Olivia oblivious to anyone's concerns about wayward claws catching a waiter trying to shimmy past his impressive body. Suzuya was finding herself desensitized to him readily enough, in part because her transformation got her through the initial shock, but mostly due to coming to know him as a person on his own. It was more awkward to think of him as a summon who disappears when Olivia isn't in a ball gown then as someone she'd usually see passing her in the hallway.

"Oh. My mistake. My english is adequate but my knowledge of the culture is...limited, to say the least." She sighed, not feeling judgement for her error but not feeling great about it either. Still the pleasant atmosphere kept the wall flower from drawing inwards and she met Olivia's eye with a small smile. "I like short stories. The kinds where every paragraph can have a dozen different meanings and you can pour over them for hours analyzing how different interpretations change the entire context of what has come and will follow it. There's this writer in Japan who was one of our first to reach world wide acclaim, Ryunosuke Akutagawa, who did a whole lot of them. My favorite was In A Grove. In a way it's also a detective story but the reader is the detective and everyone's testimony is suspect. It even got made into a Kurosawa film!"

“Oh wow! That sounds really cool!” Olivia gushed. “I’d really like to read that sometime! Did you know Edgar Allan Poe mainly wrote short stories as well?” she asked. “He even once said that he thought all stories should be short enough to be read in one sitting. I don’t know if I completely agree,” she continued. “I mean, there are a lot of benefits to getting invested in a long novel as well, but I can still see where he’s coming from. Oh! So does that mean your favorite genre is mystery fiction?!”

"I don't think I'd want every story that short either. Sometimes you need a book worth coming back to sitting after sitting with more to offer, no?" Suzuya's expression steadily brightened as they talked, her fidgeting hands going still as she left the crumpled napkin lay across her lap. "And yes, I do enjoy mysteries. Not so much murder mysteries but...the stories were someone grapples with the morality of something and there is no right answer. Even horror has a tantalizing mystery to the unknown, though when it turns out to be a monster in a rubber suit I tend to lose interest, movie or book regardless.”

“I suppose that makes sense…” Olivia conceded with a thoughtful frown, before quickly brightening up again. “But even then, some of those monsters do look kind of cute. Still, I agree, the most interesting creatures are the ones your own imagination can come up with,” she added. “That’s what I love so much about eldritch horrors! They’re just so interesting, they defy description!”

"We have these books. They’re like comics but read right to left. You'd like some of the horror ones. Junji Ito would be something you and Xolys would enjoy, now that I think about it." The blonde wondered if she could get one mail ordered for her, and was reaching for her phone when she smelled a fresh whiff of tomato and saw a man walking up with their order. The hesitancy she felt about it didn't seem to rear up this time and she adjusted her glasses. "I'll find you something of his another time. For now we should enjoy our meal."

…

…

…

“That was great, wasn’t it Suzuya?!” Olivia was saying as they stepped out of the restaurant. “The perfect flavor, yet not overly filling in the slightest! In fact, I think that was the best pizza I’ve ever had in my entire—”

“Um, excuse me,” an American-accented voice called from behind them. “I, uh, think you forgot this.”

Turning around, Olivia was greeted with the sight of a short-haired young woman with a camera hung around her shoulder, and holding…

“My umbrella!” Olivia gasped. “Thank you so much!”

“Don’t mention it,” the girl replied with a chuckle.

“I know it’s absolutely gorgeous out right now, but I’ve learned that the weather can change quite rapidly here!” Olivia explained, sounding very serious. “Why, just a few weeks ago, some friends and I were walking through a lovely park on a sunny day, when, all of a sudden, a terrible storm blew in, and we were all completely soaked!”

“Yikes…”

“Oh! I’m so sorry!” the bespectacled brunette gasped as a thought occurred to her. “I never introduced myself! I’m Olivia, and this is my friend, Suzuya.”

"It's nice to meet you." the blonde chirped, radiating contentment after discovering the simple joy of seasoned tomato and cheese settled in her stomach.

“Same here.” the girl replied with an easy smile. “I’m Kate.”

“It’s very nice to meet you as well, Kate!” Olivia added in her typical, over-enthusiastic manner, although Kate seemed to be more amused than bothered by it. “Um, judging by your accent, and that camera, I’m guessing you’re a tourist?”

“Yup,” Kate confirmed. “And I may be goin’ out on a limb, but I don’t suppose you two are from around here either,” she added with a grin.

"No, we're actually students studying here abroad. I've only been here in London a little over a week." Suzuya chirped, finding the tourist a friendly enough face. While there was yet to be a cloud in the sky it would have been dreary to be caught by a sudden storm and getting soaked outside her Magical Girl state. "You're having a good time seeing the sights?"

“Sure am,” Kate confirmed. “This isn’t my first time in London, but even when I visit someplace more than once, there always seems to be something new to discover.”

“This is actually our first opportunity to explore the city since we arrived,” Olivia explained. “And there are so many interesting places to check out and exciting experiences to have! In fact, Suzuya just finished having pizza for the very first time!” she added happily.

"H-Hey, don't go telling her that. People might think I'm some kind of country bumpkin!" The blonde laughed, sticking a finger into Olivia's side for embarrassing her with her ardent sincerity. "It, was, pretty good. Wonderful even. Though I still feel the need to walk it off, so we were going to visit the museum over there."

“Ooohh… Sherlock Holmes, huh?” Kate noted with a grin. “Nice. Say, before you head over there, would you like me to take your picture in front of the restaurant?” Kate asked, pointing to it with her thumb. “Havin’ pizza for the first time is an experience you should have a memento of.”

“Oh, yes! That would be wonderful!” Olivia gushed. “Don’t you think so, Suzuya?!”

Grinning with a giddy sort of energy Suzuya squeezed in closer to the brunette, the London light striking their glasses as the frames bumped against each other with their proximity. "Sure, a picture sounds fun. It'll be nice to make a pleasant memory."

“Okay,” Kate said with a chuckle as Olivia leaned in and placed her arm (!) around Suzuya. “Say ‘cheese’!”

"Cheese!"

*Snap!*

“Looks good,” Kate told them as she inspected the image on her camera’s display. “I just sent it to your phones, if ya wanna see for yourselves.”

“O-Our phones…?” Olivia asked, somewhat surprised to see that she had gotten a new message. “But how did you…?”

“This is a pretty special camera,” Kate explained with a wink, while patting the device in question. “I got it custom-made. I guess you could say I’m somethin’ of a world traveler, so havin’ a top notch camera is pretty important. It’s not much good for selfies,” she added with a chuckle. “But I’m not really into that kinda thing anyway.”

“Gosh… That’s really cool!” Olivia marveled. “And the picture looks great, too!”

“Thanks! Well, I’m gonna get goin’ now,” Kate said as she readjusted her camera strap. “I hope you two enjoy the museum!”

“You’re welcome! And I’m sure we will!” Olivia called. “This has been such a great day already, hasn’t it Suzuya?” she noted, giving her friend a big smile, before looking back down at the picture on her phone’s display screen. “I’m going to cherish this day for the rest of my life!”

March of the White Rabbit: A Roll-Your-Own Magical Girl Roleplay

* * *

Chapter Three-
I'm Still Standing

* * *

“Leave it to Oros to fuck everything up…” Nykannis was muttering as Violet slowly regained consciousness.

“Well, that was certainly an interesting experience…” the heiress remarked, blinking her eyes a few times to clear her vision. “And it’s nice to know you despise her as much as I do,” she added with a wry smirk.

Upon noticing her captive was now awake, Nykannis turned to face Violet with an annoyed scowl. “Gotta admit, that was actually kinda impressive, Princess,” she conceded. “I never would have imagined you’d be able to overcome all that nightmare energy, especially not in your current state…” the mad scientist added as she examined the various diagrams and schematics depicted on an array of holodisplays. “But that’s fine. It still provides me with valuable data for future projects, so I’m not too bothered by it.”

“That is rather unfortunate,” Violet replied with a frown. “And here I was hoping that you’d have a fit after seeing how your little attempt to break me failed so completely.”

“Sorry to disappoint you, Princess,” the mad scientist sneered. “But I’m not an infantile crybaby like you.”

“Yes, I suppose I can get rather emotional in my other form…” Violet conceded. “In fact, thanks to you, I’ve just had the opportunity to learn quite a lot about myself, and I’d like to think I’ve grown stronger as a result.”

“Y’know, I’m having a hard time deciding which version of you I hate the most,” Nykannis muttered. “On the one hand, there’s the hyperactive ditz on a sugar rush, and on the other, there’s the snooty bitch who thinks she’s sooo impressive ‘cause she never looses her ice cold demeanor, even when she’s about to be dissected alive.”

“I apologize for not providing you with the show you were so clearly hoping to see,” Violet replied, doing her best to maintain her “aloof dark-haired girl” persona in spite of being presented with a host of wicked-looking surgical implements. “I simply cannot help the fact that I do not find you in any way threatening.”

“Yeah… As much as I hate to admit it, I’m gonna have to go with happy clappy manic pixy dream girl,” Nykannis said with a sigh of resignation. “At least you were actually pretending to be friendly when you were like that…”

“I wasn’t pretending,” Violet replied. “But… is that persona what you would truly prefer?” the heiress asked, sounding somewhat surprised.

“That’s what I said wasn’t it?!” Nykannis snapped.

“In that case, I believe I can facilitate that for you.”

“What…?” the mad scientist asked, momentarily taken aback, and not quite comprehending what, exactly, her captive meant.

“Just because I am untransformed does not mean I cannot act like my magical self,” Violet explained. “Granted, it may not come as naturally to me, but it is still something I am fully capable of doing. Like, Violet Wiolet and Magical Dream Princess are the same person worson, after allsie~” she continued. “And, like, just because she doesn’t normally wormally talky walky like this doesn’t mean she doesn’t super duper wuv being able wable to~! (giggle!)”

Nykannis's eyes widened at the unnervingly incongruous sight of the formerly refined heiress speaking like her carefree magical persona, and soon, one of them began to twitch.

“What.

The.

Fuck.”

“And, like, if Nykannis Wannis really, really wants her to, Violet Wiolet can, like, totally wotally do this aaaall day~! (giggle!)”

“Okay, stop,” a shell-shocked Nykannis deadpanned. “You are seriously creeping me the fuck out…”

“Awww…” the heiress pouted. “Violet Wiolet was having, like, sooo much funsie wunsie… But, like, wait one moment woment~!” she exclaimed as something seemed to occur to her. “Nykannis Wannis is being, like, a super duper meanie weanie head, keeping Violet Wiolet locked up in heresie, soooo, like, maybe waybe Violet Wiolet should keep acting wacting this way~! (giggle!)”

“Whatever!” Nykannis snarled. “I’m actually kinda curious if you can keep that up when I start CUTTING YOU INTO BLOODY LITTLE PIECES!!! NYAHAHAHA!!!”

With that, several buzzsaw, scalpel, and scissor-equipped mechadendrites descended upon the captive heiress, while Nykannis grinned a particularly sadistic smirk.

Violet knew this was bad. Her captor’s patience had clearly run out, and even as she braced herself for the impending agony, her mind raced to find a way to stop it. Why was this happening? Why was she really here? As the whirring and snapping implements drew ever-closer, Violet’s eyes widened, not in terror, but in understanding. Nykannis had said it herself, this was all just revenge for when the transformed heiress had broken into her R&D facility. This was all because of a simple mistake. In a way, this really was all her fault, which meant there was only one thing to do…

“I’m sorry,” Violet told the mad scientist, her voice little more than whisper.

“What?!” Nykannis asked incredulously, her various surgical implements stopping mere inches from her captive’s body.

“I’m sorry for mocking you, and I’m sorry for breaking into your lab,” Violet clarified. “I obviously offended you a great deal, and I realized that I never actually apologized for it, so I wanted to do so now.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet!” Nykannis spat. “At this point, you’d probably say anything to save your skin!”

“Believe what you want, but I promise I’m telling you the truth,” Violet stated firmly. “I never hated you, Nykannis. In fact, I didn’t bear you any ill-will whatsoever. I was honestly fascinated by you, and by everything you had created, although I admit I didn’t exactly express that in the best way at the time,” the heiress conceded with a sigh. “As I am sure you’re aware, I don’t have a great deal of control over myself when I’m transformed, and our first meeting was my first time in that state, so I had even less control than usual. It was my initial intent simply to gather information, but I was so caught up in the wonder and joy of being Magical Dream Princess that I quickly lost sight of that goal. All I wanted to do was just have fun and make friends with everyone I encountered,” she continued. “The members of Team Alpha, Karen, Kate, and yes, even you.”

“Friends, huh?” Nykannis asked with a dubious scowl. “You seriously expect me to believe that bullshit?! Hell, for someone so ‘fascinated by my work’, you’ve done nothing but insult me this whole time!”

“What did you expect?” Violet replied. “Your minions assaulted me, I was brought here against my will, and you made it very clear that you intend to torture me at length. In light of that, I wasn’t about to give you the added satisfaction of seeing me grovel and plead for my life, so I simply employed the persona I use whenever I am in public. That said, I now see that was a mistake,” the heiress conceded. “Keep in mind, I am in no way condoning your actions against me,” she added pointedly. “In fact, I think they are the very definition of disproportionate retribution, but I would be foolish not to admit that my own actions, however well-intentioned, were the catalyst for them. I may not have intended to cause any harm, but I clearly did, and for that, you have my most sincere apology. As for your doubts about my sincerity, do you not have some form of lie detector you could employ to verify my claims?”

A few moments of silence elapsed as Nykannis’s goggles glowed brightly, and then…

“Okay, fine,” the mad scientist grumbled. “So you really are telling the truth… So, what? Do you honestly expect me to just say ‘apology accepted’ and let you go on your merry way?! And here I thought this side of you was the intelligent one…”

“Honestly? While I’d like for that to be the case, I don’t really expect that anything I say will make much of a difference in what you decide to do to me. I just wanted to let you know that I really am sorry for any pain I may have caused, and while I’m absolutely terrified of what you’re planning to do, if you truly think it’s a suitable punishment, then I shall willingly accept it.”

For several long seconds, the various blades and buzzsaws hung poised to plunge into the young heiress, only to rapidly withdraw a moment later as Nykannis gave voice to a defeated sigh.

“Fuck it… This is becoming considerably less appealing by the second, so I suppose I’ll grant you a reprieve…” Tapping a holodisplay, she deactivated her captive’s restraints. “But don’t think you’re free to run amok,” the mad scientist added, raising a finger for emphasis. “I’m still not letting you transform or use your magic, and if you try anything, those restraints will automatically reengage.”

“Thank you,” Violet replied, mentally breathing a sigh of relief as she tentatively flexed the fingers of her regrown hand. “I know I’ve already been through a lot of unpleasant situations, but I really didn’t want to add ‘getting dissected’ to the list.”

“Sorry to burst your metaphorical bubble, Princess, but you did get dissected,” Nykannis informed her. “Half a nanosecond before I released you,” she added with a smirk. “Completely taken apart, analyzed by every type of scanner imaginable, and put back together, good as new. I never said it had to be long, or painful. That was simply going to be for my own personal enjoyment.”

“That’s… incredible…” Violet breathed, more than a little stunned by her captor’s revelation. “And somewhat terrifying…” she added. “So, does this mean that I am free to go?”

“I suppose…” Nykannis conceded. “Although… If you really were serious about being fascinated by my work, how would you like to take a little tour?”

At first, Violet was slightly taken aback by the mad scientist’s offer, but then she realized that it only made sense for someone with Nykannis’s massive ego to want to show off her accomplishments. And Violet knew she would be lying if she said she wasn’t highly interested in seeing them…

“I think I’d like that very much,” the heiress replied.

“Well, then, what are we standing around here for?!” Nykannis demanded, her mouth forming a maniacal grin. “LET’S GET STARTED!!!”

Symphony of Espers

Ashley was so fixated on ending The Diver’s unholy existence that she hardly noticed how dark her surroundings were rapidly becoming. It helped that her melodies gave off plentiful light, and it was thanks to this light that the Knight of Tomorrow was able to perceive an interesting detail of The Diver’s internal structure. The behemoth appeared to possess a giant harp in place of a heart, or any other internal organs, for that matter. But despite the incongruous nature of this new piece of knowledge, the high-tech heroine knew she didn’t have the time to ponder it at any length. The Diver needed to die, the sooner, the better, and it seemed that she had been presented with an opportunity to make that happen. All she had to do now, was take it…

“Punch it again!” Ashley called to the cat-girl. “You’re almost there!”

Realizing that the harp was probably much too large to be destroyed by a single punch, enhanced or not, the Knight of Tomorrow added her own power to the mix. Using the last of her mana, she sent a burst of green-hued destructive energy into the enormous creature, immediately followed by a blast from her techno-wand, both aimed at the giant harp.

This has to work… It just has to…!

---

18 | Female | GEMINI | Vision of Tomorrow
Implements of Tomorrow | Wand, Shield | Arcane | Tune of Tomorrow
Raiment of Tomorrow | Stride of Tomorrow
Light of Tomorrow | Light | Power of Tomorrow
PRO-TEK 4000 Defensive Surgery Implement | Kevlar Coat, Kevlar Padding, Clip Light
[Reveal (2), Purity (4)], Damage (2), Damage X (6), Shield (4), Reflect (4), Heal (6), Major Heal (18), AoE (2), Powerful (0), Piercing (2)

DAMAGE: B | SPEED: E | SENTINEL: C | 750

[Bronze Touch][Damage X] = -48 mana

PHYSICAL: E | ARCANE: C | CHAOS: B | 6

March of the White Rabbit: A Roll-Your-Own Magical Girl Roleplay

Connie and Mia Stats

Connie

3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3
5 | 4 | 6 | 22 | 5

Oddball: Nightmares | Tentacles

Enhanced Weapon | Power Artifact | Mystic Artifact | Ally | Interdimensional Home

Focused | Mental Link | Hidden Death | Mana Font | Mystic Might

Alien Mind | Formless | Rival Force | Clueless

---

Mia

3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3
5 | 8 | 7 | 22 | 5

Wood | Barrage

Enhanced Weapon | Dual Weapon | Purification Artifact | Big Red Button

Blessing | Divine Competence | Gifted Item | Mana Font | Mystic Might

Rites| Arrogance | Big Brother | Clueless

Angel of Hope Stats

Angel of Hope

3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3
5 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 5

Reinforcement | Third Eye

Enhanced Outfit | Enhanced Weapon | Enhanced Sustenance | Wings | Gifted

Job Satisfaction | Chatty | Mana Font | Mystic Might

Cagey | Expendable | Big Brother

Looking up, the sight of a second protective barrier reinforcing her own brought a brilliant smile to the Angel of Hope’s radiant visage.

“What a kind and thoughtful gesture!” the heavenly beauty gushed. “This humble servant is so very grateful! Indeed, it fills her heart with such abundant joy!”

I’m glad at least someone’s got the right idea… This barrier’s the only thing keeping this dump from getting blown to bits, and unless those dumbasses out there start getting their shit together, it’s not gonna hold out for much longer! I mean, seriously, what the fuck are they even doing?! Playing hide and seek?!

Although she didn’t show it, the angelic maiden was starting to feel the strain of using so much of her magic, and with the arrival of a quartet of bizarre new foes, it seemed she would need to use even more…

“Good heavens! What appalling creatures!”

Great… And who are these fuckers supposed to be? An edgelord’s take on the Wizard of Oz?

A moment later, the Angel’s eyes widened in stunned horror as she watched a bizarre armless girl conjure a winding golden pathway which proceeded to lift up both barriers as if they were little more than curtains on a stage.

“My word!” the Angel gasped, placing a delicate hand over her ample chest. “How was such a quaint little thing able to pierce our defenses with such effortless ease?!”

Holy fuck… What even is this girl?

For her part, Gaia had been directing the cob cannon sunflowers’ long range bombardment, employing the giant plants to provide counter-battery fire in response to the Wonderland artillery. Upon noticing that her various botanical creations arrayed about the fields were in danger of being consumed by the ever-expanding flames (and a buzzsaw-equipped car?), the verdant maiden regretfully withdrew her magic from them and redistributed it to further bolster the increasingly besieged sunflowers.

It’s a good thing Connie isn’t here to see this… Gaia reflected, upon witnessing the arrival of the monstrous quartet.

The scarecrow, in particular, looked like it had leapt right out of a horror movie, although it was the tin titan that appeared to pose the greatest threat. But how to deal with it? The metallic construct seemed fully capable of shrugging off everything from pea pellets, to cob missiles, to mystic beams. Nothing in her botanical arsenal was likely to make more than a dent, unless…

Could it really be that simple? Gaia wondered.

If these things were adhering to their inspirations close enough, then there was a rather large weakness she could exploit. It might have been something of a stretch, but it was still worth a shot, especially in absence of other options. Thus, even as the metal giant raised his enormous axe to chop down one of the towering sunflowers, Gaia flooded the plant with her magic, causing the cob cannons to morph into blue-bulbed water cannons. Its root network branching out to any nearby lakes and rivers, the colossal plant fired several jets of water at the tin titan, with any luck rusting it enough to freeze it in place mid-swing.

After that, it was time to address the problem of the little armless girl skipping her way towards the opening in the barrier. Gaia had no idea what the girl would do once she reached the center of town, but the verdant maiden didn’t intend to simply wait around to find out. With a wave of Nature’s Blossom, Gaia sent several vines shooting up to ensnare the cheerful girl, while the Angel of Hope formed a shimmering barrier dome over the little monster, in an added effort to halt her progress.

“I am most sorry, little one,” the heavenly maiden called, her radiant visage forming a somber frown. “But we cannot allow you to harm the innocent residents of this fair village!”

Yeah, ya little freak… Thanks to you, I’ve gotta waste even more of my mana… I hope those other losers finish evacuating this dump soon…

Meanwhile, Connie raced through the streets of Bolorton, the augmentations granted by Alex and the Angel’s reinforcement spells coupled with Lily’s speed paths allowing her to move faster than she’d ever imagined possible. Employing her tentacles to pick up extra townsfolk, she moved from house to house in a blur of motion, gently depositing each inhabitant on the grass for others to carry back to the shelter.

“O-Okay!” Connie replied when Lily instructed her on what set of houses to check on next.

Running over to the first home, she was startled to see an ethereal young man flanked by two additional spirits appear before her.

“Eeep!” Connie yelped, coming to a sudden stop. Her tentacles instinctively rising to shield her from attack, the frightened masked girl was about to fire off a nightmare pulse, when she realized that the trio was actually helping with the evacuation. “S-S-Sorry…” Connie apologized meekly as her tentacles lowered and her hands began fidgeting with her hair. “Y-You s-startled me, a-and I t-thought f-for a m-moment y-you were w-with the p-people a-attacking the t-town…”

Grimoiric Heart

As Olivia listened to the Grand Minister’s words, she felt a soothing calmness wash over her. Merlin may have looked fairly ordinary, as far as Magical Girls went, but the sound of her voice, the aura of her very presence… was extraordinary…

My goodness… She certainly has a way with words… the azure-clad beauty reflected as she closed her eyes and allowed the Grand Minister's serene reassurances to fill her heart.

Unfortunately, not everyone shared Olivia’s contentment, and the Ethereal Rose gasped in shock as she heard the infuriated wolf girl (Lupin, wasn’t it?) bark out a harsh rant, before darting toward the captive Tsubasa with a knife in one clenched fist. However, in the blink of an eye, a golden blur raced to block her path. “Suzuya!” Olivia cried in alarm, even as the fox girl’s flaming tails set off the emergency sprinklers, dousing everyone in a torrent of water.

I suppose that is one way to defuse a tense situation…” the blonde beauty noted as she hugged her shivering body. A moment later, the deluge diminished as a massive wing was placed over her. “Oh! Thank you, darling!” Olivia said as she smiled up at her eldritch consort. Now that she had a moment, the fairest of maidens noticed that one of Xolys’s elongated limbs had been poised to halt Lupin’s enraged charge if the young woman hadn’t come to a stop of her own volition. I really shouldn’t have worried, Olivia reflected. Darling Xolys always has everything under control!

And speaking of having things under control, it was about then that a young woman who Olivia was faintly aware was Marrywell’s student councilor stepped in to further deescalate the standoff between Lupin and Burning Heart. The dark-haired young woman gave the two students an ultimatum: either spend a week in after-school counseling, or give each other a hug. As far as Olivia was concerned, a big hug always felt nice, and was definitely the better of the two options. After all, Lupin’s anger had been directed at Tsubasa, not Suzuya. This whole situation was merely the result of tempers flaring out of control, and so a little calmness and friendly conversation would obviously do a world of good. Ozma seemed to think so as well, and imparted a few placating words of her own to the gathered students and faculty. Yes, everything thankfully seemed to be winding down. The only real concern now was how to dry everyone off…

---

As it happened, Xolys once again had matters well in hand, the Master of Xhar’doth combining the heat of his eldritch flames and the wind generated by several rapidly spinning tendrils to form an array of massive, makeshift blow dryers. Once everyone was fully dried off, both eldritch beast and enchanting beauty returned to their dorm room. Olivia was so engrossed in reading her letter from Bonnie that she didn’t even notice Suzuya’s arrival, or the girl’s anguished state.

“And yet, it needed to be said,” Xolys’s calm voice told her from where the now substantially smaller beast stood on the far side of the room. “You should not regret having the courage to do so.”

“Oh! Suzuya!” Olivia exclaimed in happy surprise upon being addressed by her still-nervous roommate. “Of course there’s room for you!” the blonde beauty added with a melodic giggle. “Bonnie wants to invite as many people as we can! And can you believe she was thoughtful enough to send me a real, handwritten letter to ask about it?! It’s the first time I’ve ever received a letter that wasn’t an insult!” the azure-clad maiden gushed. “I’ll cherish this for the rest of my life! Oh! But there’s no time to waste! I need to write a letter back to her!”

---

“Look, Suzuya!” Olivia practically squealed with delight, as she watched two folded pieces of paper be slipped under their door a few hours later. “Another letter from Bonnie! And there’s one for you as well!” she added, while enthusiastically handing her roommate the letter in question. “Isn’t this so exciting?!” she asked. “I wonder what she has to say!”

Opening the letter, Olivia quickly read through its contents.

“Oh, wow! She said I get to pick the location!” the Ethereal Rose announced gleefully. “I must admit, I was a little worried she might not want to have it in a potentially haunted classroom, so I’m really glad she said yes!”

However, her jubilation dimmed slightly a moment later, when she read the part about Wilhelmina. Despite her desire to befriend the maritime maiden, Olivia had seen less and less of the nautical-themed Magical Girl, and it seemed as if she was always attending classes on the far side of the campus, or away on some important mission, much like Chinami. Although the blonde beauty would definitely send her an invitation, she sadly doubted it would meet with any success…

Still, at least Suzuya would be there, giving her even more time to bond with her somewhat timid roommate, and speaking of bonding…

“Um, Suzuya? I was thinking, if you’re not busy with counseling, would you like to spend one of our days off exploring the city? I’ve always found London to be simply fascinating, and I thought it would be so much fun to go sightseeing without the threat of a Pageless battle getting in the way. Does that sound like something you’d like to do?”

Symphony of Espers

Ashley watched with mounting dread as her first glowing shot merely succeeded in blowing a hole in a swiftly repositioned blood barrier, while Justin’s crimson flyswatter appendages rushed upon her from either side with far greater speed than her next shot could be fired through said opening. However, only one of the appendages ultimately made contact with her, the other having been severed by one of her teammate’s attacks. The blow still hurt like hell, breaking her left arm and sending her bruised and bleeding body skidding across the hard, frog and insect-covered rooftop, but, critically, it hadn’t killed her. Not only that, but she was now free from the vampire’s vile paralysis. It hurt to move, it hurt to breathe, but the Knight of Tomorrow didn’t care. Her desire to kill Justin was far stronger than any need to minimize her own suffering.

As she struggled to stand, Ashley saw Leroux’s war pick shatter both of Justin’s legs, before another blow struck his exposed inner torso. Then another, and another… But would even this savage butchery be enough to destroy this fell creature? The high-tech heroine didn’t know, and she wasn’t about to simply wait to find out. Bringing her blood and guts soaked right arm up, while her left dangled uselessly at her side, the Knight of Tomorrow fired a neon green bolt into the center of the vampire’s forehead, just as Leroux’s pick cracked his skull open to reveal the gemstone that passed for his brain. The luminous bolt struck the gemstone, shattering it completely and what little remained of Justin’s body now dissolved into a pool of blood.

Was this it?

Was Justin truly dead?

Even as Ashley fired a second shot into the crimson puddle to make sure, another question occurred to her- What had happened to all the hail?

Looking up, she was surprised to see the massive form of a spectral moose looming over them, its vast antlers shielding the rooftop from the torrent of hailstones. That was also about when Ashley noticed a cat-eared young woman sitting amidst the tangle of wrecked cars.

She was asking about her mother…

Oh, God… Ashley felt her chest tighten, and her breath catch in her throat. This girl… This girl had to be Breacher’s daughter…

Ashley’s heart ached. Killing a monster was one thing, but this? What could she even say? What could she even do? She wanted to hug her, wanted to take away at least some of the pain the girl would surely feel upon learning the horrible truth. Yet, in the end, she was unable to do anything. Before she or anyone else could answer, a swarm of giant locusts descended upon them. Batting as many aside with her techno-wand as she could, Ashley watched as the cat-eared girl turned and ran toward the Diver, a spectral cat facilitating her passage across to the building closest to the gargantuan behemoth.

That’s right… The Diver… Ashley reflected, her eyes widening with understanding. That had been their original objective, before Justin had reared his ugly head, and now that the vampire had been defeated, they could finally deal with it. But the time to do so was rapidly diminishing…

Moving as fast as her battered body would allow, Ashley made her way to the phantasmal feline, and then across it, in an effort to get as close to the Diver as possible. She couldn’t risk wasting a melody to heal herself, not with so little mana remaining. No, she needed to save every last ounce of mystic power for one, final shot at the Diver. The Knight of Tomorrow knew there was a good chance that even her strongest attack would do little against a foe so enormous, but for the sake of thousands of innocent lives, she had to at least try…

I won’t let you kill anyone else!

And so, charging up the most powerful blast she could manage as she ran, and dodging what attacks might come her way to the best of her ability, Ashley would drive her twin-pronged techno-wand into the Diver’s center of mass…

And fire.

---

18 | Female | GEMINI | Vision of Tomorrow
Implements of Tomorrow | Wand, Shield | Arcane | Tune of Tomorrow
Raiment of Tomorrow | Stride of Tomorrow
Light of Tomorrow | Light | Power of Tomorrow
PRO-TEK 4000 Defensive Surgery Implement | Kevlar Coat, Kevlar Padding, Clip Light
[Reveal (2), Purity (4)], Damage (2), Damage X (6), Shield (4), Reflect (4), Heal (6), Major Heal (18), AoE (2), Powerful (0), Piercing (2)

DAMAGE: B | SPEED: E | SENTINEL: C | 750

[Silver Touch][Powerful][Charge][Damage X] = -108 mana

PHYSICAL: E | ARCANE: C | CHAOS: B | 54

Grimoiric Heart

Olivia gasped in surprise, when, in response to her impassioned plea, Tsubasa presented her with an ornate golden rose. So shocked was the azure-clad beauty by this unexpected gift that she completely missed the conclusion to Tesni and Tsubasa’s little duel, only barely catching the masked maiden’s parting words, before she vanished in a flash of light, taking the remaining Pageless with her.

Well, at least she realizes what she did here was wrong, Olivia reflected with a weary sigh. I suppose that’s something…

Still, that knowledge did little to brighten her somber mood. Looking down at her gleaming rose, the azure-clad maiden couldn’t help but frown as a pang of sorrow pierced her heart. Although the golden gift was indeed a thing of beauty, that beauty was irrevocably tarnished by Tsubasa’s recent actions, the repercussions of which were plain to see. She had wanted so much to believe that Tsubasa was an ally, a friend, that the masked maiden was just misunderstood by her peers, much like Olivia herself had so often been. But no, this was not simply some mere misunderstanding. Tsubasa clearly believed that her end goals were noble enough to justify whatever means she chose to employ in order to achieve them, regardless of how much suffering they caused…

In the aftermath of the attack, Olivia found that there was precious little she or Xolys could do to assist in recovery operations. Drossel seemed like the only person capable of mitigating the effects suffered by the victims of Tsubasa’s forced fusings, while others seemed to have the repairs to the cafeteria well in hand. The blonde beauty was just about to depart with Suzuya, when she was met with the incredibly unexpected sight of Valeria escorting a bound Tsubasa through the cafeteria’s main entrance. Stealing her resolve, the Ethereal Rose made her way over to the pair, being carful not to trip on any of the broken tiles.

“I-I’m sorry, Miss Tsubasa,” she told the bound young woman as she held out the golden rose. “This was a very generous gift, and I truly do appreciate the thought put into it, but… I cannot accept such a token of appreciation from someone who has just caused so much anguish to so many innocent people. You said you only wanted to help your fellow Magical Girls, a-and I believe that! B-But there has to be a better way than this!” she added, her eyes beginning to water as she gestured to the scene of recovery playing out around them. “A-And I think we can find it if we all work together, so please…” she begged, as she placed the rose in Tsubasa’s hands. “Please remember that you don’t have to do this alone.” With these parting words, Olivia infused the returned gift with a small portion of her magic, causing a faint bluish aura to appear around the golden flower, speckled with an array of shimmering stars.

Turning around, the azure-clad beauty was met with the sight of a commotion surrounding a newly arrived sliver-haired young woman. The names “Merlin”, “Miss Marrywell”, and the title “Grand Minister”, were being uttered in awed and reverential tones, but Olivia herself simply stared at the scene in puzzlement.

That’s the Grand Minister?

Of course, Olivia had never seen the school’s enigmatic leader before, and what little she knew of her came from what few vague and often conflicting rumors she’d overheard, but, still, the young lady before her looked so... ordinary. Perhaps she was just exceedingly humble, like Ozma, the Ethereal Rose reflected. Or perhaps this wasn’t even her true Magical Girl form? Perhaps the supposedly ancient headmistress thought it would be far too intimidating were she to reveal her full imposing majesty, much like an eldritch horror shattering the minds of those unprepared to behold such a transcendently gorgeous visage? In any case, Olivia decided to move a little closer to hear what the Grand Minister had to say…

---

Upon finally returning to her room, Olivia was about to get ready for bed, when she noticed a piece of paper on the floor.

“What’s this?” she wondered, picking it up. “A letter? For me?” she inquired, her eyes lighting up and a delighted smile spreading across her face. “Oh, wow! I’ve never received a handwritten letter from anyone before!”

Upon reading the short message, the blonde beauty was filled with joy. For so long, no one had even wanted to speak with her, and now someone had taken the time to write her a letter? One that wasn’t just a collection of insults? The lovely maiden was practically beside herself, and although Bonnie’s room wasn’t far by any means, Olivia wanted to respond to her classmate’s letter with one of her own. Sitting down at her small desk, she retrieved a pen and began writing.

Dear Bonnie

Thank you so much for sending this letter! Your kind words really warmed my heart! I’d very much like to get to know you better as well, and I think a sleepover would be a wonderful way to do that! In fact, I was actually thinking of organizing one myself! How would you feel about having it in either the music room or the art room? Helmi, that is, Wilhelmina, told me that both of those locations are possibly haunted, and I thought it would be so much fun if we could find out for sure! What do you think?

I look forward to hearing back from you!

Thanks again,
Olivia

P.S. Darling Xolys says thanks, too!

“Oh, this is so exciting!” Olivia gushed. “It’s almost like having a pen pal!”

Neatly folding the letter, she crept up to Bonnie’s door and carefully slid it underneath.

I really do hope this all works out, Olivia thought to herself as she returned to her own room. It will be my very first slumber party, and in a haunted classroom, no less! Oh, I simply cannot wait!