Shifter_Master

Tiny and the Terminator [Mistress Dizzy & Shifter_Master]

“We can talk about that trade when you show up to class” Mammoth would say with a nod, not surprised at Jinny’s love for numbers. But with a friend like Gizmo, it was hard to find a small person who liked math surprising.

“And don’t worry I’ll be sure to send Giz your hello.” He gave a surprisingly wicked smirk as he waved her off “After all you are such good friends right?” His tone made it rather obvious that he knew that Jinny wasn’t done with Gizmo. But also that he was probably going to simply sit back at watch rather than doing anything about it.

He was friends with Gizmo after all.

Exiting the cafeteria and going above ground was a simple thing. And in her school uniform she blended in as just another student getting ready for the day. Not that she went unnoticed. The staff seemed to recognize her easily enough, as did a few of what seemed to be the older students.

The staff were professional about it, an extra moment or two of inspection than treating her like any other student. The older students seemed to take her presence as an indicator of Slade being somewhere nearby and would try and spy the man.

A failure in the making even if he was around.
The Math classes, alongside a majority of the regular ‘core’ classes, were housed in the main building, which the main elevators did connect to, they were also only a short walk away from the above ground dorms, which likely had their own elevators down into the hidden aspects of the school.

Still walking around up here, fresh and ready and aware, it was easier to notice the things hidden. Places that lacked cameras or noticeable scuffs on the floor where people stopped often at a seemingly bland section of wall. Jinny didn’t know where everything was, something that only the teachers did if what she learned yesterday was right, but she could pick out at least the obvious locations for now.

The math class itself was sadly underwhelming all in all. It was a rather normal class with only a few notable differences. The first was the teacher had a rather complicated looking linear algebraic equation on the board before the class had even started.

“Anyone who can solve this equation before class is over, tell me what it is used for, and if the math is right will get an automatic pass in any of my classes you might end up in for the rest of the year.” The teacher explained, obviously not expecting anyone to be able to fulfill that challenge.

“For those who feel that they are in the wrong class level” He would go on to say wheeling out a cart with test packets on it. “Feel free to take a test for whatever level of math you think you are ready for.”

“Everyone else, welcome to geometry.”

He then went on to give what seemed to be a standard introduction to the class and what it was he would be teaching. Leaving the students who were trying to study into a different class alone while they were working, but not stopping his teaching as he did so.

English was, if anything, even more disappointing as it was simply straight up a normal class. Really if Jinny hadn’t seen the true school yesterday she would likely have been very disappointed. As at the moment the only odd thing about her classes was that not everyone was the same age. Most were older than her, some only by a year, some by nearly five. It seemed merit was more important than age.

Thankfully, her third class of the day was below and removed any concern that might have been sticking around about the nature of the school. The teacher was a woman who was at least partially composed of fire as far as anyone could tell. And she explained that the class's goal was to help teach control over the various abilities the students might have, at least for now, and eventually would shift into combat uses for them.

The other thing of note about this class was that Jinny recognized one of the other students here. Jinx was also in this class, but despite being her room mate the older girl made no mention or gesture of any kind of familiarity with Jinny. In fact Jinx very obviously kept herself apart from everyone else in the class, something that the rest of the class seemed all too willing to reciprocate.
The class was simple in scope for the first day, getting a baseline idea about what the various students could do. Speed of power use, scope of power use, and strength of said power. With the only point of note about these baseline tests being Jinx’s target dummy violently exploding when she was up to demonstrate her power.

After that class Jinny had a whole period to herself, and free access to any of the gym’s not being used by a class at the moment. She also had the chance of rolling it into her lunch and just getting an extra long break.

After that came Stealth. The teacher was a nondescript looking sort, if one ignored the fact he was dressed like a ninja. And he too greeted the class with a challenge. “Whoever can lift this from my person undetected before the end of the year will be excused from all further classes.” He said holding up a large gold looking disc about the size of his palm. “They may also keep it and do what they wish with it.” He added before slipping it into one of his pockets.

He went on then to explain how the class would function, it was a split theory and physical class. The theory would cover techniques and ideologies useful to going unseen or unnoticed, gaps in human psychology that were useful to those ends. The physical aspects would be where they were given a chance to hone their technique on either him, their fellow students, or various obstacle courses that would be set up.

There was also the feeling that Jinny got that this teacher was watching her more than any of her others so far, but they said nothing about it and quite literally vanished the moment class was over. It was a decent class overall though, and served as a decent warmup for the next class.

Weapons.

Stolling into the gym where this class was held the first thing Jinny would notice was her father was standing in the middle of a large mat dressed in his full mercenary outfit with his arms crossed over his chest as he waited for all of the students to arrive. Outside the mat there were a few tables set up with a variety of practice weapons of all sorts. And a few older punching bags lined up against the wall next to the door.

While waiting for class to start, Jinny would come to learn that she shared this class with both Gizmo and Bumblebee. Both of them recognized Slade, even if Gizmo didn’t recognize who it was under the mask.

“Shit” Bee would swear softly as she took in who their teacher was. “I heard the rumors but I didn’t think it was true. How much did they have to pay to get the Terminator to teach here I wonder?” She would muse aloud, something that various other students were also doing even as Slade simply stayed where he was unmoving and silent. Knowing him he would stay that way until just as the class started.

“Damn it all” Gizmo on the other hand was simply complaining. “I just wanted to work on my accuracy, but this is going to be a whole thing isn’t it?” Which judging by the table of weapons that were next to the mat was a good assumption. There were firearms there as well so he would be getting his wish with some accuracy training as well at least.

“Oh come on, we are getting taught by a living legend here, you could show some enthusiasm about it.” Bee would retort eagerly awaiting the beginning of class.

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

&

_{.:⋮War and Peace⋮:.}

Once Robert had fully left and Tina was shadowing the strange diplomat. Penny retired to her room.

She let the door swing shut behind her as she walked into the back section of her room. Tucked into a corner, behind her nest of blankets that she hadn't used in weeks, was a larger tub.

She pulled this tub out from the corner and settled down on the floor just next to her bed before opening the tub. It was filled with computer parts, though none of them were in any semblance of good condition. Nevertheless Penny set to picking through the parts she had placinging various of them off to the side when they met her criteria.

“Wow, that’s a lot of computer thingies.” said a familiar face, or rather familiar attitude with a new face. The dragon maiden, to her chagrin. Sakura. “Oh, right I have to be in character.” She would add. “The regent requests an audience, your Highness.”

Penny only gave Sakura a glance as she spoke, continuing her perusal of trashed components instead. “My door is open to the regent, but let her know that I shall be continuing my work regardless. Time sensitive work at the moment.” The monarch would reply.

“And if you would contact one of the maids to have refreshments sent down that would be appreciated.” Penny would add before Sakura could fully leave.

"Booze. Got it." Sakura would say, before correcting herself. "I mean… as you command, your Highness." She would then bow slightly before leaving Penny's presence. The room seemed to grow more eerie and dark for the time being, before a mature voice triggered Penny's senses.

The Regent, Dina was standing in the doorframe, swishing a cup of a red, viscous liquid.

"Sorting out your hoard, your Majesty?"

“Preparing to reap the benefits of my latest weapon” Penny would counter. Dina warranted more than a simple glance, but as warned Penny continued her work. Penny had met with Dina for a short moment before she went to deal with Robert, but now she had time to take fuller stock of Dina’s new appearance and presence.

“Settle in alright?” She would ask, she was under the impression that such a radical shift had the chance to be rather unpleasant.

Dina would stir the cup one last moment, before taking a long dedicated sip. She was standing tall, perhaps as tall as Penny, and the room seemed to gravitate towards her. "The thirst is quite the issue." She would say, her crimson orbs piercing into Penny, beckoning her.

"But It is nothing entirely unmanageable." She would add, before silence came for a second. Those lips seemed very kissable, and that dark dress of hers seemed to cling in all the proper places.

"You set him free." She would say.

Penny would take special note of how Dina’s presence now washed over her, without the protection of the ShineSpark it was impossible to miss. Penny wasn’t one to bend knee to anyone however, it was why she was how she was after all. regardless there was an outward indication of Penny’s defiance, even if it was only a small indicator. The innermost ring of her eyes, normally an electric blue, turned a vibrant crimson.

Because it was others' control that Penny always sought to break.

“I did.” Penny would agree, shifting her eyes back to her work. “He himself wasn’t worth keeping or killing. They sent him here to die, and he doesn’t know enough about the inner circle to be of any use.” She would explain.

“I did keep his pocket watch however.”

"A pity. It would have made a snack for our dogs of prey." Dina would callously answer, as she polished the glass and drew closer to Penny. There was a certain intoxicating perfume scent lingering in the air, mixed with a faint iron touch as Dina advanced towards Penny. Her arms slid on Penny's shoulder… a delicate, soft touch, like a breeze of air who left people gasping for more. Up until she realized the struggle in Penny's eyes and withdrew.

She didn't want her to become a witless follower of all things. "What does it do?" She added, her attention shifting to the contraption.

“Nothing for the moment.” Penny would reply, taking no note of Dina’s reaction. “But I’m planning on making it be the connection, and routing, point for the worm I’ve added into Robert’s camera. I don’t know how much I’ll be able to get from it, but I’d prefer to be on the safe side and not have myself be the main point of contact with it. Wonderland is shaping up to be messy.” She would explain.

One of her spider limbs would unfurl before reaching into her leg compartment and extracting a letter and handing it to Dina. “Mariette did some scouting and felt it prudent to warn us about them”

Dina would begin to read the letter, and her expression went slightly deadpan. "So no wonder why Robert was so deluded. Living in a feverish dream of a children's cartoon can do that to people." She put the letter aside, becoming lost in thought.

A clattering of a tray and cups shook her as a couple of figures entered the room. One was a relative new maid who was trying to reach in vain a tray that was held by none other than Sanngridr, who kept the tiny pale maid at arms' length in a classical bully pose.

"Oh so granny kitty dropped the kitty and got sexy. Sann is pleased for what she sees." said the cheeky Valkyrie.

"Hey, that is for lady Tepes and her Majesty, you bully!" The maid protested, flailing.

Penny sent an emotionless look in Sann’s direction but otherwise continued to work. She was no longer digging for parts that passed her inspection, now she was giving her secreted parts one last look over before melding with them. From there she was directing her mana to start regenerating the damaged components. It was the work of moments to have everything she needed to build a fully functional computer, one that was even on the higher end of things.

“What brings you here Sann?” Penny would ask her tone bored. Because in truth she really didn’t want to deal with the Valkyrie. Hell she wasn’t in the mood to deal with Dina either, today hadn’t been a good day after all, but the Regent at least had a good reason to want to talk to her.

She kept that frustration hidden however, just as she kept her ever present anger, all of it simmering just underneath her outer casing. No need to make every room smell like ozone after all.

"She was bored." Dina would then reply. "And she saw fit to see how best to serve me… Well, go on, serve the drinks, Sanngridr. Valkyries do that, don't they? And stop bullying the new maid." The Russian vampire said. "Phila, you may leave."

Sanngridr just let a soft giggle as she began to pour refreshments. The vampire maid bowed with a curtsy and saw herself out, not before throwing a glare at Sanngridr.

"In a way this is quite convenient, your Majesty." The Regent drew closer to the valkyrie, eyeing her up and down. "Mayhaps we will need to conduct raids." She would say, as her fingers playfully curled around Sanngridr's hair. The valkyrie didn't seem to repel the touch in the slightlest.

"So we get to raid Wonderland? Sann is pleased." The winged deviant cooed.

"Mayhaps." Dina would draw even closer, and in a swift, yet playful move, snatch Sann's crown. "This tool protects against mental turmoil, doesn't it?"

"Yes. But if you want to borrow it…Sann" The valkyrie began to trail off.

It was then when Dina's ethereal presence underwent a significant change. The atmosphere became heavy, almost unbreathable as her gaze pierced the valkyrie.

"KNEEL." She said, her crimson eyes glowing as the Valkyrie felt a phantom weight pushing her down. And down she went, trembling like a puppy before her master. There was not much she could do but gasp for air.

"We have suffered you long enough. Sanngridr the Valkyrie. You take everything as a game of self aggrandizing. But you only ever think of yourself." Dina would go. "You may have talent and Odin's favour, but your discipline is lacking."

Sann shuddered, emiting a subhuman growl, as she rose to reach for her sword, the drinks clattering. Dina for her part, reached for a wine cup, unconcerned. "Do it and consider your life and status forfeit, petulant child."

"Or should I say… Reaver?" She added after a sip.

"How did you!?"

"It was a gamble." Dina would then smile smugly. "You fell for it just now."

Penny stopped quietly as she turned fully to face the confrontation that was happening not even five feet from her. She knew she wasn’t the target of Dina’s magic, but the potential loss of self control was always something that set Penny on edge.

She was content to stay a silent observer in this latest turn of events, but that was a far cry from Penny being content with the revealed information. It was just one more thing to add on to this day. truly it was on for the books.

Were either of the other visitors within Penny’s room to look over at her they would be greeted with a good indicator of just how fed up with this day their queen was. Her eyes were now fully crimson, as well as flat and emotionless. Her color was nearly gone, only pale faded hints of blue left, all else had been rendered gray.

It was the closest to a Monster that either of them had ever seen from Penny, in truth it was the closest to a Monster she had ever been since she had gained her independence.

Her flat gaze rested on Sann, or Reaver, Penny wasn’t sure which she wanted to classify the intruder as, it was a gaze lacking in mercy as well, but this was the Regents showing at the moment. The Queen would wait and see for now.

"So it is true. The mighty valkyrie's identity is a brat who is throwing a tantrum at the world for it not giving him spoon fed success." Dina would say. "Even if your actions are heinous… I consider myself merciful enough. You wanted to be a warrior and knight peerless." She would add. "So you can be showered in affection."

Sann's resistance seemed to stop. Apparently Dina had struck deep with mere words. She blinked.

"No. Nonnononono." Sanngridr, the valkyrie, was feeling as if Dina was slowly but surely prying her ugly inner self open.

"You aren't as vicious as you seem to think you are. I bet you had regrets too." She would then kneel and softly caress Sanngridr's face with a motherly touch.

"You desire a mother. A lover. Perhaps both. But all the people you want are bad girls." Dina would then say.

"I have a mother." Sann would weakly protest.

"And where is she now, Sann…" Dina would add.

"Probably eating people." The valkyrie said with no small hint of bitterness."She is a monster."

"Well isn't it grand? She can join us." Dina would then say and stand tall once more. "You are beyond lucky. Your chance to become a warrior of renown is here with Wonderland conflict. Serve us and you will lack nothing. Love, fortune, recognition.." She would say, emphasizing her figure.

Sann looked at Dina. A bizarre, longing look.

"But there is the matter you need to take a punishment for Cindy's death." Her eyes would turn to Penny. "How about her being impaled for everyone to see for a lesson? I do not think she can die from that anyway."

Penny was slow to answer, as in it took her a solid five seconds to actually reply. During those seconds Penny never looked away from Sann, nor did she blink. “Most humans have at least three locations that they can be completely impaled that won’t lead to immediate death.” She would say at last, her tone disinterested

“My issue is that I doubt that a public impalement of someone who is, ostensibly, part of Sanctuary would reassure the girls here that they are safe.” She would go on to say her tone not changing, even as she tilted her head to the side. “At the same time banishment wouldn’t do well at this point in time either.”

“If I am to be honest as well I don’t see the need to punish them for that. Seeing as that I didn’t personally care for Cindy, and might have even done myself had circumstances been different.” Penny would stand slowly. “Though I do suppose that letting such an action go unremarked upon is setting a bad precedent.”

Slowly Penny stalked closer to Sann, her unblinking gaze simply observing her. “Tell me, do you still delight from pain?”

Sann did not say a word. There was confusion, elation, fear and longing all mixed on her face… her face contorted, then relaxed.

"I don't know. Stop this, please. I just…don't know."

This was Sanngridr at her most pitiful, as Dina kept staring with her crimson eyes at her. "Unfortunate. My coercion seems to have shredded what was left of her ego." Dina would frown."I should be very careful about this power." She added with a hint of bitterness.

Penny had stopped advancing shortly before Sann had replied, the disjointed bleeding of her wants let Penny know that something was wrong before anyone spoke. “Yes. You should.” She said to Dina her tone was soft but speckled with concealed malice.

Penny’s gaze was no longer resting on Sann, it was leveled at Dina. “She has been punished enough. Release her.” There was no mistaking that Penny’s words were an order, one she expected to be followed. Penny didn’t think that Dina meant for that to happen, and for that reason alone she was sticking to words.

But Penny had a very short fuse when it came to mental warfare, of anything that robbed one of their free will in all truth, and with the Engine so close to the surface at the moment it would not take much for Penny to make her displeasure known physically.

Dina's fist would clench, before breaking eye contact with Sanngridr, and the crown would once more find its way to the Valkyrie's head.

"You are far too lenient." The Regent said in a harsh whisper. "Wonderland won't budge at these half measures." She added, before taking a sip of the iron-smelling drink that had been brought earlier.

“I will not become a blood stained tyrant to the people I have sworn to protect” Penny would say the malice seeping away from her tone, once again becoming flat and lifeless. “Twisted as she is, Sann is a member of Sanctuary. I will spare them the depths of my wrath.”

“Starting off this conflict by brutalizing our own people will have them simply welcome Wonderland with open arms.” She would go on “We will have plenty of opportunity to display what it means to declare war on us when Wonderland comes in force. When our enemies come I will not hinder you against them. If anything I will strive to out strip you.”

“But” Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly, her flat look nearing a glare as a result “Only so long as you keep your fangs barred at our enemies. The hungers are not easy to leash, I am well aware of that, just keep them trained on those that have deserve such enmity.”

Dina's eyes would meet Penny's. "She committed Regicide, Penny. I am not catering to my newfound thirst." She added, finishing the drinks. "For the last time, Penny, Chloe and I are different people. Stop comparing me to her."

"Chloe…" Sanngridr seemed to react to her name with a wishing expression… then her visage became twisted. "Chloe…left us. Justine is weak…" She would trail off.

Dina's words choked on her, before she cast a last glare at the Valkyrie. "You are sick."

“I nearly committed Regicide” Penny would state having no outward reaction to Dina’s outburst. “Cindy was one incident away from declaring war on Beacon. I would have killed her myself had they not done so first” She would gesture towards Sann. And it was true, to an extent, Penny had been fully ready to Challenge Cindy for the throne. A fight Penny was fully willing to take to the death if it needed to be so.

“I am not comparing you to Chloe, if I had been you would be against the wall with my hand around your neck. I compared you once, stop assuming every disagreement is the result of that.” Emotion was flicking in Penny’s eyes annoyance and frustration, but it never leaked into her voice. “Cindy is dead, Reaver killed her. Sann is broken, you shattered her. I know which I consider to be the greater crime. So take solace in that I’m attributing your newfound willingness to maim my subjects to growing pains rather than active malice.”

She would turn her attention to Sann for a moment. “Chloe abandoned us for her own selfishness, Justine was purified against her will. But you still live. Do not linger too long on them, do not wallow. Stagnation is death, and the past can easily mire you in it if you stay there.”

Dina's eyes narrowed at the mention. "We need more discipline to resist Wonderland's brainwashing effect. It is better to be feared than to be loved." The regent would say.

"Chloe Penny is also gone." Sann would mutter, shaking her head.

“Yes, they are” Penny would reply to Sann even as she returned her focus to Dina. “And it was fear that killed them.”

Penny would slowly close her eyes and color would surge back into her as she held them shut and when she opened them once again they were back to their normal gold and blue. “You’ve changed Dina. I don’t know if it is the war on the horizon or your transformation, but you have changed.”

“Sanctuary is a sanctuary, why do you want to alter that?”

Dina cast her sight away for the first time. “I haven’t changed that much, Penny.” The vampire would say. “In these trying times, we need to be shown that perhaps, Justice still reigns. That perhaps peace is worth striving for. That no deed goes unpunished.” She let a long breath, after resuming her talk.

“But I see your point. Perhaps some of the girls might get shocked at the brutality of war. They have no need to see it…yet.” Dina would grudgingly concede, before she squatted down to Sanngridr’s level.

“Heed me, Varangian, whom I chose despite her Majesty’s reticence.” Dina would add, her hands reaching for Sanngridr, as she grasped the Valkyrie’s.

“Thy fate hath been chosen.” She would say. “Odious warmonger who brought mayhem to this land, it is through war your sins will be washed. You can spend your days in pallor and stupor, or take up your arms until your last breath.”

Sanngridr seemed to perk up at the mention of war. Dina’s crimson orbs would then look for a second, before uttering a phrase in the most chilling contempt she could give.

“Dedicate yourself to this one command: Terra Mirabili delenda est.” Dina then released. “Do not stop by anything. Not even Penrose’s destruction. Not even Ragnarok. Not even our deaths. Only when they realize the height of their folly you may stay your blade.”

Penny’s attention was suddenly pulled off to the side. “Damn” She would curse softly. She hadn’t expected Robert to get back to wonderland so quickly, nor was she expecting the March Hare to be magically connected to their networks. She thought she had more time to set up a computer to monitor and work on that front, alas.

It wasn’t a total loss however.

“See now the faces of your foes.” She would say louder and as she did Snoopy would project onto the wall the pictures of Wonderland’s inner circle that Penny had captured.

Sanngridr just shook her head, her vacant stare focusing all of a sudden. "Fine…I fucked up. You fucked up. Might as well do some noise while at it." The Valkyrie added, her voice now bereft of the childish glee it used to have. "If we had Tenebra around I could give these folks one hell of a party… but a certain midget with a foul mouth sent her away… before her term with us was due."

"A teleporter huh. True, it would help… but they are few in number. Mariette and Sonia, maybe?" Dina would then add.

“We won’t need outside assistance for that” Penny would say, a sharp grin appearing on her face. “I let Robert walk, but I also forced him to actually walk.” She would go on reaching into her leg compartment and pulling out a simple golden pocket watch. “I’ve not had the chance to let Britney look over it, but this was his, and he mentioned that it was how he normally got around. It allows one to create, or traverse, spatial burrows.” Was the explanation she gave.

“As much as I’d like to keep it for myself, I won’t be the one to get the most use out of it, nor was I the one to win it for Sanctuary.” Penny would offer it to Dina. “I was planning on giving it to you, but Sann might make better use of it if she is planning on starting up asymmetric aggression.”

"Hmm." Dina would raise an eyebrow. "Too risky. We need to build our numbers …" Dina would then add." My lord would also like to oversee… our defenses. But know this… Reaver. You will be in the first wave." The vampiric regent would add. "I will get to your…black hearted friends so you are not alone."

"And summoning a dragon."

“I’ll hold onto this then” Penny would state, pocketing the watch again. “But let me know if either of you have need of it, in the meantime I’d be willing to take whatever advice your lord would be willing to offer, but the fact we will eventually be seabound might make much of it obsolete in the long run”

"Seabound." Dina's words drawled with a scowl of disgust. "Sakura will have an advantadge here, but most of our tactics won't work. Still there are ways to work around the issue."

“A mobile fortress is harder to conquer than a stationary one.” Penny would point out, she was tempted to point out that Dina had approved of the move earlier as well, but decided against it. Just more proof that Dina had changed it seemed.

“And it’s not limited to the water, just harder to get at us out there during the invasion I’d assume.”

"Still, this means abandoning the center of Penrose at the expense of Sanctuary. There is no sizable body of water around." Dina would point out.

“True” Penny would concede. “But, seeing as Alicia is sticking around Beacon will still be on look out, and I might be able to make a work around for that issue anyway.”

“I’ll need Britney’s help, but retooling Robert’s pocket watch into something bigger should give us access to wormholes. Linking it to the Earth Bastion means we can get to where we are needed from anywhere within Penrose.” She would explain.

"Penny, you can't rely on experimental technology in a war. I will oversee the barricades from outside the Bastion." Dina said, her frown accentuating.

“You can’t rely on it” Penny would once again agree “But war does tend to force advancement in a lot of fields. And getting it past the experimental stages sooner rather than later is better in the long run” She would explain.

“Overseeing things in person is always going to be the better option. But we don’t know where Wonderland will be coming from, it could be over land from another city, or it could be from the Overcity and its numerous passages. Rapid response is something we are going to need sooner than later most likely.”

"We will pressure Sakura and get a more reliable teleporter."

“Sounds like a good plan, you work your angle I’ll work mine.”

The vampire sighed. "We don't have many options there either."

Tiny and the Terminator [Mistress Dizzy & Shifter_Master]

“Ha!” Baran let out a booming laugh that got a few curious looks purely due to the noise of it. “Yeah, that sounds like him.” He’d agree with a smile. “Had a similar sort of first introduction, I was pulling shrapnel out of my teeth for days because of it.”

“And nah, same room as everyone else.” Would be his answer. “Giz lives there though, so pretty sure we’ve got a few things that aren't normally a part of the rooms. Unless your stove is also an intruder defense system as well?” He’d ask, but the look on his face was rather apparent that he doubted it.

“Either way, we’re down in 314.” He’d add on with a nod towards the hallway. Though from what Jinny had seen that did mean that their room was on a lower floor.

“What class do you have after this?” Baran would go on to ask, most of his food eaten at this time, but he was taking his time with the last of it, mainly fruits. “I’ve got Algebra two.” He’d offer with a grimace.

Tiny and the Terminator [Mistress Dizzy & Shifter_Master]

Despite it having not been that long since he sat down, Mammoth was still making quick work of his food. That said he wasn’t a messy eater, though one would be hard pressed to say he ate with manners, regardless it took the giant teen a moment to finish his mouthful before he could respond to Jinny.

“Oh, uhh.” He would give a shrug, seemingly a bit taken aback at Jinny coming over in the first place. “Not a whole lot, just trying to get the most out of breakfast that I can.” He’d say before eating an entire muffin in one bite. “Your Gizmo’s friend yeah?” He’d ask after swallowing.

“He mentioned you last night, something about needing to keep an eye out for you and something about his jetpack?” The teen would scratch the back of his head at that. “Not sure what he was talking about. Especially since his jetpack was still a work in progress from what he said last time I asked.”

“If not, Sorry about that. Either way name’s Baran.” He’d offer up a hand to shake with his introduction. “I go by Mammoth in class.”

Tiny and the Terminator [Mistress Dizzy & Shifter_Master]

This early the cafeteria was lightly populated. Most of the people she saw were early risers much like herself, though there were also a few students that seemed less like they had woken up early and that they simply had yet to go to sleep if the bags under their eyes was any indication.

No one in this particular crowed gave Jinny a second glance, either they didn’t know or they didn’t care about her connection to the new teacher.

The food on offer in the morning was staple morning foods, and was also a self-serve bar instead of the queues from lunch yesterday. Cereal’s, oatmeal’s, scrambled eggs, toast or muffins, that sort of thing. It was fresh, but it was still less of a focus compared to later on meals.

The quiet nature of the morning was rather relaxing however, at least compared to yesterday. Which made it nearly impossible to miss when one of the other early birds did double take upon seeing Jinny. Granted his stature would have made that hard either way. Mammoth, as it turned out, was one of the early morning crowd. He didn’t approach Jinny however, simply gave her a wave in greeting, before continuing on his way towards the food. Which he then promptly took half of the service bar back to his chosen seat.

The math classes were predominantly held above in the surface school areas. There were a few different times set about for tests, each block set aside by a different teacher. For the moment Jinny did have a bit of time before she had to head to the first testing time.

Tiny and the Terminator [Mistress Dizzy & Shifter_Master]

“If an accident could take out that console I wouldn’t have it anymore.” Jinxy would reply with a shrug. “As I said, it survived me” she gave a flourish with one of her hands, pink sparks dancing across her fingers to emphasize her point.

The reason Jinx went into the kitchen was made apparent rather quickly, as she easily navigated about the small kitchen area pulling out various ingredients for a simple stir fry. “Spilling salt on accident is bad luck” She would explain with a dangerous smile. “So is any Friday the Thirteenth, sweeping the wrong way, or hanging a horseshoe upside down.” She would explain.

“Luck is absolutely real.” She would say more of her focus going towards her food as she spoke. It was apparent that Jinx was skilled at cooking, not a master chef, but not an amatur either. “She is also an absolute bitch.” Jinx’s gin turned decisively feral at that declaration.“So don’t go pissing her off and we’ll have no problems.”

She stayed focused on her meal prep for a bit after that. But Jinny could see Jinx tossing glances her way every now and then still. “I’ll trade you a question for a question” She would speak up again. “How good of a teacher is the Terminator?”

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

_{.:⋮Diplomatic encounters⋮:.}

Down in the basement section of the Sanctuary was where the cells were located. Though even calling it that was a bit presumptuous. In truth it was more that a few of the potential rooms down here had been converted into detainment rooms. Mainly used to help contain someone who had lost control and needed to be separated so that they could calm down.

The rooms were sturdily built, Penny had made sure that they could stand up to at least a few solid blows of hers, and lined with cold iron to limit magical outbursts. This inadvertently made them a decent faraday cage as well making technological communication out difficult as well. There was a bunk, bolted to the wall with a hinge joint, with a decent pillow and a few blankets.

The issue using them as cells was the fact that they were made on a budget and not meant to be long term holdings. This meant that while they could hold people, there was an upper limit to which they could reasonably keep someone in.Just about anyone could force their way out, it was just a matter of time really. And anyone decently above average in the strength or magic department could easily exploit the fact that these weren’t designed to be cells in the first place.

The only way to offset that at the moment was to have a guard posted, which seeing as this was their first time with a prisoner Ashlyn had taken that role.

Not that any of that was critical to Penny. She was a shining example of the issues with these cells. To someone in her weight class, they were hardly even considered a road block.

A thought that floated in the back of her mind as she entered the cell that housed their prisoner. It had been a long day, and was shaping up to be longer, first was Beacon’s ultimatum and it's aftermath, and now this.

She carried with her a peace offering, a bowl filled with some oranges and packets of jerky.

Looking at Robert Penny would speak. “I have to ask, how much did you know about us before you came in here to try and talk us into moving out of Penrose?” She would ask as she walked over and offered him the bowl of food.

“Because I have to say, for as out of line as her attack was, I can fully understand why Dina reacted the way she did. And I’m not sure if you can.”

The Wonderland ambassador sat on the bunk with a slouch, looking pale as a result of Dina vampirically draining him of some blood and weakening him. Penny saw a glimpse of the puncture marks she left on his neck before he glanced over at Penny. He then looked at the bowl offered to him, and rejected it with a turn of his head.

"Why do you think I would tell you anything?" He spoke with a slightly hoarse voice. Even so, his words sounded unusually legitimate.
"You're going to kill me whether I talk or not, so there's no point."

“Actually my plan is to let you leave after we are done here.” Penny would correct him, setting down the offered food on the bunk. “The state in which you leave is up to you as well. If you are wanting it I can get you patched up magically before letting you go but if you don’t want to risk trusting me on that you can leave as you are.”

She would step back after she had laid the food down, moving so that Robert was well outside of her basic reach. “I asked, because I’m not sure you realize just how hard you were railing on her buttons. You threatened a Builder in their home, with the loss if not destruction of their home, which compounded with the likely long standing trauma of her actually having lost her home to a group that preached freedom for the people even as it massacred them.” She would explain solemnly. “Intentional or not you were more or less begging for her to be triggered.”

She gave the ambassador a critical look as she let her words sink in. “That said, her attack was excessive in my opinion.” She would move to sit, the metal flooring flowing up to form a stool as she did so so she was at eye level with Robert. “I can’t say that I would have reacted with much more grace personally, I don’t handle threats to my home well, but a broken nose would be where I stopped.”

“Because you have to understand something. Your invitation to join Wonderland, after littering my territory with monsters and killing a half dozen of my subjects, could only be construed as a threat. If not a precursor for war on your own terms.” Penny's eyes bored into Robert with a chilling intensity. As she said, she understood where Dina was coming from.

“This is your chance to plead your case, to plead Wonderland’s case.” She would lean forward resting her arms on her knees as she spoke. “But if you want it to end here, I am more than willing to go start prepping for war. It was what I was built for after all.”

Robert scoffed after Penny voiced her intentions with him. "How kind of you to let me leave. I suppose you've also kindly arranged a firing squad for when I step outside as well." He returned his eyes back to her. "But I suppose I have no other choice now but to believe you won't execute me, so I shall assume to have hope."

He listened as Penny accused him, and then cleared his throat. "First of all, what you perceive to be a threat was none of the sort. I simply gave her, and by association, you, an offering of peace, courtesy of the Queen of Hearts. Second, I do not know about any attacks that supposedly have been made." He then coughed, as his throat was getting sore from extended talking. "To answer your question from earlier, I thought I understood you to be a civilized people. However, it seems I was wrong; I truly didn't know anything at all."

“If I wanted you dead Robert, I would do it myself.” Penny would say calmly. “As for the attacks.” Snoopy would reveal himself with a chirp before dozens of images of the Wendigo attacks would be projected in the air above them. “This happened four days ago.” She continued to explain calmly, eyes never once leaving Robert. “And in truth I would not have any reason to suspect Wonderland’s involvement. I didn’t even know of your existence before then.”

“But three people stumbled across one of your members talking with someone about Penrose. He summoned more beasts and used them to secure his exit. But not before leaving behind a letter.” Wonderland’s first letter would join the images floating above. “We’ve recovered a bit of magi tech left behind as well, it was recognized to be the same type that this March Hare was using in his communications before he fled.”

“We are civilized.” Penny would say “But Penrose is under attack by something more often than not and we were already bloodied by your people. Caution keeps us alive at times like this, especially when we have already been forewarned that Wonderland intends to invade, for lack of a better term.”

Penny would hold up a hand to forestall his immediate response. “Would you like access to a healing artifact before we continue?” she would ask “You can use it yourself if you are still worried about my intentions.”

Robert lifted an eyebrow upon seeing the footage of the attack as well as the letter. "The March Hare? Why was he there?" He grimaced. "The letter was supposed to be delivered to the Penrose's ruling agency. Or at least, that was my understanding when I questioned him about it."

He looked aside, biting the inside of his cheek as Penny explained Penrose's violent history, before he blinked at the offer of a healing artifact. He looked at it, visibly hesitating, and then gave in.
"Thank you for the offer. I suppose you are telling the truth after all."

Penny would reach into her leg compartment to draw out her Christmas gift, before handing it over. She kept her actions telegraphed as best she could as well. “I can’t say that the Hare didn’t succeed in that.” She would reply while Robert healed himself. “For all that Penrose doesn’t have a singular ruler, his method of delivery of that letter made it so that every major faction in the city learned about it within six hours, at most.”

“Reactions have been mixed, but I can’t say I know how everyone reacted to the news of Wonderland’s intent to move in.” She would give a shrug. “The fact that you weren’t told of some of this is worrying to me.” She would go on leaning back on her seat more relaxed in appearance for the first time since she walked in.

“It means either this March Hare lied to you, or to your Queen. At least that is how it sounds to me” Neither was a good possibility, but they were bad for different reasons. Hare lying could be a lot of reasons, Queen of Hearts lying meant that war was inevitable and that she was simply looking for a convenient excuse. One that Sanctuary had given. “Can you think of a reason why the Hare would lie about this? Or even just explain who the Hare is in relation to your court?”

Robert clutched the healing artifact, and sighed as he felt its restorative power gradually bring color to his pale complexion. "I don't know. He is but one of many of the Queen's servants. There might have been some sort of misunderstanding here…" His eyes widened. "Or…I was intended to become a martyr."

“That is what I am afraid of.” Penny would acknowledge with a nod. “Especially if you were told to approach Dina first. The entire situation is almost tailor made to see you dead.” It was, funnily enough, paranoia that saved Robert’s life most likely. Because there was so much that Sanctuary didn’t know about Wonderland. If they had known more it was possible that Dina wouldn’t have cared to keep him alive for questioning.

“Now comes the question of if there is anything we can do about that.” Because While Penny would be willing to go to war, that didn’t mean she wanted to get everyone dragged into it as well. “Is there a way for you to check in with Wonderland? Or even the political news at large? I’ll admit that Penrose makes it hard to focus much on things outside its borders.”

Robert shook his head. "I only have a transmitting camera installed on my person." He showed the badge on his jacket, bearing the Wonderland emblem. "Something I informed the Regent about before she confiscated my watch and had me thrown in the dungeons." He sighed. "My orders were to report back after I had received an answer to the proposal. I suggested if we could arrange any alternative arrangements in case the initial one falls through, but the Queen wasn't particularly receptive to the idea, and deemed them unnecessary."

Penny gave the camera a look for a moment and was very grateful that she already secured the means to move out of the warehouse. The layout of the Sanctuary had never been a close secret, but it still worried her that Wonderland had likely seen a good chunk of the layout because of that camera.

“Well if that’s been recording this entire time there is hope” Penny would say after another moment. “How were you originally getting back to Wonderland?” She would go on to ask. “And what was the proposal supposed to be?”

Robert scoffed. "How do you think anyone moves from one realm to another? By magic, of course." He tapped at his jacket's pocket. "More specifically my pocket watch. It allows me to create spatial burrows and traverse through them."

Then he rolled his eyes. "The regent didn't inform you? The proposal was for the Sanctuary to withdraw their forces and magic away from Penrose and nearby cities. In return, you would be granted mercy by the Queen of Hearts and spared from her wrath. But like I said, Regent Dina had rejected the offer."

“Robert” Penny’s voice had taken a cool edge to it “Do not take me for a fool.” She would lean forward, eyes once again sharp as they regarded the ambasador. “My Regent did inform me. I wanted to hear it from you as well. Our refusal to leave stands. Our refusal to join Wonderland stands. If your Queen would so readily chase us from our homes I have no trouble believing that she purposefully sent you here to die. I will not kneel to one such as her.”

“If she wishes to take my home from me she will have to pry it from my corpse.” She simply stared at him for a few moments following that statement, never blinking. “With access to Glimmr networks, would you be able to send a message or call to someone in Wonderland?” She would ask, her voice once again calm and neutral. But her eyes stayed sharp and she still refused to blink.

Robert grimaced at Penny's threatening manners, and backed down.
"Excuse me, it seems it was a bit of culture shock. Anyway, the message is quite understood." He then blinked. "Glimmr? Ah, I think I've heard of it. It's a communication system established in the World Wide Web by a company of magicians, correct? The Queen has decreed any technology ran by ignorant slaves to be outlawed in Wonderland, including Glimmr." He then blinked. "Oh, not meaning to offend, mind you."

Penny was starting to put together a picture of Wonderland, and it wasn't pretty. "What is the punishment for breaking that law?" She would ask, ignoring the incidental slight.

"Losing your head of course," Robert answered as casually as if answering about local delicacies.
"In fact, most crimes are punished by losing your head. The Queen is very dedicated when it comes to upholding the law in Wonderland," he spoke with admiration.

Penny nodded at Robert’s response, she wasn’t surprised. She spent a moment seemingly contemplating what to say next when a portal dropped a letter next to her rather suddenly. Penny would pick up and read it before nodding to herself. She knew enough now.

“You know I have to wonder now what would be kinder.” She would say returning her gaze to Robert “Killing you now or letting you return to be killed by her. Because you do realize that she will find a reason for you to lose your head when you get back don’t you?” Penny would ask in the same sort of casual tone that Robert had answered.

“After all I’m sure she also dictates the laws” Penny would go on tilting her head to the side. “And Mr. White, from what I know of the Queen of Hearts, she was never fond of that color. Nor is she forgiving of failure. But something tells me that you won’t see it that way.”

Robert's smile faded fast, replaced by shock. "How dare you insult the Queen like that? She is a wise and graceful monarch, and not wont to pettiness as you have described. Besides, even if there were um…unforeseen circumstances, I am confident she understands the value that my role as a loyal ambassador serves."

“I dare simply.” Penny would say standing up with a shrug, her stool melding back into the floor as she did. “I dare because I've read her source material. I dare because she restricts everyone who she rules over so that she can hord her power and treat everyone as her own plaything. I dare, because by your admission, I am against her law just by living.” Penny’s face would split open at that last admission showing her mechanical inner nature for a moment before closing.

“I dare because I am Queen Penny, and if I don’t dare, how can I expect my subject to feel safe in doing so.” She would reach out a hand to Robert. “Regardless, I’ve learned what I wanted to. Simply return my healing artifact and you are free to leave.”

Robert gulped, intimidated by Penny, and returned the artifact back to her. "My apologies, I seem to have spoken out of line. Thank you for lending me the runic device, and for allowing me this chance to converse with you."

Rather than let him retract his arm, Penny would snag it and bring him in close. Making sure to lock eyes with him, hers glowing with inner power as she spoke in a low dangerous tone. “One last thing. You leaving alive is by my mercy, remember that, because the next time anyone from Wonderland enters my home, without forewarning, they will not return to your realm alive.” Her gaze bored into him and he could feel the banked weight of Penny’s aura seeping off of her as she waited just a moment to make sure he understood this warning.

As she stepped away the door out of the containment room would open in the same instance.

Penny could see fear in Robert's eyes, and he slowly nodded, slightly sweating from the brow.
"Yes…Point taken. Thank you for your mercy." Once he was allowed to leave, he stepped out of his cell, and bowed to Penny with his hat in his hands. "I will now return to Wonderland with your message to the Queen. I must admit that I learned a lot. While your lives are challenging due to the Powers, you possess a strong will to move forward. That is truly admirable. Fare thee well."
He then left with a brisk walk, seemingly wishing to escape before Penny changed her mind while still keeping a gentlemanly appearance.

Penny exited slowly, more than willing to let Robert return to his master. Still she stayed next to Ashlyn until she knew that Robert was out of earshot. “I want Tina to shadow him with one of her birds until he gets to either the nearest Overcity passage or he gets picked up by an ally of his.” She would order softly. “His camera is now my camera, and I want to be sure I get some use out of it.”

Wonderland wanted to play with its food, fine, Penny was more than willing to take advantage of that.

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

_{.:⋮Meetings P.3⋮:.}

“Once more shall we?” Penny would mutter under her breath as she approached the Beacon embassy in the Overcity. She was early for her meeting, just under an hour early in fact, because she had the feeling that actually getting to the meeting location was going to take a lot longer than she would have liked.

It was like being back in Penrose when she first joined Beacon. Distrust and thinly veiled hostility from everyone. Not that Penny found that all that annoying if she was honest, she got it. No, what was annoying was that this all felt like a waste of time. Or at least had the capacity to be such. Wonderland was coming, Dina was stressing, the Sanctuary still had yet to move, and there were a half dozen things Penny should be doing to deal with all of that.

But no, she was here dealing with bureaucracy and politics. At least no one here would be able to tell from her face just how annoyed she was and with luck any empaths would continue to avoid her due to her weird emotional output.

Once again Penny had to perform the dance of security procedures, though it was easier now that Ishtar taught her the steps. Still, the suspicion she faced did not lessen. Once she arrived in Lucia, she had to wait for some time before Louhi came to escort her.
"I'm glad you arrived early, Penny. We can go over some of the etiquette you need to remember when addressing the Ecclesiarch." She opened the electric notepad she had with her, and it transformed into a floating drone that projected various images and slides. "Before we start, do you have any questions?"

“A few” Penny would say as she fell in step with Louhi. Inversely closing down some of the screens she had brought up on her HUD while she was waiting. She was glad that she hadn't been as bogged down in suspicion as she feared she might be and wondered if her escort was in any way responsible for that.

“Biggest question I’ve got is; what am I looking at if the Ecclesiarch decides that I am not welcome within Beacon?” It was perhaps the most important question that Penny had as well. Because if there was going to be fallout, she wanted to know what she needed to be prepared for now.

“Other questions that are important deal with what the logistical requirements for declaring independence actually are. Minimum size requirements, and percentage votes needed, that sort of thing. But those can wait.”

"I will send someone to sort the details with you on that matter," Louhi responded curtly. "However, as for your main question…You could be looking at excommunication in the best case scenario, and execution or sealing in the worst case." Her expression stayed neutral. "However, if you behave yourself and explain the facts succinctly and without bias, as you have done with me, I believe she will reach a just verdict. Now then, regarding how to address her…"
Louhi spent a short moment explaining about how to approach the Ecclesiarch, how to invoke gratitude upon meeting her, and little things like that. "...And that is all. Now, are you ready, Penny?" The two once again stood on the golden-bricked road's end that led to the construct resembling a sun.

Penny listened attentively as Louhi answered her question and went on to give a few formal pointers on how to conduct herself in the presence of the Ecclesiarch. As far as the priestess could tell Penny took it all in stride. Which was mostly true, so long as the fact that Penny was pulling up combat systems and prepping escape routes internally could be considered taking it in stride.

In truth it was just about what Penny had expected. Honestly none of those outcomes were good ones, each for their own reason, but all but Excommunication would have Penny fighting her way out of here. And even that option might lead to that depending on what exactly is entailed in Excommunication.

“Ready as I can be I suppose” Would be her answer. Before adding on “One last question. How much of the Penrose situation have they read up on?”

“Her Holiness been informed,” Louhi answered, and performed a magic spell that once again lifted the two of them up towards the slowly rotating shape. However, instead of entering one of the towers like last time, they now headed towards the spherical center, as towers parted ways to open a route to the core. As they got closer, Penny saw the light intensify, until all she saw was white.

“Your Holiness, may the light of Beacon shine in your heart,” she could hear Louhi speak in the blinding light.

“As it may in yours,” she heard a distant voice respond. Then, as the intense light dimmed down to visible level, Penny saw that she was in an impossibly large, circular space resembling a cathedral. There were candles and lanterns floating in the air, Beckoners that flitted here and there, and even tiny white particles. In the middle of the sphere was a floating platform surrounded by a complex rotating set of spheres linked together by rings, resembling a planetarium in some ways. It was in the very middle of it that Penny saw the Ecclesiarch; she was sitting on a throne made of gold and white marble, her eyes half-lidded with a vacant stare as if she was daydreaming.

“Okay, introduce yourself properly,” Louhi whispered in Penny’s ear.

Louhi’s answer this time was much less helpful than Penny was hoping for. But that was put aside as Penny took in the view. She resolutely ignored her rising anxiety as well as she was brought closer and closer to the center of Beacon’s base of power. Her escape routes weren’t closed to her, but that didn’t mean it didn’t feel like the walls were closing in a little bit.

Upon regaining the ability to see Penny cast a long look about the area noting its splendor. Returning her gaze to the Ecclesiarch, the girl who would decide her fate, Penny took two steps forward before giving a half bow. “My name is Penny Asimov.” She would introduce herself, head still bowed. “It is an honor to make your acquaintance, your Holiness” She would stay bowed for a moment longer before righting, and falling into a parade rest her arms clasped behind her back.

The Ecclesiarch blinked slowly, and then bowed her head in return to the proper gesture, showing to Penny that she correctly introduced herself.
"Penny…" She then spoke, in a slow and dreaming voice.

"Tell me…What is magic?"

Penny blinked at the seemingly unrelated question. It hadn’t really been something that she had ever thought about if she was honest. It was a fact of life of this new world that she was a part of, true, but she never had worried about the deeper implications of it. Her own physical makeup not really leading to those kinds of philosophical musings.

“I’m not sure that there is a single proper answer to that question” She would answer after a moment. “It’s the source of too much to be constrained to a single definition I think. But for me? Magic is life, the pulse of our world, the turbulent whirlpool that churns out possibility.” She brought forward one of her hands and a tiny bolt of lightning sprang into existence, dancing between her fingers. “It’s an intrinsic force in our lives, and a force that connects all of us to each other in the most basic of ways. It deserves respect and at times caution. For it is ultimately unknowable, too vast, too great, too simple for us to ever truly understand it.” She would close her fist, the lightning vanishing as she returned to clasping her arms behind her back.

Penny’s answer, for all that it seemed rehearsed, was something that she had more or less formulated on the spot. That wasn’t to say she was dishonest with it, just that it was rough hewn. One aspect of her thoughts on magic she kept to herself however, not knowing how to give voice to it in a manner that fit her circumstances. Because she also felt that Magic was a lot like duct tape. It had two sides, held the universe together, and was given a vastly bloated sense of importance. It was a tool, not fundamental.

The Ecclesiarch bowed slowly to acknowledge Penny's answer. "An interesting answer." Her dreaming eyes were drawn to somewhere past Penny. "You are not the only one who has been asked that question. It is a question posed to each Mahou; each flower yet to bloom or wilt.
But even with our long lives, we may never reach the answer." She sighed. "I was once close to discovering it. I saw it in a dream…Something beyond this world and the worlds adjacent…But even so, all I could recall is but a hazy memory. However, there is one interpretation that I believe in."

She lazily swiped a hand, and Penny saw as massive projected screens appeared around the spherical space, showing various Mahous, both pure and corrupted, malicious and benevolent, victorious and collapsed.
"Magic is a reflection of us, a mirror to the depths of our very being, given manifest. We extend ourselves, our souls, through magic, and influence the story through it."
She once again turned her eyes to Penny.
"Now, tell me Penny…Why does magic corrupt?"

“I don’t think it does.” Would come the swift reply, as this had been something Penny had thought about. “I think the changes that result from excessive magical infusions are a result of our flaws and our weaknesses. Magic digs into us till it finds our most basic level and empowers everything there. At our core, nothing and nobody is perfect, and sometimes that means a flaw shines brighter than a virtue when given a boost.”

“Magic can seduce, and it can mislead. Just as it can cleanse and free. But on its own, it simply reacts to what's around it.” She would give a short shrug. It placed a lot of the outcome on the person affected by magic Penny knew. But she didn’t think that Magic itself was to blame. That brushed too much aside if it was true.

Once again, the Ecclesiarch acknowledged Penny's words with a slow nod. "Another interesting answer, and one that the Beacon order has struggled with since time immemorial. Much research has been made on the nature of this transformation, which resulted in the creation of the purification ritual, one of Beacon's oldest traditions." The Ecclesiarch paused for a moment, and upon seeing understanding in Penny's eyes, she continued. "The rite, at its fundamental level, is meant to correct the erratic changes brought about by the chaotic power of magic, and bring order to it. Only form has been proven to be stable enough to hold magic without succumbing to chaos: the human form. But then, something unexpected happened: you. A corrupted Mahou who kept their form on purification. Once I have learned of you, I then began to dream…And upon me came a vision of your life."

Penny saw as the throne the Ecclesiarch was sitting on began to float, and the screens changed to depict various moments in Penny's magical history, from fusing with the Earth Bastion for the first time, meeting with the Howell twins, eating Sirkkeli's remains, and so on.

"A lone Beckoner went against Beacon's dogma, and accepted you as a member of Beacon, seemingly in hopes of saving the city in whose events you found yourself soon embroiled in. But that was not the cause, as we initially believed. No…Your fate was split in half the moment you linked yourself to the vessel of the girl named Amber. As her identity shattered into countless shards, deep inside, you discovered what it meant to have an identity, a true self…And you wanted it."

She paused, and began to float closer to Penny.
"You may not have consciously decided on it at first, but soon you found an obstacle in Jason. The human self who parted ways from you was the true self…But you locked his soul away, desperate to find your own identity. You were willing to lie and cheat, even to yourself. So it was that when the purification rite was performed, you took Jason's humanity and cloaked yourself in it, masking your true self and deceiving yourself to the very core."
She now floated around Penny, her eyes constantly on her. "And once you rejected Jason, you completed your mission, and formed your own self with artificial humanity and Beacon's stolen blessing."

Penny would silently observe the moments of her history depicted across the screens. Pivotal parts of her own past. It was interesting to note, for her at least, that they only had times of her in Penrose, from after she had more consistent contact with Beacon. It made sense then why they came to their conclusion.

“I actually hated Jason a lot earlier than that.” Penny would say calmly, at last returning her gaze to the Ecclesiarch. “He… He was a frightened prick who did everything he could to keep me buried as deep as he could manage. I chafed under his yolk as much as I did the shackles of my first Patron.” She would explain a wry smile on her face.

“You are right that the Bastion was a tipping point. But not because I wanted an identity for the first time. Stealing the ship gave me a refuge within our shared soul for the first time. Somewhere I could bide my strength and time.” As she spoke her chassi would fold open revealing a bright shining sphere. “I’ll admit that I’m not sure how I survived the ritual, the Coin if we are to be completely honest here, maybe I did burrow deep into his fractured humanity and used it to shield myself.” She would gently reach in and pull out the sphere. Before rolling it across her fingers.

“Maybe I learned enough from his memories while he kept me locked away to build enough of my own humanity that the nature of your ritual didn’t affect me. Maybe it wouldn’t have affected me either way, after all my ‘birth’ was an accident, far as I can tell.” A careless shrug, one at odds with the sharp calculating gleam in Penny’s eyes.

“In the end. I wasn’t the one who wanted Jason gone, that was him. We split in a manner that wasn’t sustainable. Our soul was hemorrhaging due to it. He had the chance to return, I wouldn’t have stopped him nor did I tempt him otherwise. It was his choice to give me what he could of his own soul so that I wouldn’t die.”

“I am not human. I know that, I accept that, and I love that about myself. But humanity isn’t reserved solely for humans.” She would hold up her own ShineSpark as she spoke. “And fuck you if you think otherwise.” In the silence that followed that there would be four soft clicks and one louder clack. This was the point she wouldn’t give on, and she was now prepared to fight for it if needed.

Louhi gasped at Penny's insolence before the Ecclesiarch, but the latter surprisingly seemed to ignore it. "Hmm…I did see early resignation in Jason, but I did not see that selflessness…Very well then." Her brow furrowed slightly. "Your life has been one of turmoil and conflict, down to your very soul. Yet you embrace this disorder, and see it as the way forward. However, such chaos has no place in the ranks of Beacon, and never will." She sighed. "Therefore, you must make a choice, Penny."

All other screens shut down except for two that stood side by side: the left one depicted Penny as she was, but with a crown of thorns, surrounded by claws, teeth, tentacles and wings. The right depicted her as human.

"You must give up your mechanical nature, or the blessing of Beacon."

The two images side by side depicted the easiest choice she had ever been given. “It was selfishness.” She would correct, because she had something to say and she would say it before she was done here. Since she knew how this was going to go now. “Jason gave me what he did, not to save my life but to end his. He wanted out, so he acted in self interest. Not altruism.”

She would give another look at the two images and she couldn’t help but chuckle. “I always wondered how this would end up.” She would mutter “Guess I know at last.” With that she would toss her ShineSpark to the Ecclesiarch. “I already said I would give it back if Beacon ever asked.” And it seemed someone finally did.

She would half turn to leave, making sure not to give Lohui her back. “I do suppose that we have nothing more to talk about then.” She would say giving a large grin that showed off her now razor edged teeth. A warning that she would not go gently if they tried to force it.

The Ecclesiarch let the shining orb of Beacon magic float to her, and then gave one last look at Penny. "So you have chosen the path of chaos. I will let you leave this place, so you may return back to your home. Louhi, you may also give her the information as requested."

The Choir member's eyes widened. "But your Holiness-!"

"The queen may defend her realm. So is her story written."

The Ecclesiarch then turned her throne away, signalling that the meeting was over. Louhi then addressed Penny’s words. "That is correct, yes." The two left Luxia, and once outside she handed Penny a white thumb drive with the Beacon's golden logo. She then gave one last look around. "The Ecclesiarch did not excommunicate you, which means the alliance is still possible between your budding kingdom and Beacon. However, you were discharged from the organization, so I can no longer directly assist you with the matter in an official capacity. Still, I'll keep the Cardinal posted in Penrose and assign her to work on your issues. Any questions?"

Penny gave one last look at the Beacon Embassy. What it was she felt she kept to herself as she turned her attention to Louhi. “You realize that once I leave I’ll never be able to be the one to extend that alliance offer.” She would state as she accepted the thumb drive. “Not until Beacon changes. Your vows list me as an enemy now, one that none should work with else they risk excommunication.”

“I’m a Monstergirl, and most of my subjects are either dark magicals or Monster girls themselves.” She was giving Louhi a sad smile “And while some of them would like to be purified, I don’t think they will want it to come from Beacon after this. Not if it means they'd have to turn on the rest of us.”

There was a low hum as Penny’s legs lit up as her thrusters slowly turned on. “Sanctuary will remember this day. The day that her Queen was judged wanting for simply being true to herself.” She turned her attention to the road ahead. “I have no questions that I need answered, but hopefully one day I’ll be able to seek your counsel again. But as I said, that won’t be up to me. Goodbye Louhi, and thank you for your efforts.”

With that said Penny would skate away. And though she was tempted, she didn’t look back. They wouldn’t be given the chance to see the hurt in her eyes as she left. It was painful, and she expected that this day would come, but Penny would keep moving forward. And she would keep the spark of Hope alive. Because one never knew what tomorrow brought.

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

_{.:⋮New(s) management⋮:.}

As things were wrapping up after the wendigo fight, Penny had taken MDP aside to express her interest in having a formal business meeting at Covington Tower, something the whimsical girl was only too happy to agree to. Upon returning to her private office, the detransformed heiress had checked her schedule and texted Penny on their secure communications link with all the relevant details. Around noon, two days later, Melisa’s cheerful voice informed Violet that her guests had arrived. “Thank you Melisa,” the heiress told her secretary in a calm and professional tone. “Please send them in.”

Penny was the first to walk through the door, her bright amber eyes scanning the room as she entered. She was dressed much more formally than her normal jacket and jeans in a dark gray pantsuit, though she was without a tie, and was carrying a folder under one arm. The suit was notably worn, and wasn’t a perfect fit for Penny, but helped her stand out less in the corporate building.

The tattoo of gears around her left eye, and waist length neon blue hair, however meant it was impossible to go completely unnoticed. But it did help distract away from some of her unsealed qualities bleeding over, such as her unnaturally bright eyes. or the fact that she was wearing gloves that went past her wrist. The doll-like joints that resided on her hands in this form would be just as impossible to explain after all.

Overall she looked like a teen, but at least one who was trying to make this visit work.

She would walk straight over to the desk even as she continued to examine the office, noting and cataloging everything she saw. But she was quiet, not nervous, but unsure exactly on how disconnected to keep the Magical and Mundane in Violet’s office. Thus she would wait for the heiress to set the pace.

Dina for her most part, had erased all traces of her feline features, but she still stood out significantly. She was wearing a brocaded dress worthy of a princess, and her hair hung long and luscious cascading down her neck. She did look even too high class for a corporate environment, a stark contrast with Penny. She checked the room with a neutral stare as she advanced closer.

Violet smiled as the two young women entered and approached her desk. “Penny, Dina, it’s good to see you,” the heiress greeted them with a polite smile. “Welcome to Covington Tower. Please, have a seat,” she added, gesturing to the pair of comfy-looking chairs in front of her desk. “And you need not worry about anyone listening in on our conversation,” she told Dina in an attempt to assuage some of the regent’s anxious concern. “Penny was kind enough to assist me in thoroughly scanning the room for bugs. But please don’t let that stop you from looking around,” she clarified with a small smirk.

The chamber, while quite luxurious, was still somewhat spartan, possessing a crisp, clean, futuristic aesthetic. Nothing extraneous seemed present, only what was needed at that precise moment, the only decoration being several paintings of august visages which resided in recessed alcoves on either side of Violet’s desk. A substantially larger image of her father was located behind, and just above, where she was sitting, as if the elder Covington was passing judgment on all gathered.

“Those portraits depict esteemed members of my family’s lineage,” Violet explained. “I find they serve as suitable reminders of the legacy I am tasked with upholding.”

”Still have to say it’s an interesting look.” Penny would comment as she turned her gaze to Violet. “Not used to seeing my aesthetic all over the place.” Which had a lot to do with the fact that she lives in an abandoned warehouse, but also that most of the world was always going to be playing catch up to Penny’s own systems in one degree or another.

“Here is what I could find about the Penrose Independent.” The sealed monarch would go on to say, sliding over the folder she had. “Magically there isn’t much to do, since Eden up and vanished, so letting those who are currently working there know about the change in ownership is about it on that side.” It was the mundane side of things that Penny was running into issues with. Since she didn’t exist according to the mundane world, and even if she did she would at best be considered a minor. To say nothing of not really having the money to buy it.

Dina for the most part, would look at the portraits, then at Violet. "New money huh." She would add as an afterthought. "I still can't get used to the spins and turns of the world." She would add, her head tilting at Violet. "But still some things ring true. In Business trust is essential. It would be too foul to listen on us. And pretty little gain to get. I am not concerned with that regard, child."

"A propaganda machine at our service with mortal aides should help… but I am afraid our timing is the worst."

“Our timing is closer to now or never unfortunately” Penny would say “The Sanctuary is barely keeping a float even if it doesn’t seem like it. We need some kind of income, and soon. Or we are going to have to start turning people away.”

Violet couldn’t help but smile when Penny noted the similarity between the office’s aesthetics and those of her own transformed appearance. That fact was, after all, one of the reasons for the heiress’s initial attraction to Penny, and as she had gotten to know the cybernetic girl, that attraction had only grown more pronounced. Still, as much as she wanted to enjoy this time with her girlfriend, and possibly even give her a full tour of Covington Tower, Violet knew that this was a business meeting, first and foremost, and so she allowed it to proceed uninterrupted.

“Hmmm…” Violet murmured as she skimmed over the files Penny had presented her with. “I would have thought the Independent’s magical members would have fled the city along with Miss Campbell,” she observed with a raised eyebrow. “Amanda told me all about what she did at the rave, and honestly, with the Ascendancy essentially making them public enemy number one, I would think that even the mundane assets associated with that name would have abandoned it fairly quickly. Speaking of, while I am completely in favor of making full use of its various assets, I do not think it particularly prudent to continue to make use of the Penrose Independent name. We shall have to come up with a new identity, one that will not be misconstrued as perpetuating the twisted and openly antagonistic ideology of Miss Campbell’s organization.”

At Dina’s comment, Violet would turn to address the former noble. “Old money, actually,” she clarified, her voice taking on a slightly sharper tone. “My family’s business empire was built over more than a century and a half of beneficial partnerships and insightful patronage of revolutionary new technologies, and it continues in much the same manner today,” she added, clearly quite proud of her prestigious heritage. “But you are correct, trust is essential, which is exactly why you need a means of letting people know what the Sanctuary really sands for, without detrimental rumors and harmful biases getting in the way. And I believe having control of a news agency is one of the best ways to accomplish that.” Turning back to Penny, she added in a more sympathetic tone, “As for the Sanctuary’s current resource shortages, I believe CI may be able to assist with alleviating them. As you might be aware, we’ve recently begun undertaking an array of charitable projects to improve the city’s quality of life. I do not believe it would be too difficult to divert some of those resources to aid what is essentially a local homeless shelter.”

“Most people seemed to hyper fixate on Eden from what I can gather.” Penny would explain the odd discrepancy “Beacon even ran a full investigation, but there aren't any ties with the organization as a whole to Mint. It was only ever Eden. I’m not saying that everyone stuck around, but since Eden left most of the heat being brought about on them is gone.”

“There is likely only a skeleton crew left on either side of the divide, I’ve not gone digging too deep into the paper trails to verify. But right now most of the infrastructure is still in place and at least a few people are still working there. The need to be rebranded is still a valid point however.”

Dina's ears twitched as her tail swished ever so slightly. Her eyes gazed at Violet's comment, clearly disliking the fact that she thought century and half was enough to qualify as an old lineage. She could alone recite 200 years worth of ascendants gone up in smoke and flames so that the children of merchants and traders and communists could take power.

She kept watching as she went on the tirade of a public propaganda machinery. "Calling the Sanctuary a homeless shelter is a little too much, Covington."She would reply, unable to go silent any longer.

"I am sorry, your Highness, but I believe I no longer qualify to be a part of this. I will take my leave now. I will try to find other methods." Dina would then excuse herself with the most elegant curtsy she could, awaiting Penny.

“If you’re sure” Penny would state, with a note of minor confusion. “I’ll catch up with you later and give you a run down of what we covered.”

“Very well,” Violet replied politely as she rose from her seat. “I hope the rest of your day is more productive. Well,” the heiress added with an annoyed scowl once the regent had departed. “That was certainly unpleasant. If anything, I think she has grown even more unbearable since last we met… I am sorry Penny,” she apologized after exhaling a weary sigh. “I simply do not know why she seems to detest me so much. I can understand if she finds my behavior in my transformed state somewhat… difficult to tolerate, but I would like to think I was being very civil and courteous just now.”

“Your guess is as good as mine unfortunately.” Penny would say gaze lingering on the door in which Dina just recently departed. “I mean the Sanctuary is a homeless shelter, effectively, so I’m not sure why that was such a sticking point.” She would shrug before returning her attention back to Violet. “I guess her vision of the Sanctuary and mine are just different, and that distinction is growing more noticeable by the day.” She would offer up even if it was somewhat easy to tell that Penny wasn’t fully sure herself.

“Stuff like this has been cropping up more and more often since the Christmas party.”

Dina for the most part stopped in her tracks just outside. Her hairs were bristling, as she allowed herself to calm herself down. ...Think again, Dina. There’s a lot of people counting on you. What good is your pride if it lets you get in the way of things. Mayhaps the body does have an influence on the mind. Sometimes I feel like i’m truly fourteen.

With a heavy sigh, she resolved herself, and opened the doors. “I’m sorry.” She admitted. “These are trying times. Mayhaps I got too attached to what you call a homeless shelter. I lost people defending them, and I nearly lost my life doing so. Being addressed as such makes one wonder if all our struggles meant something. But I must face the truth. I’m just a cat with no money. Defending our wounded pride will not go very far.”

She offered a bow. “I would like to make amends for those under my charge, if you would have me.”

Violet couldn’t help but be surprised when Dina returned and apologized for her earlier behavior. Still, although this was not something the heiress had expected, she was pleased to see it, nonetheless. “Of course,” Violet replied with a demure nod. “And there is no need to apologize,” she added. “If anything, I am the one at fault here. I did not intend any offense by referring to the Sanctuary as a homeless shelter, and you have my deepest apologies if my words came across as such. Please know that I have nothing but respect for what you and Penny are working to accomplish there, and I would never seek to demean such a worthy endeavor.”

Penny was also surprised at Dina’s reappearance, but it was very much a pleasant one. Listening to the short byplay gave Penny a better idea at what it was that must have gotten to the Regent. From there it wasn’t hard for Penny to assume that various girls who lived at the Sanctuary would likely react along similar lines if faced with hearing their home referred to as a homeless shelter.

“I suppose it might be better to call the Sanctuary an enclave at this point.” Penny would say, though she was thinking more aloud. “Originally it was just supposed to be a mix between a homeless shelter and halfway house. But we’ve grown past that stage haven’t we.” Likey it grew past that point while Penny was first stuck at the beach, and Cindy was using it as a base.

The reminder was useful, even if it wasn’t what Dina had intended. Penny would have to set some time aside to go over this more at another time.

“If I may…interject.” She added after coughing. “Rebranding is fairly simple. All we need is to imitate the real world. The people we need to reach are fundamentally teenagers. Now, I may be 105 years old, but if I’m not mistaken, fashion, and good looking boys should catch the attention. We can then slip some more… elaborate and conventional news in between. But if we want to rake in cash we need to cater to people's vanity and need for entertainment.”

Violet’s eyebrow rose at Dina’s observation. “Are you suggesting that instead of publishing a respectable news periodical, we lower our standards to that of a gossip-filled tabloid?” she asked somewhat incredulously. “Forgive me, but I had assumed you would be the very last person to suggest such a course of action. How do you feel about this, Penny?”

Penny would ponder the idea for a moment “We could do both” She would offer up. “We’d already be running two different types of outlets as is. One of them would by necessity but stuck to reporting on the mundane side, while another would tackle the magical one.” Would come the explanation.

“Ideally we would be a trusted news source, money is the driving goal at the moment, yes, but not my only one. There are those out there that don’t believe that anything good can come out of the Sanctuary, or anything like it. Building a reputation of being a trustworthy news source will help with that.”

“But writing tabloids can be a fun outlet. Especially since so many of us can’t easily move around in the mundane world. We could turn it into a conspiracy tabloid that is talking about the magical world in such a way only those in the know would be able to tell.”

“I will admit to not having much of an investment in the mundane world though.” Penny would admit with a somewhat sheepish shrug. “My position, and Penrose in general, means that I tend to focus more on the magical side of things.”

Dina nodded, her gaze resting on Violet. "Well, that is the best idea I came up with to wash Eden's imprint. I do not think people will ever raise arms against… this kind of vulgar publishing. It could allow us a respite, get us some funds, and test if the Penrose Independent can still work as a proof-of-concept. Going from tabloid to serious might be tough, but at least the staff won't be reviled."

“Hmmm…” Violet mused. “Those are both good points, and I agree that running two contrasting publications would serve to cover all our needs, but we would have to ensure that they remain separate,” she added. “That is to say, there shouldn’t be a discernible link between them. With that in mind, we would actually be creating two separate agencies, with little to no overlap. However, I think the real question we need to consider is who shall be running each organization? When I was working under the assumption that we would be operating only one agency, I had initially intended for Amanda to fill that role, but due to the Mint’s recent machinations, she has decided to leave Penrose for the time being. I could still perhaps convince her to work remotely, but I feel it would be better to have someone physically present, and even then, we would ideally need a second individual to head up our other agency. Do either of you have any suggestions in this regard?”

Penny’s confusion was readily apparent even before she spoke up “Why would they need to be separated?” She would ask not seeing any issue with running both publications side by side. “If we are running the divide down the masquerade line it wouldn’t matter that the magical side knows we are running both wouldn’t it?”

"Hmm…how about..what was it…supplements? We just bundle them together." She paused. "As for who… Well, I don't think there will be shortage of volunteers at Sanctuary. Maybe Dullahan can. Goblina… "

Dina would then ponder. "I even knew of a teleporter but she seems to have faded out of Penrose recently."

Upon hearing Penny’s confusion, Violet would give voice to a tired sigh. “I suppose it is simply my paranoia talking, but I am reluctant to allow such a sizable group of people, most of whom I have yet to meet, to have full knowledge of something that could easily be used against us. As I am sure I don’t need to remind you, Penny, we have no small number of enemies, and in light of that, limiting potentially compromising information to as few people as possible only makes sense. For example, what if one of the people responsible for publishing the magical tabloid leaked the information that we were also responsible for publishing what is ostensibly a credible news source? Even if that information wouldn’t make any difference among the magical community, it would do possibly irreparable damage to our reputation among the mundane population. In particular, having Covington Industries’ name associated with a conspiracy theory-promoting tabloid would have a noticeable effect on how we are viewed as a company, and not a positive one.” Turning to Dina, she added, “While I am glad to hear that such a large number of the Sanctuary’s residents are willing to assist us, ideally they should have at least some experience in journalism, and if they wish to take on a leadership role, team management as well. With that in mind, would it be possible to take a survey of the volunteers’ skill sets and occupational histories, if applicable? That way, we can assign them to the tasks they would be most suitable for.”

“I can set up a survey for everyone without too much trouble.” Penny would reply. Turning one of the dead arcade cabinets into a survey station shouldn’t take too much work. And then letting everyone there know that it was to streamline things for when jobs came in wouldn’t be much of a hassle either.

“The paranoia, and your company’s reputation are good points as well.” The mundane reputation was one thing Penny had already admitted to overlooking, but the paranoia was worth a second look. The Mint, presumably, knew a fair bit about the Penrose independent due to their dealing with Eden and could likely use that information against them. The monarch didn’t think that they would have a lot of sensitive information to sit on at first, but eventually? Who knows.

“Building off your company’s reputation, we might need to keep both sides serious from the start. Otherwise the jarring divide might get people to look deeper than you might be comfortable with.”

Dina would bring her hand to her chin, pondering options. "Looks like we have forget about the fast pay off option. No matter. We can still use gossip to work for us. While we are building our serious publication, we leak the rumour that someone is here to take Eden's spot. What is it what they call it, mamis? Meowmes? That sort of thing. If need be I bet I can conjure a few creatures for extra hands."

“Possibly…” Violet mused after Penny had made her suggestion. “Although I think we can still proceed with our initial plan, as long as no link can be drawn between the two publications, or, more importantly, between the tabloid and CI. With that in mind, perhaps the Sanctuary itself could assume full ownership of, and control over, that side of things, with minor, covert assistance from CI, if and when necessary?”

“Memes” Penny would correct Dina’s uncertainty off-handedly. “And yeah the Sanctuary could take full ownership of the tabloid.” She would answer Violet “Only assistance I can foresee us needing would be keeping us in the black, but I’m not sure if we’d need much assistance with that. Once people learn that it's the Sanctuary putting out that side of things that should be enough of a draw to get at least a stable base to work from.” Or at least that was Penny’s hope on the matter.

"So it's settled then." Dina would then say. "If I was 70 years younger I would engage myself, but even If I smiled and posed I do not think I could keep up with people and their… excessive lack of modern clothing."

“Excellent,” Violet declared with a pleased smile. “In that case, I shall contact the relevant parties and draw up the appropriate paperwork in regard to the mundane side of things. I would ask to remain apprised of all future developments on your end,” the heiress added with a teasing smirk. “But since Penny and I chat every day, I don’t foresee that being an issue.”

"Mew?"Dina replied in slight surprise. "What do you mean by that?"

“Simply that we have a secure means of conversing with each other,” Violet replied. “Is that really so surprising?”

"For someone so mundane, yes." Dina would answer.

“Penny is not mundane,” Violet replied. “And neither am I, for that matter,” she added. “Even if I was, Penny alone is fully capable of establishing the kind of covert communications link we require. As it is, we worked on it together, while making use of some unintentional assistance from a few other friends of mine.”

“The never ending wonders of the digital worlds” Penny would remark with a smile of her own. “There are a half dozen different ways to hide or mask a network. And that’s before you start getting magic involved. Add that, the fact I’m an AI, or that Violet is on the later end of the bell curve when it comes to intelligence to the equation and that number grows exponentially.”

“Main reason I’ve not done more for the Sanctuary in that regard is that there is a start-up cost for a lot of those if you want them to be more than a peer to peer set up. But that’s what the computer terminal I’ve set up is for.”

"I am saying your involvement with the Magical world is concerning, Miss Covington. Despite the fact we wish for a joint endeavour I do wish to insist that you still have a way to go back to a normal life and you should think carefully." Dina would add.

“Oh, I have thought very carefully about it,” Violet replied with an amused smile. “With Penny’s assistance, I have taken every precaution possible to ensure that no one, the Ebon Mint most of all, learns of my connections to the magical community, or of my magical alter-ego.”

Dina sighed. "Then it is already too late. It's not a matter of whether they know. It's a matter of when." She then added. "There are always ways of knowing things." Dina replied.

"Not only electronic espionage works, but the old fashioned vermin network, spirits. Even plants can be used. These three methods often tend to be overlooked because they do require particular powersets." Dina would then say. "And Penny cannot tap in any of these three."

“Perhaps,” Violet conceded. “But I believe Penny and I are more than capable of creating devices that can not only detect, but completely jam such avenues of espionage. And as it is,” the heiress added. “They should have no reason to suspect anything. After all, I have been fully amenable to every suggestion and offer they have made, regardless of how repulsive I might actually find them.”

“The Mint isn’t one to rock the boat if they don’t need to.” Penny would chip in “They aren’t omniscient, so as long as they’ve not got a good reason to go poking about their agent’s business they don’t” Something that Penny knew from personal experience.

"That is not very reassuring, but I will not dwell on something that cannot be changed. Remember that pride comes before the fall." Dina would simply reply.

“I prefer to think of it as confidence,” Violet replied. “Confidence that, when Penny and I work together, there is nothing we cannot accomplish.”

“Hope for the best” Penny would quote with a nod to Dina “But prepare for the worst. If the situation starts changing we will have back ups in place. For now things are holding and should stay that way.” To be honest Penny felt that Dina was likely more in the right than anything. All secrets had a way of coming to light one way or another.

She did disagree with the effort to give Violet a way back to the mundane however. Penrose as it was didn’t allow easy stepping away from everything. That and the Magical world tended to be very clingy. Simply ignoring everything wouldn’t cause it to go away, Violet was entrenched already, this meeting for the Sanctuary wouldn’t be much in the face of an active Patron.

Dina’s ears twitched. “Should you find yourself in trouble, come to me if Penny is unavailable. I might be able to do something, as meager as I am.” Dina would then add. She knew she was right, but youths would rarely see the bitter lessons of life unless experienced firsthand.

“Of course,” Violet replied with a nod. “You have already proven yourself to be quite resourceful, and I would be foolish not to make use of your vast experience. Now then,” the heiress added, folding her elegant hands atop her desk. “Was there anything else you wished to discuss?”

“That’s the basis I think” Penny would reply leaning back in her chair a bit. “Anything else would need information we don’t have currently I believe.”

“Just don’t hog Penny all the time…” Dina would then reply. “Magical Dream Princess.”

“I shall do my best not to,” Violet replied with a wry smirk. “And I would ask that you please refrain from referring to me by that name,” the heiress added, her tone becoming slightly pointed. “When I am my mundane self, I would prefer if you simply addressed me as Violet, or Miss Covington, if formality is required. I know that the chances of anyone overhearing this conversation are virtually nonexistent,” she continued, her attention firmly on the regent. “But I would still like to take as few chances as possible, something I am sure you will agree with.”

Giving voice to a small sigh, Violet allowed a smile to slowly return to her face. “You know, I think it shall be a rather exciting prospect to own a news agency,” the heiress mused, rising from her chair and stepping over to one of the portraits on her wall. “My great-grandfather, Cornelius Covington, once owned a very successful newspaper, and the thought of following in his illustrious footsteps fills me with great pride.”

“Well then, let's make the Sanctuary Inquirer worth the effort then shall we?” Penny would add, a confident grin breaking out as she did.

“Yes,” Violet agreed with a grin of her own. “Let’s.”

Dina just nodded sagely, before pondering. She really hoped this wouldn’t do them in like the one known as Eden.

Tiny and the Terminator [Mistress Dizzy & Shifter_Master]

Rather than being offended at being called a jinx the girl just gave a wide toothy grin. “That’s me” She gave an overly dramatic bow, obvious sparks of pink energy trailing after her hand, though they would fizzle out before anything happened. She seemed to feed off the irritation Jinny was giving off but there was also a bit of respect glimmering in her eyes at Jinny being so willing to throw down despite having apparently heard of her.

“I’ll keep to that agreement so long as you do” Jinx would agree, for a moment it felt as if she was going to say something, before she thought better of it. “That’s my room” She would point towards the door further away from the entry. “Stay out of it and I stay out of yours. Also keep the salt in the tub and you bring any mirrors into here the consequences are on your head.” She would go on to add. Her tone was joking, but there was a dark seriousness in the way she delivered those additional rules.

“I’ll be nice and leave my system out here.” Jinx would nod at the games Jinny was looking at. “It survived me; I doubt you’d be able to break it on accident.” She would start sauntering over to the fridge, even as she kept an eye on Jinny. “How do you want to handle the fridge stuff?” She would ask.

Apparently, she wanted to get all the ground rules out of the way right at the start.