“That was some match, wasn’t it, Xolys?!” Olivia asked as she walked back into the reception hall, her partner once again nestled snug in her backpack.
“Indeed it was,” the small robot agreed.
“I never would have expected Cindy to attack me!” Olivia continued. “I guess I should probably move to the stands for our next match, huh?”
“A most advisable decision,” Xolys concurred. “Yet, I fear with a prize as coveted as a Power Stone in the balance, our next opponent may still be determined enough to attempt an attack upon you even beyond the boundaries of the ring. I suggest we both be on our guard.”
“Right!” Olivia declared with a firm nod, while clenching her fist in determination. “But now that we’re between matches, let’s see if we can find a reporter who’ll interview us!”
Setting out into the only slightly diminished crowd, the bluenette had only progressed a short distance when…
“Oh wow!” Olivia exclaimed, rushing over to where three individuals were having a discussion. The first was an orange-haired young woman who appeared to be a sorceress of some kind, while the second was a slightly shorter and far more pissed off lady in a leotard who was waving around a wooden staff. However, Olivia barely noticed them. It was the third individual who had thoroughly claimed her undivided attention… “You look just like Necroid 99 from Gearmantic Hearts!” she told the robotic, trench coated figure, looking up into his unsetting, glowing optics without even a hint of fear. “He’s my second favorite character, after Xolys of course!” the bespectacled bluenette explained with a giggle/snort. “I really like how his energy rifle sorta looks like an old Thompson submachine gun,” she rambled on. “Especially how its drum magazine bears more than a passing resemblance to the Discs of Dayzothoth from…” her voice trailed off as she finally became aware of the others present. “Oh gosh! I’m not interrupting anything, am I?!”
From her rooftop perch, Nyxia sneered down at Kriegspiel as the queenly young woman approached. Once again, the Neon Tempest forced herself to listen through yet another tedious sermon about looking out for her teammates, and the value of sharing, yet, even so, she couldn’t keep from giving the girl an annoyed roll of her eyes. “I am so very sorry, your highness,” Nyxia “apologized”, even as her “baby’s” writhing beam gruesomely disposed of a dozen more Miseria. “I was led to believe this was a gang of rule breaking delinquents. If I’d known I was being asked to join an old hags’ knitting circle, I would have laughed in our fearless leader’s fucking face! If you and your pals are so inept they can’t kill these pathetic shit stains fast enough, then that’s your problem! I’m here to murder Miseria, not pander a bunch of weak-ass rejects from a cosplay club! Oh, and thanks for the warning,” she added with a contemptuous smirk when she was told how bad an idea it would be to piss off the club’s revered leader. “But if Rei doesn’t like how I do things, then she shouldn’t have begged me to join her little fan club in the first place!”
Still, for all that, The Neon Tempest watched closely as Kriegspiel demonstrated how a “proper” Detention Club member did things. She had to admit, her summoned chess piece’s beam was somewhat impressive, at least, for a pale imitation of what The Omega Obliterator could produce. But the choice of target, combined with the wanna be royal’s loud announcement of said target to all in earshot, was far less impressive, although it did manage to cause a wide smile to spread across Nyxia’s disdainful visage. “Hahahahahaaa!!! What the fuck was that supposed to be?!” the Neon Tempest mockingly inquired as the forewarned frog metamorphosed into a more humanoid form and fully absorbed Kriegspiel’s blast with a gong-shaped shield. “What’s the point of a fucking sneak attack if you’re gonna warn your target it’s coming?! Or are you just trying to scare them off, because actual violence frightens you?”
After having her fun at “Queenie’s” expense, Nyxia turned her attention back to her primary source of annoyance, who was even now going on about stereotypes and how she actually enjoyed taking damage from enemy attacks. “Wow, I never would have guessed you’d be a masochist,” Nyxia replied with a taunting grin. “I guess you really do learn something new every day.” And speaking of learning new things, Earthshaker now moved on to a short infodump on the relationship between Dark and Light Magical Girls, something The Neon Tempest had given little thought to, and honestly couldn’t have cared less about. Indeed, the fact that there were two opposing factions of Magical Girls in Hibusa Town was one she had only just recently discovered. Up until then, she had thought that all Magical Girls were like her, vengeful reapers of the Miseria that infested the city. Not that the revelation made much of a difference. Growing up isolated in her family’s palatial mansion, the sickly girl who would become Nyxia had never experienced socializing with others her own age, had never known the joys of making friends, or the horrors of being bullied, although her parents and their servants did their best to make up for the latter. As such, she was wholly unfamiliar with high school politics, the idea of clubs, cliques, and the other myriad demographic groups which, in their own way, carried over to the mystical realm of Magical Girls being utterly foreign concepts. The only reason she’d agreed to join the Detention Club was because Rei had been so insistent. Really, she was only here to see what all the fuss was about, and as things stood, she was less than impressed.
“Oh you will, will you?” The Neon Tempest inquired in a mocking tone after Earthshaker had declared that she would keep her from being eaten by a Miseria. “And what makes you think I’ll need saving?” she added, while placing a hand on her hip, her harsh voice suffused with indignation. “Hell, even twenty of those fucking ass wipes couldn’t even make me break a sweat!” True enough, every Miseria she had ever encountered, while admittedly a serious threat to mundane humans, were nothing more than pathetic jokes as far as The Neon Tempest was concerned, ineffectual globs of filth that didn’t have even the slightest chance of withstanding the staggering power at her command. As such, she had not even the slightest fear for her safety. “If they really want to harm me, then let ‘em come!” Nyxia declared, grinning fiercely as she lovingly ran her fingers over her enormous death ray. “My precious baby is always hungry for more! Hahahahahaaa!!!”
The Neon Tempest’s peal of psychotic laughter continued even as Rei commanded Earthshaker to “put a leash” on her, the aura of unsetting coldness emanating from the Detention Club’s leader doing little to dampen Nyxia’s deranged amusement. Yes, there was no doubt Rei was a total control freak, one who wouldn’t be satisfied until every last member of her ever growing harem was wrapped tightly around her finger in submissive adoration. After all, Nyxia was well-acquainted with that type of neediness. Indeed, she herself had been the same way in regard to her dearest brother. Yet, that had been just a single person, a single cherished shining light in the darkness that threatened to suffocate her. She could only imagine the emotional anguish Rei had endured to be so embarrassingly desperate for companionship and adoration, all while hiding it under that stoic facade. Honestly, she almost felt sorry for the club leader.
Almost.
“I’d like to see you try,” Nyxia told her rooftop companion darkly. “My baby’s never tasted a Magical Girl before, and I gotta say, I’m kinda curious to see what he’ll think of it…”
Pentius-04’s eyes widened when Chloe fearlessly walked up to her and began stroking her shield in a rather suggestive manner. Then she mentioned going out on a date… “M-My sole objective is to ensure that no harm comes to Miss Lily,” 04 replied, her cheeks starting to redden slightly. “So I shall have to respectfully decline your offer. As for being singled out, you are the only individual present who has summoned a guardian construct as well as a magical weapon, and I intend to take any potential threats to Miss Lily’s safety very seriously,” she added, narrowing her eyes at the junior coin broker, her mouth set in a thin line.
Much to 04’s relief, Chloe quickly moved on to playfully harassing the other guests, leaving her to focus on her charge. This was just as well, since Lily had also begun darting from one new arrival to another with such hyperactive rapidity that 04 was forced to repeatedly teleport to ensure she remained beside her fellow greenette at all times. Even now, she could already tell that this was going to be an exhausting night indeed…
Magical Dream Princess
3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 4 | 9 | 4 | 24 | 9
Oddball: Sweet Dreams | Barrage
Wealth and Resources (not while tf'd) | Enhanced Weapon | Power Artifact | Dual Weapon | Natural Aging | Money | Intuition
Focused | Mental Link | Hidden Death | Mana Font | Mystic Might
Alien Mind | Formless | Rival Force | Clueless
As much as MDP tried to simply ignore Chloe, the bothersome girl seemed determined to make that impossible. It was bad enough that the coin broker-in-training had shamelessly tried to flirt with her, but when she offhandedly mentioned the possibility of her and her mundane alter-ego being one and the same, it took every last ounce of the whimsical girl’s willpower to keep from gasping in horrified shock.
D-Does she really know that Magical Dream Princess and Violet Wiolet are the same person werson?! MDP thought franticly, even as Amanda protectively pulled her away from Chloe. S-She’s probably wobably just joking… Y-Yeah… It was totally wotally just a jokey wokey… she desperately tried to convince herself, the alternative being far too distressing to contemplate…
“Like, okie dokie~!” MDP told the departing junior coin broker in as cheerful a tone as possible after the Mint girl had mentioned exchanging phone numbers. “Like, Magical Dream Princess already has a girlfriend wirlfriend, but, like, we could totally wotally still be friendy wendies~! (giggle!)”
Once Chloe had finally finished with her rampant flirting, the group’s conversation then returned to the topic at hand, with much of the discussion going way over MDP’s ADHD-addled head, despite her best efforts to pay attention. In fact, there were so many ideas being thrown out that it seemed Lily was also having trouble keeping everything straight, with the green-haired girl mistakenly attributing Amanda’s pocket dimension to MDP herself. “Like, Pastel-chan has the pocket wocket dimension wension thingie wingie, not Magical Dream Princess!” the whimsical girl corrected, while dramatically gesturing to her bespectacled best friend. Said friend then introduced her companion, causing MDP’s eyes to sparkle with delight. After all, the bubbly Princess of Dreams enjoyed making new friends far more than plotting grand strategy. “Wowie zowie~! That’s, like, super duper cooly wooly~! (giggle!)” MDP gushed when she was told that Valerie was an android girl. “And it’s, like, super duper nicey wicey to meet you, Valerie Walerie~! (giggle!)” she added, before giving the girl a big hug.
Job Satisfaction | Chatty | Mana Font | Mystic Might
Cagey | Expendable | Big Brother
MDP might have thankfully been far too distracted to notice the Angel of Hope, but Lily wasted no time in greeting her, even going so far as to say that the meeting’s sizable turnout was somehow her doing… “Oh, goodness!” the Angel gasped, placing a hand over her chest. “You ascribe far too much importance to this lowly servant, most noble champion!” she insisted.
What the fuck are you even talking about, you ditzy bitch? They probably just read your stupid message on Glimmer. And don’t you fucking dare force me to give you a hug…
Chloe then proceeded to reassure her that “Casper” was perfectly harmless, even going so far as to offer her a ride on his back. “My heavens! How very generous of you!” the angelic beauty gasped, seemingly accepting the junior coin broker’s words without a shred of doubt. “But, if this humble servant may be so bold as to offer some minor clarification, she was not frightened by your guardian, merely in awe of his imposing majesty!” she added. “As such, this unworthy handmaiden would be simply overjoyed to accept your most gracious offer!”
Seriously? Do you think I’m some kinda moron? I could smell your BS from the other side of the fucking planet! Still, being able to ride something that badass looking isn’t an opportunity I’m about to pass up!
As she glided atop Casper, the Angel noticed that someone had actually climbed inside the construct, and as she gently sat herself in a comfortable position, she smiled down at them. “Please do not let this humble servant disturb you,” she told Aurora in a kind and soothing voice.
Yeah, as cool as riding on this thing is, there’s no fucking way I’d wanna be inside it. What a freak…
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
Unfortunately, the Angel’s new choice of seating spot had rather painful repercussions for a certain easily-frightened masked girl. Up until now, the angelic maiden’s expansive white wings had served to shield Chloe’s fearsome guardian from Connie’s sight, but now that she was sitting atop the construct, the ironically-titled Empress of Nightmares had an unobstructed view of its full, horrifying majesty…
“Eeep!” Connie yelped upon catching sight of the undead terror, clutching her chest and shrinking back behind Gaia. Even with her verdant friend’s reassurances, and the fact that the creature didn’t seem to be hostile, its presence still left her considerably shaken up, meaning that she gave a second startled cry when she felt someone touch her hand, only to discover that it was only Lily. “O-Oh, g-gosh! I-I’m s-sorry!” she hastily apologized, taking hold of Lily’s hand with both of her own. “Y-You just s-startled me…” The green-haired girl went on to offer some reassuring words of her own, and Connie found her concern quite touching. “T-Thanks, Lily,” she replied softly, while giving her a grateful smile. “T-That really m-means a lot.”
A moment later, a paper airplane, of all things, crashed into the back of Lily’s head, startling both her and Connie. Unfolding the plane revealed a cryptic letter, one which Lily asked if Connie could decipher. “U-Ummm… S-Sorry…” she whispered back glumly. “I-I don’t like to w-watch anime w-with s-spirits in them. T-They f-frighten me t-too m-much…”
I really am useless… she thought, giving voice to a sullen sigh.
“M-Maybe Mia k-knows…” she began to suggest, before trailing off after realizing that Lily’s attention had shifted back to the main conversation. A girl Connie didn’t recognize was offering a fairly suspicious sounding deal involving the location of some of Wonderland’s weapons, after which an unseen Mariette noted the possibility of the Wonderlanders eavesdropping on the meeting, freaking out both Connie and Lily in the process. But the biggest shock came a moment later, when a strange girl with cat ears and her golem companion appeared out of nowhere and proceeded to use an artifact to encapsulate the meeting area in an energy field, which the girl claimed would prevent the Wonderlanders from spying on them.
She went on to mention the possibility of moving the meeting elsewhere, flirtatiously noting MDP’s “bounce pad” as a possible alternative, a suggestion which caused the whimsical girl to tilt her head in confusion. “But, like, everybodywody heresie weresie won’t fit insidey widey Magical Dream Princess’s bouncy wouncy housey woucey!” she protested, unaware that the mystery girl was following along with Lily’s previous misconception. “It’s not biggy wiggy enough for thatsie whatsie!”
For her part, Gaia listened intently to the various points and counterpoints being brought up, while also making sure Connie wasn’t stressing out too badly. Yet, the most intriguing event had nothing to do with the discussion itself. Instead, it was when Kayli, along with Ruby and Alicia, departed the meeting in a puff of smoke, only to return a short while later. Moving over to her adopted guardian, the verdant maiden leaned in close so as not to be overheard. “May I inquire as to what that was all about?” she whispered.
Yes, Aiko reflected, the morning’s customarily placid, if admittedly somewhat somber, melody had well and truly been shattered, their fae visitor’s cacophonous cries serving as just as much of a wake up call from normality as the ringing of any alarm clock. Lux, as the small creature had introduced herself, spoke of wraiths, pocket dimensions, and something called the Shroud, in a high-pitched and highly frantic voice that was rather hard for Aiko to follow. She should really learn to pace herself and employ proper cadence, the music teacher couldn’t help but think. Such important information needs to be conveyed calmly and clearly. However, all Aiko really needed to know was that a student was in trouble, and that, apparently, she and her fellow teachers would be able to save them, if only they became…
“Magical girls…?” Aiko echoed aloud, her tone filled with confusion. “W-What do you mean by that?” she inquired, adjusting her glasses with a trembling hand. Having never watched a single magical girl show growing up, the poor young woman was completely at a loss as to what Lux was talking about. Kohaku mentioned something about children’s shows, which really didn’t help much, but before her question could be answered more comprehensively, both Shinobu and Emiko volunteered to become said magical girls, seemingly without a shred of hesitation. More than slightly startled by their enthusiasm, Akio resolved to watch and see exactly what the small fairy had in mind…
Holy FUCK… Nyxia thought to herself as Earthshaker returned from having a bit of fun in the street to go right back to lecturing her about “being a team player”. I thought these girls were supposed to be delinquents, and here THIS bitch is acting like a fucking head disciplinarian… Yet, when the shamanic girl made her quip about Nyxia’s outfit, the Neon Tempest couldn’t help but smirk, a smirk which only grew wider when Earthshaker mentioned her chest.
“Really?” Nyxia sneered. “You actually get smaller when you transform? And here I thought magical girl forms represented our ideal selves. Or are your boobs not the only thing that gets bigger when you change back?” she inquired with a smirk. “Well, whatever. It’s not like I’d ever be attracted to a wardrobe malfunction waiting to happen with a stick the size of a redwood up her ass,” she added. “Oh, and speaking of wardrobes, that little attempt at an insult wasn’t half bad, but my outfit is still a thousand times more practical than yours. Hate to ruin your fucked up fantasies, but not only is this not painted on, it’s fully armored,” the Neon Tempest explained, tapping a finger against her abdomen. “I’m pretty fucking agile, but I still wouldn’t want to take the chances you seem to be fine with.”
As if to prove her point, a glowing, pink arrow chose that moment to arc through the sky towards where Rei and two other girls were standing. Although the trio swiftly vacated the area before it hit, the impact still caused the lamp post to be engulfed in pink flames. Idly curious as to the source of the projectile, Nyxia turned her head to see that it had been fired by a pink-haired girl in a frilly dress. Something in the girl’s demeanor led the Neon Tempest to believe this was not simply another member of Rei’s little fan club, a suspicion that was confirmed a moment later, when the green-haired club leader issued an order to capture the newcomer. There was even a reward to be claimed for being the one to do so, in the form of choosing the establishment at which the club would have dinner, but (contrary to Acid Drop’s internal musings) even this incentive did little to motivate Nyxia to take part in Rei’s little game. She had never shared a meal with anyone other than her brother, and had no desire to change that now, especially not with a collection of annoying strangers for company. Besides, if everyone was competing to capture little miss cotton candy over there, then who would be left to take care of the Miseria? Slaying them would always be Nyxia’s top priority, and if their uninvited guest helped to keep the others from getting in her way as she did just that, then she would have to thank the clueless-looking girl once someone finally managed to capture her, a task which seemed to have grown a bit more challenging, now that two of the girl’s apparent allies had just shown up.
The Neon Tempest was just about to return her full attention to her glorious slaughter, when another of Rei’s bothersome brown-nosers called up to her, offering words of advice in a particularly condescending manner. If anything, this royal-looking girl was even worse than Earthshaker…
“Why, thank you so very much, your highness,” Nyxia replied in a tone practically dripping with sarcasm, while dramatically placing the splayed fingers of one hand over her chest. “Whatever would I do without your oh-so-valuable advice?! I mean, taking thirty seconds to kill just a single one of these pathetic fuckers is obviously far more effective than annihilating over two dozen in the same amount of time!”
Yeah, I know it's a huge banner, but I think I deserve something special for my first solo post, don't you? -Kate
For Kate Carson, the chance to catch up with old friends was a proposition that she found never failed to provide numerous rewards. Although she very easily could have employed the polychronal reality shard she’d received from Xozooth to ascertain the information she sought, one of the perks of her line of work was the fact that she could travel to interesting places, see interesting sights, and, yes, reunite with acquaintances unseen in several years, if not several decades, acquaintances who could offer an array of valuable services. This particular trip would be no exception, of that, Kate was certain. In fact, it promised to be very rewarding indeed…
Widely considered to be one of the shining jewels of the Pacific Northwest, Seayoto was truly a beautiful city, and from her vantage point on the wooded slope of Mount McNab, Kate was afforded an exceptionally breathtaking view of the costal metropolis. The air was crisp and clear, the sun’s rays providing a pleasant warmth to the diminutive photographer, even as they gleamed off the city’s numerous skyscrapers and sent swarms of sparkles dancing across the waters of Seayoto Bay. Yet, Kate wasn’t here simply to sightsee. She had an important job to do, and after scanning the city’s impressive skyline, the photographer shifted her sights to a far more modest collection of structures. Just a short distance below her, and snugly nestled into the forest foliage, was Seayoto Sanitarium, the place where the subject of today’s covert photo op would be found.
Hailed by many in the mental health community as an exceedingly progressive institution, the sanitarium’s patients were frequently afforded time to get some fresh air and enjoy the mountain scenery from the safety of its park-like courtyard. Sometimes, small games were even arranged. But Kate’s subject adamantly avoided those as she was led outside, choosing instead to curl up on a bench and rapidly look around the courtyard in terror, as if fearing a surprise attack at any moment.
Yikes… Kate gulped. Good thing I’m hidden in these bushes…
After zooming in to confirm that this was, in fact, Megan Vanderbeck, Kate snapped a quick picture of the panicked woman and looked over the new information provided by her camera’s display. As it turned out, the woman had, in fact, been visited by agents of the Queen of Hearts, and although they had found no evidence that she, or her daughter, had any relation to their sovereign’s own missing daughter, the experience had throughly shattered the poor woman’s sanity, something further confirmed by the freakout Mrs. Vanderbeck was now having, after noticing that one of the outdoor games being played was croquet…
“Well now, what’s this?” Kate murmured when she noticed that Megan’s file still had more details to convey, her mouth curling into the beginnings of a smirk. “Looks like the Wonderlanders aren’t quite done here just yet…”
“NoT dOnE! NoT dOnE!” a cheerfully warped voice sang out. “STiLL tImE fOr FuN! HeE hEe!”
“ShE wAs UnKiNd, sO I bRoKe hEr MiNd! BrOkE hEr MiNd! HeE hEe!” the bizarre being continued.
“You’re a sadistic little thing, huh?” Kate noted, not seeming particularly concerned.
“SaDiStiC tHiNg, yEs, yEs, tHaT’s tRuE!” the dark fairy confirmed with demented glee. “NoW iT’s TiMe tO pLaY WiTh yOu!”
With that, a pack of six wendigos appeared in a swirling of mystic energy, all poised to pounce upon the seemingly defenseless Kate.
“So, you’ve got pets, huh?” the photographer asked with a smirk as she pulled a golden whistle from her jacket pocket. “Well, I’ve got some pets of my own…”
However, before she could summon them, the mountainside was suddenly enveloped in a furious blizzard. The sun disappeared as blasts of arctic air propelled churning clouds and blinding sheets of snow, while the temperature rapidly plummeted.
Or, y’know, that works, too.
“Servant of Wonderland!” a cold voice called out, even as a pale figure in a white kimono emerged from the swirling snowstorm. “You are not welcome here. Dismiss your beasts and get off my mountain at once, or I shall remove you by force.”
“HeE hEe!” the dark fairy giggled in its deranged voice. “PeTs iMmUne tO iCe aNd sNoW! YOu’Re tHe oNe wHo’s gOnNa gO!”
“Oh, I don’t plan to harm them,” the frosty young woman clarified. “I plan to control them…”
With that, the six wendigos spun to face the deformed fairy, who barely had time to utter a startled cry before they pounced upon the small creature and began savagely tearing it limb from limb. Once they had finished with their butchery, they dissolved into snowy mist, the blizzard following suit shortly thereafter.
“Thanks, Sarah,” Kate told the icy maiden as the pair exchanged a friendly fist bump. “That was some trick,” she added with a chuckle as Sarah helped her up.
“Well, as guardian of this mountain, all monsters on it are bound to obey my commands,” Sarah replied. “And that goes double for ice-based creatures, like those wendigos. But, really, I should be the one thanking you,” she added. “I’ve known there was a dark presence on this mountain for a long time, but I could never get it to reveal itself. Luckily, you turned out to be the perfect bait,” she quipped, giving the photographer a playful grin.
“Glad I could help, though I think I’m owed a small favor for putting myself in danger like that,” Kate noted with a smirk.
“Oh, come on! You could have handled those things easy!” Sarah shot back. “Me stepping in was just a formality! Y’know, basic ‘Guardian of the Mountain’ stuff! But fine, if you’re gonna make such a big deal out of it, how about I treat you to lunch? Michiko’s parents own the best teriyaki place in the city, and I get a best friend’s discount!”
“Sounds great,” Kate declared with a thumbs up as they began their trek down the mountain.
“I just hope we don’t run into Michi there…” Sarah sighed. “She’s gonna be so pissed when she finds out she missed the chance to fight wendigos. Seriously, though,” the ice maiden added. “I’m just thankful we’ve given that poor lady a chance to mend her broken mind. Those Wonderlanders sure are dicks, huh?”
“Yup,” the photographer agreed. “But I don’t think we’ll have to worry about them bothering Mrs. Vanderbeck any more, not after what you pulled back there,” she added with a chuckle.
“So, what’s next?” Sarah asked. “I mean, it doesn’t sound like this lead really amounted to much.”
“To be honest, I wasn’t really expecting it to,” Kate conceded. “Basically this was just a chance to confirm a suspicion and catch up with an old friend. After this, things get a bit more interesting,” she added. “My next stop is checking in on the parents of the girl the Queen of Hearts is currently convinced is her long-lost daughter. They seem like a pair of total normies, but after what just happened, and considering their daughter’s a paranoid portal witch who works for one of the more influential horrors, well, let’s just say I’m not gonna be taking any chances.”
“Wow… You really get into some high-level shit, huh?” Sarah asked with a raised eyebrow.
“You know it,” Kate confirmed with a smug smirk. “But the bigger the job, the bigger the payoff,” she added, twirling her golden whistle between her fingers.
“Guess I should count myself lucky that I can get away with just offering you a free lunch,” Sarah observed with a wry smile as they continued their decent towards the city below.
“Oh, that’s just the first half,” Kate corrected with a raised finger.
“What’s the second half?” Sarah asked dubiously.
“You’ll find out after we finish lunch,” Kate told her. “But don’t worry, it’s nothing the Guardian of Mount McNab can’t handle!”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence…” Sarah muttered.
Yes, Kate reflected, it truly was a rewarding experience indeed to catch up wth old friends…
Majoraa
op2024
twave
CitrusArms
Shinny
FaithfulMuse
Lime
Villamvihar
Shadow Dragon
BrokenPromise
