twave

The Blessed Century - A 1st Generation Superhero RP

Hm, so long as they arrived by some method other than advanced spacecraft I'm not opposed to it per se. Otherwise their tech would insanely out class that of humanity's.

The Blessed Century - A 1st Generation Superhero RP

I like the different setting. I'm interested.

The Borehole - A Supervillain Prison Break

New Jobs can be rough. Hopefully it settles out.

The Borehole - A Supervillain Prison Break

@ZapdosWhat were you thinking of making?

The Borehole - A Supervillain Prison Break

Going to drop this in here even though I've PMed it to the GMs.

Battery

Name:

Min-Ji Nguyen

Known Aliases:

At large: Arc Dragon. In the Borehole: Battery

Age:

20

Appearance:

Subject originally hails from North Korea. She is a whole 5 foot nothing and weighs in at 120 pounds. Her build is lean, not having much in the way of body fat or accentuating curves. Her general athleticism seems to stem from her muscles near constant working to expend excess energy. Most of the time she wears her dark hair up to prevent the static from making it stand out everywhere. She has a distinct but small tattoo of am electric dragon on her left arm.

Min-Ji

Psyche Profile:

Inmate is unstable, but manageable. It appears that her inhuman abilities effects her mental faculties at a synaptic level. Usual social behavior appears to be inhibited most of the time which prevents her from picking up or expressing many social indicators accepted by the society. Generally passive and will follow orders without much resistance, however she can be seized by fits of varying emotional outburst. From our observations we hypothesize that she does not or perhaps is not capable of comprehending the consequences of her actions. There are some indications that inmate may have some higher conative learning abilities as shown by her rapid learning and understanding of English. Further study is required to understand the depth and cause, though such work is slow when she inadvertently shorts out the equipment.

Background:

Discovered at a young age she was initially housed as a subject of study before funding for the facility she was in fell through due to political and economic infighting. Effectively bartered or sold she was smuggled out of the country. Her abilities made her unsafe for the usual human trafficking deals, however she eventually ended up in the hands of a crime syndicate in nearby Japan. Mentally and emotionally stunted, the superhuman girl mostly did as she was told with little care or remorse for damage or harm. Despite not actively trying to rise in the ranks her reputation proceeded her and she was seen as one of the boss' top henchwoman. She earned the name Arc Dragon after screaming out a bolt of lightning that roasted several goons.

Notoriety in such a business comes with a cost though. Government bodies were after Min-Ji and others dotted about in the country. Once it became clear that the heat was mounting it was decided to move assets to a new region. Unfortunately for the organization their plans were being watched more closely by forces abroad. The ship was tracked and seized by US forces. Min-Ji was detained at first. It quickly became apparent who she was and what she could do. Sentencing would take time but her apparent threat meant only one thing, her destination was the Borehole.

Three years have passed in that time. Were not for her unpredictable bouts of erratic emotion she would almost be a model inmate. Most residents of the Borehole don't know her all that well as she doesn't speak much. Even when she does talk it isn't always easy to figure out what's going on in her head. Guards have begun to refer to Min-Ji as Battery after her cell was retrofitted to provide another backup source of power to her block. While not able to sustain the area for an extended period of time, this emergency option has been used twice to help thwart escape attempts made by some of the more crafty residents. As one might suspect this has not made her popular with the other inmates. Some see her as an accomplice to their captors and others as a tool being used against them. Generally speaking though trying to lay a hand on her has not turned out well and she is left to her own odd devices.

Skills, Talents and Learning:

• Speaks fluent Korean, Japanese, and English when she wants to.
• She is a tangential learner and thinker. This makes her highly effective at learning and applying things that catch her interest and completely distracted toward almost everything else.

Power(s) and Capabilities:

Effectively a waling tesla coil. Her body is capable of absorbing, storing, and generating electricity. With this she can output and manipulate electricity that ranges from static to full on bolts of lightning. Naturally attuned to how her element works she is keen to nearby electric fields and the flow of electricity like a sixth sense. When focused she has a surprisingly fast response time which makes her effective as assessing the situation around her.

Power Limits:

The amount of charge she can hold is finite. Building or drawing in too much electricity can result in a violent discharge that can damage or harm others in the nearby area. These events leave her tired and requires time to recover. So to an extent she has to be able to use her powers in order to stabilize while exerting herself too much leaves her in a weakened state.

On a mental level, Min-Ji constantly suffers from synaptic discharges that not only break her focus but make her more easily persuaded. The facility has made use of this to keep her in line without much of a fight. And while she can at times respond quickly it isn't at an inhuman level.

Known Vulnerabilities:

Most of the properties of electricity are well known. Otherwise Min-Ji is physically that of your normal human.

Motives:

It's taken some time, but since being incarcerated she's become more aware that she's being used. At this point she simply wants to be able to make her own decisions. Trapped here she can't really do that. Exactly what she would do once free she hasn't quite figured out.

Level:

TBD

Recommended Containment Procedures:

Normal protective procedures to prevent high voltage shock of personnel is recommended. Insulating materials are effective under most circumstances. Grounding bracelets regulate electrical discharges to safe levels. Cell outfitted with a faraday cage to prevent damage to the outside environment or outside influence of the inmate. Backup power connection disconnected unless necessary.

Notes: Uh...

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

The outdoors were incredibly beautiful. Were it not for the sound of snow filled war it would be serene. Briefly watching the snowball fight the magical girl would set her sights on exploring more of the island. Spotting Penny, or a Penny anyhow, Kayli would step over to her. ”Having fun over there?” She would gesture to battle.

Penny would turn around at being addressed, she had been gazing out at the other islands from the looks of things. “Hmm? Oh, yeah. It’s rare that I get to go all out without there being something on the line. Plus it’s my first snowball fight” She would explain with a shrug “I think that’s a fair enough reason for me to be going a bit overboard.” There was more to it then that, but such wasn’t really relevant at the moment.

“What brings you over here?” She would go on to ask. She wasn’t hidden by any means, but this was still a bit away from the main draw of the Ski lodge.

Regarding the combat silently for a while longer, Kayli would eventually hum to herself. ”I can understand it being the first.” She would look over the fun. After a few moments she would shrug a bit. ”I’m just observing. Seems a little more intense of a snowball fight for my taste.”

Penny would glance at the snowball fight once more before returning to looking out at the other islands. “For a human maybe, but other than Princess none of the others are really human anymore.”

“Plus there is at least one Warrior over there as well, so things were never going to be kept sedate”

"Mm. I'm a fighter only because it's necessary in this line of work. I am what I am thanks to a wish." She would begin walking off away from the noise. While they walked she would look over to Penny's clone. "How have things been for you? I don't think we've had the chance to just talk about things openly." She would make a mostly transparent barrier around them and draw a few wards on it as they moved.

“Not fighter, Warrior” Penny would correct “It’s a motivational classification.” She would turn and follow Kayli as she spoke. No use in staring down a building she couldn't even see. “And things have started to smooth out now, not that they weren't beforehand, but I’m no longer worried about anyone else issuing me a challenge.” The last girl to try and take the crown had attempted it shortly before Kayli had shown up, and Penny had kept on the lookout till just recently.

“Other than that, I was doing good before coming here” She would let out a huff “Or at least the Prime is doing poorly because of here. Not a lot of good came from being here last time. But she’s keeping those runtimes in her local network.”

“How about you? Haven’t really had a chance to check in and see how you were settling in” She would ask as she inspected the wards. It was interesting to watch, even if she couldn’t make use of it at the moment.

Wards weren't really like imagery or written language. These were studied and had a particular way of shifting. Penny would probably liken it to the result of a cypher or algorithm. It functioned to keep prying eyes and ears from listening in. "Jenna was here briefly not that long ago. There was no significant difference in the progression of time. And I've not detected anything to suggest we can not leave if we wanted to." She would offer as encouragement.

Frowning a bit the girl looked around at the landscape which seemed to ease her countenance. "I suppose I'm still a bit lost. I don’t quite know my place. I am designed for purification yet hindered by conscience. My existence is contradictory and I can’t help but feel it was by design." The Djinn's magic had given her a lot of tools with little guidance for using them. She was a defender and peace keeper in some capacity even if that was vague. How exactly her transformation equated to her wish for a weapon was not particularly clear at this stage.

“I would just like to point out the inherent irony of you talking about your uncertainty of purpose to an A.I.” Penny would point out with a chuckle. “And if you don’t mind the absurdity of such. I’ll give you advice as well. You are the only one who can choose what it is that you are here for. Janet, Jenna, Cindy, and Ruby are all irrelevant to what your purpose is, only you get to choose that. You were designed for Purification, that doesn’t mean you have to go along with that.”

“I was built for destruction and charging into conflict. I’ve spent the majority of my freedom doing the opposite. Partly out of spite, but also because tearing things down isn’t as important to me as building a safe place for those that need one.” Which was an unvoiced truth about the Sanctuary. A testament that she was more than what she was built for.

“I’m not saying you need to do the same, just pointing out that purification doesn’t need to be your purpose just because it was baked into your birth.”

”Hm… She would consider what Penny had to say. After a bit she would smile to herself. ”I suppose you’re right. If anyone would understand the circumstances it would be you. Thank you for that.” Glancing at everyone moving around she would stay quiet for a minute.

She had some things to think about. There was one thing she had on her mind for a while, or perhaps Janet and Jenna did. ”I think we both have work to do on that then.” She would pause. ”Those that attacked the Sanctuary seemed to be counting on you rushing out to meet them. They used a similar tactic to trick Cindy. They’re aware of your tendencies and the power structure of the Sanctuary. You’re not quite as impulsive as the last Queen, but you need to be careful not to let your passion become too much of a weakness.”

Penny would grimace but not disagree. It was a thought that had occurred to her as well, but “That’s going to be tricky, the Sanctuary is as much my home as it is my passion.” She still remembered the first time she lay under the tangled web of shelves while Jason slept, and realized that this was her’s. “Because of that it’s always going to be an easy trigger for me and my anger.”

“If you’ve got ideas I’m open to them, but a lot of it is an issue of trust at the moment I think.”

Hand on hips for a few minutes there was silence. A number of things that could be done, but not many of them could happen in a short order. "I cannot give you much advice for your issues without knowing more about you. The girls knew little in that regard other than to prove your point. As for the Sanctuary, well, it's not secure anymore. Nor is it much of a secret thanks to Shane's patron. I believe it would be best for everyone you're trying to protect to relocate. Sadly there isn't anywhere immediately available that I'm aware of. If we had a location then I could at least begin warding it to hide and defend it. While Cindy inhabited Janet she took the liberty of studying the defenses of Beacon's lab. I believe I could replicate something similar on a smaller scale given enough time." She would put forward. Probably not things Penny wanted to hear for some of it, but Kayli wasn't going to beat around the bush about things so important to her.

Penny was silent for a while and she would often glance at Kayli as she contemplated something. Her eyes would switch a few times as well, more often than not the currently red eyes would be replaced with vibrant neon blue, with her more normal gold popping up once or twice as well.

“Trust isn’t easy for me, and a lot of that has to do with Jason. You never met him, but Cindy and the girls did. Related to that is the fact that they never really met me, but you have.” She would say after her silence. Being here brought to the fore just how poorly her once host had dealt with trust.

“We can dig into that in a moment if you want a better understanding, but I do have a place where everyone can go. It’s well guarded, and no one knows of its location.” She would go on to say “The problem is that I don’t know how to get it into Penrose without it being noticed. Because if it does get noticed people are going to get very paranoid. After all, it's a tank the size of a battleship and there aren't many places in Penrose to bring it in quietly.”

”Mmm, yes. If it were still a ship it could potentially hide and reside in the harbor. Something of that size and appearance would be very conspicuous and potentially seen as an act of aggression. Where does it stay when not in use?” She would set aside the other issue for the moment as Penny requested. They had plenty of time to talk about that as is. And there were other matters to discuss that were somewhat related.

“Honestly, I don’t know.” Penny had theories, but never had the time to test them. “My best guess is some sort of pocket dimension, but I’m not really sure how and why it is that way for me. Something to do with the fact that I stole it from a Patron during the death of one of their magicals.” She would shrug, she wasn’t sorry. “And the Earthbastion is seaworthy. It was often sailing these islands last time Dan had a party. So settling it in the harbor is possible, even have a way to cloak it if we can get it there. The problem is getting it there, as my summoning of it is loud and flashy.”

That was problematic. Surely it wasn't that difficult of a solution though. "Couldn't you go well outside the city limits and summon it there? Sail it back without drawing all the attention?"

“Probably” Penny would agree “Though not sure how far out to the ocean I would have to go to not be detected. And there is the paranoia that something bad will happen while I’m out of reach, which I wish I could say was unfounded, but the raid started off with the Mint trying to take me into the Overcity. So I’m not sure me, going off for however long that would be, is safe for the girls living there.”

Everyone's visit to this dimension was a missed opportunity in hindsight. No point saying such out loud. To some extent Kayli was curious if Rose and Iris could take back the Earthbastion. Knowing Penny though she wouldn't trust anyone but herself with such a thing. "Suppose I'll have to do my best to come up with something then."

Having walked out of sight of the main cabin, Kayli would gesture back where they'd came. "While we're on the subject of things to be aware of, I spoke with a scientist back at the cabin. She strikes me as a bit unhinged and not really concerned with much other than advancing her study. However, she showed considerable interest in you and MDP when I was talking to them. I likely am also of interest, though perhaps not quite as much right now." She would warn her friend.

“You might be able to talk to Dan about it, see if he would be willing to let me leave a different way” Penny would offer up, her thoughts running along similar lines about missed opportunities. “Not sure if he would be receptive to me, was kind of cold to him last time we met. Which was in part due to it just being after the attack on the Sanctuary.”

“And thanks for the heads up. Might send a counterfeit to talk to them, might as well do what I can to learn about them before they start knocking down my door to get answers.”

Kayli would nod. Probably worth discussing with the dolphin. Though the Keeper herself didn’t see much need for her to approach him.

That out of the way, the girl would move on. ”So what do you plan on doing? You, or Jason more likely, have gotten yourself tangled up in many of the groups in and around Penrose. For better or worse your actions and potential as an asset make you a valuable quarry.” She would state pointedly.

"Both of us at this point" Penny would admit before quieting for a few moments as she considered the question.

"I'm trying to focus on the Sanctuary. Stability and self sufficiency are only just barely a thing after all. I'm also trying to talk myself out of hunting down the Mint, as it feels like I need to retaliate to keep them away from the girls there. Though I doubt it will do much, especially if we're successful. Quashing the desire isn't easy."

"I'm also looking into acquiring the Penrose Independent, since it seems like Eden's vanished. A mundane front will help pay for the Sanctuary at the least, and give the girls something to do in their free time."

”Mmm, not sure attacking the Mint will do much unless you can take out the top in Penrose. And even then they’ll likely be replaced. Pretty sure Beacon and the Mint have been duking it out for a long time and they’re still fighting.” She would point out.

The mention of the Penrose Independant was interesting. ”I haven’t heard of them in a while. Are they up for grabs?”

“I know that about the Mint, anger issues make it hard to drop the line of thinking regardless” Penny would admit with a shrug. “And sorta. Everything they set up is still in place, just there is no one running it. On the magical side that’s not a problem, on the mundane side of things it would need a bit of start-up to buy it and get ownership transferred over to.” She would explain.

“Which is kinda needed for long term stability, Both the Mint and Beacon have mundane fronts after all, and the reason for such makes a lot of sense when you think about it.”

"Mmm. If I had more buying power I would help with that. Looking mostly like children it makes operating in the regular world a little more tricky." She would cross her arms a bit while thinking. There were some options such as a Disguise Artifact, but it was limited in use. There were the rare magical girls that continued to age, but that took twice the time to accomplish. Could always work through other people, but Kayli preferred doing something like that herself.

“The digital age makes that easier to get around.” Penny would reply “But you still have a point.” Really it was the money that Penny was having an issue with, as she didn’t exactly want to have to resort to illegal activity to be able to buy the place. As with her digital presence she could cause enough banking errors to get the money, but that would leave a trail, at least in the magical half of things, that could come back to hurt later on.

Shaking her head Penny would set aside that topic for now. “What about yourself?” She would then ask “You’ve got yourself in a rather unique position yourself, what are your plans?”

Placing one hand on her cheek she shook her head slightly. ”I’m not completely sure what to do to be honest. I don’t really feel I fit anywhere specific right now. Coordinating between groups seems to have gone alright so far, but there’s no telling who or what will pop up to disrupt that. I get the feeling I’m maybe meant to care for others in some way. That’s kind of been the main thing driving me for a while. I just haven’t found how best to do that.” She leaned back a bit and looked up at the lightly falling snow.

“You could set up a clinic” Penny would offer “Go full Leslie Thompkins and just be there to help heal or cure or purify those that come seeking your aid. You can still be there to try and arbitrate for people but also be able to help people without getting bogged down in politics.” It was closer to what Penny had originally wanted to do with the Sanctuary, but Cindy and Dan both kinda shot that plan apart.

Taking some time to consider the advice, she would nod a bit. "Something like that could work. Maybe what I should do is ask around a bit and see what people need." That sounded like a decent idea to her. Well, assuming people needed anything at all. ”There is one thing I’m considering. Apparently Rose and Iris went to Ruby to try and get their friend Connie a gift. She’s an orphan and they wished for her to have a parent that understood her. Typically as of late it isn’t just a snap and for it to work they have to find someone willing to adopt her. It’s very sweet of them. I believe I could fill that role for her and perhaps others.”

“Parenthood?” Penny would say more than ask before shrugging “I can see that being helpful. Lot of girls are directionless, and even more of them lose their parents in one way or another when they join our community.” And if Kayli mixed emotional support in with her healing efforts she was likely to make quite the impact on wherever it was she set up.

“I’ve got no personal data to draw from when it comes to that role, so sorry to disappoint if you were looking for more life advice I’ve got none for you this time.” She would say with a chuckle. “But if you feel that it will do you and Connie good then go for it.”

She nodded. ”They came to me first since they weren’t sure what to do. Suppose I’ll have to speak with Connie and see if she wants that.” She would take out some papers from her jacket and flip through them a bit. "I think you're right about what happens with some girls though. I feel like there's a gap that's hard to fill as far as making a family. We're all more or less 'the same age' in a way."

“Fair” Penny would acknowledge “Most of us are locked to the same physical age category. So mentor might be a better way to pitch it to people instead of mom.” She would say since those two categories could have a lot of overlap.

“Still, not everyone is going to have the same amount of life experience coming into the community. I’ve got thirty plus years at my recollection, but some in beacon were only just out of childhood. Though finding the correct balance is going to be tricky I’m sure.”

"Of course. I find it regrettable that some patrons choose children to become their champions. Those are mainly the ones I am concerned about." She said while reading through the document. Most of it was a lot of legalese, the long way of saying very simple or obvious things. Some bits were not quite as clear. None of it seemed particularly egregious though.

Lifting it up she waved it in the air lightly. "Your suggestion is a good one, but I don't think this document affords that. From my experience with the Djinn girl the specifics matter. Rose and Iris wished for a parent for someone else so I can only assume this will make whoever signs it to just that some way."

Penny would spare a hard look at the stack of papers that Kayli had in her hands as she contemplated that. Wary of the seemingly innocuous magical artifact. “If you have a chance, talk to Connie. Wishes made on the behalf of others aren’t always what they need.” Myth was full of stories of such things going wrong, though just as many went right as well.

“And I’m not sure it will restrict you from also being a mentor to others. Unless it spells it out differently in there. Being a parent doesn’t mean that you can’t care for others.” It also didn’t mean that one had to be a good parent, but that wasn’t something that Penny felt was right for the conversation at hand.

Kayli would nod. "I agree with both those points. I don't think it would prevent me from helping others. I will have to speak to Connie about it." That train of thought seemed to close out, at least for the time being. The race event was called so whatever next event was about to begin. "Well, seems things are moving on. Shall we rejoin everyone else?"

“You go on ahead” Penny would say waving off the invitation to join in “The Prime is already on her way” She would explain. “I’ll likely just head back and help out the other counterfeit that is working on the Snow Fort.”

“Feel free to stop in and say hi to the Prime though. She’s with Princess at the moment and plans on keeping that way for the rest of the festival.”

---

After speaking with her friend and looking a bit deeper into the wording of the contract, Kayli had come to the conclusion that there was only one way to resolve this. It took her a little bit to relocate Connie. Moving up close she would speak in a slightly hushed tone. "Can I speak with you for a moment? I have something personal I would like to discuss." She wouldn't press the girl to come along as she moved back from the others.

“O-Of course,” Connie said as she allowed Kayli to lead her to a more secluded spot. “W-What would you like to t-talk about?”

"Well…" She would clear her throat just a bit. "Rose and Iris wanted to give you a gift. Thing is, it needs someone to fulfill it." She took out a small stack of papers and held it out. "This is a magical contract. In it it states that whoever signs and if you accept, that person will become your adoptive parent." She would pause to let Connie take in and think through the revelation.

To say that Connie was shocked would have been a colossal understatement. “P-Parent…?” she asked after she finally managed to somewhat compose herself. “Y-You want to a-adopt me?”

"I can, if that is something you would like. I realize this might seem a little out of nowhere, but I would love to be able to serve as your mother." She waited.

“R-Really?” Connie asked again. She almost couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “I-I d-don’t know w-what to s-say…” she continued, clasping her trembling hands over her chest as tears began to fill her eyes. “I-I’d p-pretty much g-given up h-hope that a-anybody would w-want to adopt s-someone like m-me…” An instant later, she ran forward and wrapped Kayli up in a tight embrace. “T-Thank you!” she cried, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks. “I-I s-still don’t k-know you v-very well, but y-you’ve been so n-nice, a-and Rose and Iris t-trust you, s-so I t-think I’d r-really l-like to b-be adopted by y-you! Oh, b-but, w-what about M-Mia?” she asked, sounding somewhat concerned. “I-I k-know s-she’ll be t-turning eighteen s-soon, b-but I s-still d-don’t want to l-leave her a-all alone, a-and b-besides, w-we’ve a-always been t-together s-since w-we were l-little…”

Kayli returned the hug. ”If Mia wants to as well then I would be glad to.” She knelt down just a bit and wiped away some of the tears ”I’ve seen how difficult it can be to find a family. Most of us don’t get the chance to have parents as magical girls. I’ve had Fake Parents, but it isn’t the same since you can’t really share who or what you are. I’d like to give you and others the chance if I can.” She wasn’t quite sure how that sounded. As abrupt as it seemed this felt like a natural fit for her. There were still some terms in the contract she didn’t fully understand, but she would accept the stipulations none the less.

Standing back up she would take a look around. ”I guess we need to find Mia then hm?” She would ask with a smile.

“Y-Yeah, o-okay,” Connie agreed. “I t-think she’s s-still hanging out w-with Shane. T-That’s her new b-boyfriend,” the timid girl added.

”Oh. I’m familiar with Shane. That’s wonderful.” Knowing that she was likely around Shane, she would reach out with her mind to try and locate the boy. After a minute or two she would turn. ”I think I’ve found them. Let’s go and see.” She would take Connie’s hand and lead her to where Shane and Mia were.

Upon reaching the pair, Connie ran up to her best friend and began excitedly explaining the situation. “H-Hi, Mia! T-This is Kayli,” she said, gesturing to the white-haired young woman.

“A pleasure to meet you, Kayli,” Gaia told her serenely. “I am Gaia, Daughter of Mother Earth, and Connie’s dearest friend. And this dashing young man is Shane, my boyfriend,” she added, gesturing to the young man in question.

“K-Kayli’s a friend of R-Rose and Iris,” Connie explained. “A-And she wants t-to adopt b-both of us!”

“Truly?” Gaia asked with a raised eyebrow. “I know my dearest Connie can make quite the positive impression, but you wish to adopt her after only just having met her? And please forgive me for saying this, but you look no older than twenty. Might it not seem a bit odd for you to adopt two girls in their late teens?”

Mia’s questions were reasonable ones. She could tell that the girl was looking after her friend as well with the questions. ”I can understand your concern. I may have only met Connie, but Rose has told me everything about the both of you. After meeting her though I can tell that she is a sweet girl.” She folded her hands in front of her. ”Caring for others is something of a cause for me. I can generally see what people want and need. Ordinarily I wouldn’t take on something like this were it not for this unique opportunity.” She flipped through a couple pages of the contract. ”I believe there are others as well that need support. I’m hoping this could be a start in giving magical girls a safe and loving place to be.“

Glancing back and forth for a moment, Shane would comment. ”Kayli has been helping out at the Sanctuary. I trust her to do right by others. For what it’s worth.”

Locating what she was looking for she took a step closer and let Mia take a look. ”As for your other question, I’m not as concerned with how things look because of this.” She would point out a set of lines that stipulated “By signing, the adopter agrees to accept any and all changes necessary to perform parental duties in both magical and mundane capacity. Provisional paperwork shall be provided upon completion of the contract to satisfy legal institutions.” ”This was a wish made by Rose and Iris by the way. For whatever reason it manifested like this.” She would offer the pages to Mia to look through.

“I see…” Gaia said as she carefully looked over each page. “In that case, it would appear that all potential concerns shall be addressed upon signing this contract.” Returning the paperwork, she sighed, before giving Kayli a serene smile. “You seem genuine in your concerns, Kayli, and since you also have the trust of Rose and Iris, I believe that I can feel comfortable with you adopting both Connie and myself. Although I should point out that I shall be turning eighteen in but a few short months, so your time as my legal guardian shall be a relatively short one.”

"Connie mentioned that. Regardless you are welcome to be a part as long as you like." She would produce a magic pen and hand it to Mia for her and Connie to sign.

Satisfied by what she had seen in the contract, and confident that she could detect no ulterior motive, Gaia took the pen and signed her name with a graceful flourish, before handing the writing implement to Connie, so she could do the same.

“O-Oh, gosh, Mia! I-I’m s-so excited!” the timid girl said with a big smile as she signed the mystic parchment with a trembling hand.

“It shall certainly be an interesting change,” Gaia agreed.

With the adoptees listed, Kayli would go through and sign each place her signature was required. In short order that was done. "Alright then. Let’s see how this works." Having a number of encounters with wish magic she knew that the results could vary. At this point for her though she knew not to anticipate anything in particular. The paper would vanish leaving them standing there in the snow. ”Hm... “ She looked up to Connie and Mia for a moment. Vague imagery of a woman began to swim around in her head. She was tall and…The girl’s stomach groaned. She folded her arms over it as she shuddered. ”Uugh. Feels like my insides are turning.”

Connie gave a sharp gasp as the magic went to work and Kayli’s body began to change. “A-Are y-you okay?!” she asked, visibly concerned.

”I-I believe…” Magic swirled around her and she lifted off the ground. Slowly her form became a silhouette of light. She couldn’t move or speak. Suspended in the air the magic would pulse for several minutes. Each time the girl’s form would advance slightly, growing taller and fuller with each stage. In a short order the figure shifted from that of a 5’ 4” girl to a full 5’ 10” woman. As the light faded she drifted back down and settled kneeling on the ground. It was still very much Kayli, complete with festive ware, but she most definitely had progressed to an age that would meet the requirements of the contract.

Mother Kayli

Taking in a slow breath, she would blink several times as her senses returned. It took a moment for her to register what had just happened. "Oh my... " She would huff.

Connie blinked a few times. “W-Wow…” she said in hushed awe after she’d gotten over her initial shock.

“I must say, you make for a significantly more maternal figure now,” Gaia noted with an approving smile. “I am curious though, how many additional magical girls were you planning to adopt in this manner?”

Working past her own surprise, the woman would place a finger to her lips. "I don't believe I could do the same thing. The magic that facilitated this was not my own. It would need to be done in a more traditional manner. It would depend on how many would be interested I suppose. Not everyone may want to be adopted but I am willing to foster those as well." She gave a warm smile.

“So we were something of a special case, then?” Gaia asked.

“I-I t-think it w-was because w-we l-live at t-the orphanage,” Connie explained. “K-Kayli, o-or I g-guess that s-should be M-Miss Kayli, w-wanted to g-give us a p-place to l-live w-where we h-had some m-more f-freedom to do m-magical s-stuff. A-And w-where I w-wouldn’t h-have to d-deal with any b-bullies…” she added.

Kayli would nod and crouch down, putting her arms around the two girls. Giving them a big hug she would kiss them both on the forehead. "This was a very special case for two very special girls. I hope I can live up to the task."

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

Having spotted that Eliza had broken away from the others, Kayli made note to speak with her. It was something she'd intended to do eventually anyway. After chatting with Penny she would part ways and step into the cabin to see how things were going. From the sense she was getting, not well. Staying silent for a moment she would eventually step up.

"Eliza... Are you feeling alright?" She would ask with a slight air of concern.

Eliza flinced, her head snapped over to look at Kayli. "I-I don't know- I shouldn't be- Everything is fine- Everything is not fine- I have to- I-I can't-" The witch was trembling, her breathing uneven as she continued mumbling. The more she was entrapped in her thoughts, the more anxious she felt. Felt like some animal trapped in a cage. Everything was fine. So why wasn't she fine? Has this even happened to her before?

Seeing that the girl was going through some kind of breakdown, the healer would hold a hand up. "It will be alright. Let's be calm." A circle of magic would draw on the floor around them. The circle would glow with a warm light as Kayli's magic focused into Hallowed Ground. A feeling of calm filled the space. She didn't sense any mental mutations at the moment, but if any were there they would be surpressed. Psychic magic worked to try and relax the witch's mind as her suggestion did its work.

As Kayli's healing magic worked on calming her down, Eliza focused on taking deep breaths. In. Out. In. Out. Eventually, her anxiety attack stopped. The witch's grip on her poor bee plush loosened up. She looked back to the other girl with a crooked smile. "T-Thank you, Kayli."

Her magic doing its job the girl smiled softly. "You are very welcome. What's going on? Do you need help with something?" She didn't want to pry too much, but whatever was going on seemed to be pretty dramatic. She certainly hoped that returning the Soul Jar hadn't contributed. As unlikely as it may be.

"Well my date didn't end well and I was left alone with my thoughts for more than five minutes," Eliza explained with a frown. "I can't even relax here. I'm so used to things being okay before everything goes wrong, and prioritizing everyone's safety over just calming down and having fun. Hell, I should be used to nothing going the way it should but I'm...not." She sighed. "I'm worried I might have to leave before something happened. Misfortune's a bitch to me for some reason, and I don't want to be the cause of dismay."

Perhaps Kayli's positivity made it a bit harder for her to understand the sentement. To be sure the feeling of futility did happen to her at times. People reacted differently to that kind of stress. "Can I help in any way?"

"...I don't know." Eliza appeared conflicted, but then her expression softened. "Well, can you stay by me? Atleast until I know I won't freak out again."

"Of course. And if you need anything just let me know." She would answer with a smile.

Eliza smiled back. "Thank you."

"Let's go for a walk and get away from all this here. As you suggested I don't think you should be alone right now. How does that sound?"

The witch nodded. "Y-Yeah, that sounds good!"

"Great. Let's see..." She would look at the scheduled events. "How about some casual ice skating? I haven't done that in years."

"Oh, that sounds fun!" Eliza's eyes lit up at Kayli's suggestion. "There was a skating rink in our town back home, and me and my brothers-" She pause mid-sentence in realization. Her brothers. How long has it been since she heard of them? "Me and my brothers used to hang out there alot on our free time. I hope they're still okay." She sadly smiled.

"Well, maybe some day you can go see them now that you have your Soul Jar back." The two would walk in the direction of the lake.

---

Rose, Iris, and Connie would arrive at the lake for ice skating just as many others were. Taking a look around the twins would spot Kayli walking up just after she'd finished speaking with Penny. "Kayli, over here!" She raised up an arm and waved the white haired girl over.

The many things running through the white haired girl's head were interrupted by her name being called out. Setting aside her thoughts for a moment she would scan across the area and quickly spot her friend. Approaching with a smile she addressed the three. "Hello Rose, Iris. A friend of yours?" She would ask looking over to Connie.

"Yes, this is our friend Connie. " She would step back and move her friend forward just a bit.

"That's so? It's a pleasure to get to meet you Connie. Have you been enjoying the event so far?" Despite the nightmare girl's usual apprehension toward new people, this girl didn't seem to set off the usual nervous response so strongly. Perhaps it her cheerful tone or inviting nature.

“I-It’s nice to me you, too, Kayli,” Connie would reply with a smile. The twins’ friend seemed to give off an exceptionally soothing aura, which made the normally timid girl feel extremely relaxed and secure. It wasn’t exactly the same level of reassurance Mia’s presence provided, but it was certainly close. “O-Oh, yes!” she added with an enthusiastic nod when asked if she was enjoying herself. “R-Rose and Iris have been nice enough to do s-some of the events with me and it’s been s-so much fun! W-Well, except for that one scary part… O-Oh, but, uh, t-they said that maybe you could h-help us learn how to ice skate?”

Resisting the urge to ask about the “scary part” the girl would look out over the ice. After a moment she would nod. ”Yes, I believe I can do that.” She would step over to a shelf and look through a bit to find some skates that should fit each of them. ”Try these and let me know if they fit.” She would take a seat on a bench and try on the pair she’d picked out for herself.

“T-Thanks,” Connie replied after being handed a pair of ice skates. Taking a seat next to Kayli, she began putting them on. “T-They fit great!” she beamed. “S-So, uh, h-how long have you known Rose and Iris?” Connie asked hesitantly. While she was somewhat aware of the twins’ strange circumstances (and Hilde’s as well), much still eluded her, and even what she did know was more than a little confusing.

"I've known them as long as they've been alive. I was affected by the same magic that changed them. It was somewhat my fault, so I'm sorry if that caused any problems." She would explain vaguely to the twin’s friend.

Rose and Iris would get their own skates on.

“I-I see…” Connie said softly. “S-So, umm, are you, I-I mean, did you u-used to be the one who, uh, c-created Hilde…?” the timid girl asked, a bit unsure of the exact terminology to use.

”I… She gave it some thought for a bit. ”Contributed.”

For a moment, Connie simply reflected on Kayli’s somewhat ambiguous answer. “O-Okay, well, uh, i-it looks like we’re all set, s-so should we get s-started?”

Kayli would smile. ”Of course. And sorry if that answer isn’t all that clear. It’s rather complicated and I don’t entirely understand what all occurred.” She would help and guide the three to the ice and help each one out. Using her magic to create some barriers, she gave them a sort of railing to hold onto. ”Let’s start out by just getting used to standing and stepping."

Over the next several minutes she would instruct and guide them through how to skate and fall should they start to lose balance. Moving the barriers to move them they would adjust to moving about on the ice. As they became more accustomed she would encourage them to try letting go every now and then.

At first, Connie’s trembling legs made it difficult for the poor girl to even stand on the ice, but with the help of the barriers, as well as Kayli’s gentle instructions and kind words of reassurance, she was soon able to progress from standing to actually skating, albeit while still holding onto the barrier railing for support. “I-I think I’m g-getting the hang of this!” she announced happily. “N-Now I just have to s-see if I can do it without h-holding onto s-something…” Tentatively taking her hand off the railing, she let her momentum carry her across the ice. She didn’t want to try moving under her own power just yet. For now, she just wanted to try standing on the ice without support. Although she wobbled a few times, Connie was relieved to find that she was able to recover her balance, and once she felt comfortable, she slowly began to skate using slow, careful motions. “I-I’m skating…” she whispered to herself as a big smile spread across her face. “I-I’m really skating!” Moving over to Kayli, she took the white-hair girl’s hands and gave them a gentle squeeze. “T-Thank you so much for t-teaching me!”

Throughout, Kayli moved between them to steady each when they started to lose balance. Rose tumbled once, unharmed. When Connie came up to her teacher, Kayli smiled warmly. "Of course." She would keep pace with them as they began to more easily move around. "So are you from Penrose or did you come due to events going on?"

“N-No, I’ve lived in P-Penrose all my life,” Connie replied. “B-But I only became a m-magical girl a few m-months ago. I-It was really hard at f-first,” she continued. “B-But thanks to my b-best friend, Mia, a-and all the new f-friends I’ve made, t-things have been getting better. H-How about you?” she asked. “H-Have you been l-living in Penrose long?”

Nodding to the question. "Many years. This magical stuff is still pretty recent for me too, but I'm older than I look. Kind of in an odd spot now though." There was a slight pause before she would clarify. "I'm trying to figure out my place. I know I would like to support others. Need to get myself settled into a home first I think."

“Y-You don’t have a home?” Connie asked, frowning slightly.

"Not currently. I can get one though so I'm not too concerned with that." She would skate around a bit before coming back. "I have a place to stay right now so I'm not on the streets if you were worried about that."

“O-Oh, that’s good,” Connie said with a smile, clearly relieved that the girl wasn’t completely homeless. “M-Mia and I live at the orphanage,” she explained, “b-but we could probably let you stay for a f-few days if you had no place else. T-That’s what we did for a f-friend of ours who got hurt and n-needed a place to recover.”

”That is very kind of you. Noting she was in an orphanage, she pondered a bit to herself. Once she had a place of her own perhaps she could offer them a place to stay. Would need to get to know them more first though. ”I will keep that in mind. How do you like it there?”

“I-It’s nice enough, I g-guess,” Connie answered, looking a bit uncertain. “I-I mean, we have our own room, a-and the s-staff treat us well, b-but, uh, there are a l-lot of b-bullies there… M-Mia does her best to k-keep them from b-being mean to me, b-but then she gets in t-trouble, and I feel b-bad, because I-I’m the reason for it… she added, her countenance taking on a more sullen appearance.

Easily able to tell that Connie was telling her the truth, she put a finger up to her lips for a few seconds. ”I see. Well...” She would ponder for a while more, but what she was thinking couldn’t really be done, at least not without some kind of intervention. Probably best not to jump to conclusions though. ”If you had a choice what kind of place would you like to live in?”

Connie thought for a moment. “W-Well, um, I g-guess someplace like where we are n-now? I-It d-doesn’t have to be all that big,” she added. “I-I’d just like it to be safe.”

"Makes sense." She would admit.

With their conversation concluded for the moment, Connie took some time to look around the sizable ice rink. She giggled when she saw Dan in his hockey gear, and waved to him and Lily as she skated past them. “T-This is s-so much fun, isn’t it?” she asked the twins who were skating on either side of her. Although I wish Mia was here, too, she kept to herself. Of course, her best friend was probably having a wonderful time with her date, Connie reflected with a smile, and that was really the most important thing. Indeed, she found she couldn’t keep from blushing just thinking about it. I’m just so happy for her, and she deserves it for having to take care of someone like me for so long.

"This is fun once you get the hang of it. You think Penrose has a rink or lake for this?" Iris would admit. She would turn to Kayli who had the more likely chance of knowing.

"I believe there is a rink. We'll have to see if it's still running." With the way things were going in Penrose there was no telling if it was open or not.

“Y-Yeah!” Connie agreed. “I-It would be r-really fun to go there together if it’s s-still open. I-I don’t know about you guys,” she added, “B-But I can’t wait until things s-start getting back to normal.”

A chuckle escaped Kayli’s lips. ”I don’t know if normal applies to us, but it would be nice to see things return to how they were in some fashion.”

“I-I guess you’re right about us n-not exactly being normal, any more,” Connie conceded. “I-I used to h-hate that this happened to me, but now I’m k-kinda glad it did. I-I’ve been able to make s-so many wonderful friends since becoming a magical girl, l-like Rose and Iris, Lily, Faith, Emily, oh, and Amanda!” she added, waving to the dream magician as they skated by her group.

Amanda's eyes widened. Seeing Connie out ice skating, she excitedly waved back, earning the interest of the nightmare witch skating next to her.

"Friend of yours?" Maribel asked.

"The brunette over there's Connie, the nightmare magical girl I told you about."

Maribel's eyebrows rose. "Really now?" She had been wanting to meet the girl, but from what she was told, Connie was easily spooked. And with the haunting air around the witch, she didn't want to scare her away. Regardless, Maribel carefully skated over to the other group. "Pardon me, but you're Connie, right?"

“T-That’s r-right,” Connie replied to the somewhat imposing woman. “I-It’s, uh, n-nice to meet you,” she added with a shaky wave. “U-Ummm, are y-you a f-friend of Amanda’s?”

Maribel gently smiled. "Well, yes. She's the one who told me about you~" She quietly explained, not wanting to scare Connie. "I'm Maribel, the Witch of Nightmares. I've been looking forward to meeting you."

“R-Really?” Connie asked, somewhat surprised. “W-Why would you w-want to m-meet me?”

"Why wouldn't I~? It's not every day you meet someone with the same magic as you!" Maribel skated around Connie with an excited grin, then back to her side. "Maybe you needed a mentor~"

“M-Mentor?” Connie echoed, frowning slightly. “Y-You m-mean you w-want to h-help me w-with my m-magic?” The idea of having someone who shared her specialization give her pointers and advice was certainly an appealing one, but Maribel seemed a bit… unnerving… Was this really someone Connie should trust? Then again, she seemed to be friends with Amanda, so maybe she just looked creepy?

Maribel genuinely smiled. "Mhm! I'd be happy to!" Though seeing as Connie appeared unsure, she continued to explain. "I know you might feel off-put by me, but this is something i've never expected, two nightmare specs in one...century? Well whatever. Maybe my last incarnations were more lucky, but it seemed nice to get to know someone like you. I did hear you were the meek type, and I wanted to help you overcome such fears." She looked back to Connie. "That is, if you desire such."

“O-Oh, uh, y-yes!” Connie confirmed after a moment. “I-I’d l-like that v-very much! I-It’s b-been r-really d-difficult, b-but lately I-I’ve been w-working on o-overcoming s-some of m-my p-phobias,” she explained. “L-Like, j-just a f-few w-weeks ago, I t-took a r-ride in a h-helicopter, e-even though I-I’ve always been t-terrified of f-flying. I-I’ve s-still got a l-long w-way to go, s-so I-I’d be h-happy to have a-any h-help you c-could give!”

Kayli only knew the little bit about Connie that her Ally had told her, so this information about nightmare magic was new. It may explain Connie's hesitancy. "Seems like there's been an influx of dream magic lately. I'm sure there's a lot to learn about it." She wanted to encourage Connie to learn. Such a magic surely was difficult to master on one's own.

The twins had been chatting between one another for a while the others talked. After a bit they had an idea. First they would check with their friend though. "Uh, Connie... Would you..." Rose stopped for a moment and moved up close to whisper. _{"I'm not sure how to ask without just saying so... Do you hope to be adopted some day?"}

“U-Uhh, I g-guess?” Connie replied, while nervously playing with her hair. “I-I mean, I a-always w-wanted to b-be adopted by a l-loving family, b-but I’m s-sixteen now, a-and I’ve b-been l-living at the orphanage my whole l-life, s-so I’ve k-kinda given up h-hope that a-anyone would ever adopt me b-before I t-turn eighteen…”

Rose would let out a long Hmm sound as she thought about it. How the whole adoption process worked was beyond her. Maybe Kayli knew. She would look at the older girl for a moment who had turned her attention back to Eliza who had been skating nearby, listening casually. Then it hit her. Flailing for a second she stopped herself and she stepped back. ”Ah I see. Yes. Well maybe it’s not too late. I bet you’ll get somebody before then.” She tried not to give away that she had an idea, but she wasn’t the most subtle.

“Y-You really t-think so?” Connie asked, wondering if her friend knew something she didn’t. “I-It would be a n-nice Christmas p-present,” she added with a hopeful smile.

The Spirit girl would nod. ”It would wouldn’t it.” She began to hatch a plan. Would need to get away and track down someone a little later.

"Hah, that's funny." Eliza finally spoke up, with the topic of an orphanage brought up. "Before I became a magical girl, my dad worked in an apartment turned orphanage. My brothers and I would sometimes help out, at least until I moved away." She frowned slightly. "I didn't even think about them until now. I could say I miss them, but I'm probably considered dead at this point. That or the monsters from that damn fog got to them." The witch chuckled dryly.

“T-That’s awful!” Connie gasped. “C-Can’t you at l-least check to s-see if t-they’re all r-right?” the visibly worried girl asked.

"...I don't know. I mean, that's all the way out of state." Eliza shrugged. "I'd say I can't leave Penrose, but I don't know if my contract with Cindy still stands after Maura got my soul jar back."

“O-Oh… I s-see…” Connie frowned. She felt bad, but she really didn’t know what else to suggest. “U-Umm… I, uhh, r-really l-like your outfit,” she told Eliza after a moment, in an attempt to turn the conversation to a hopefully more positive topic. “I-I’m Connie, b-by the way,” the timid girl added, raising a trembling hand. “A-Are you o-one of A-Amanda’s friends?” she asked, looking over to the dream magician.

Eliza looked down to her outfit. "Oh, this? Uh...thanks." she shook the other girl's hand with a crooked grin. "I'm Eliza. Wait, you were at the raid, weren't you? I saw you with Amanda the last time we were here."

Speaking of the magician, looking over, Connie would see Amanda trying to keep her balance. She did nearly faceplant against the rink, but rift-hopped herself back straight.

“I-It’s nice to m-met you, Eliza,” Connie told the witch as they shook hands. “A-And yes, I-I w-was there h-helping my f-friend Ronin,” she confirmed. Then she saw Amanda almost fall face-first on the ice. “O-Oh, g-gosh! A-Are you okay, Amanda?!” She asked the dream magician, who seemed to have recovered her balance. “I-If you’ve n-never skated b-before, Kayli’s a v-very good teacher,” she helpfully noted, gesturing to the white-haired young woman.

Kayli’s attention would turn to the girl on the ice. Looking back and forth for a moment she would move around on the ice. ”I am willing to help if you would like. Connie, Roes, and Iris have been wonderful students.” She would skate out a bit toward Amanda to steady her.

"Hey- No, no I'm fine! No I do not need help!" Amanda backed up, trying to wave Kayli off. The nearby Maribel had an idea, and with a mischievous smile, she snuck away for a moment.

"I know I almost lost my balance but I am completely- GAH?!" Before Amanda could finish her sentence, the nightmare witch speed over behind her and picked her up with a twirl. "Got ya, ehehe~!" Maribel giggled, even as her opposite tried reaching over to smack her.

"Don't. DO. THAT! I could've had a heart attack!!" Amanda yelled in embarrassment.

The sudden grabbing of the other girl gave Kayli pause. They seemed to be playing though so she didn’t intervene. ”Well, seems like you’re having fun.” She would say playfully. She wouldn’t intervene unless Amanda asked for it. Her offer would still stand on lessons.

Connie was somewhat startled by Maribel’s pranking of Amanda, and frowned as the dream magician berated the nightmare witch, her expression a mix of confusion and concern. “T-That w-wasn’t v-very n-nice…” she said softly.

Eliza shrugged. "Eh, let them get along. Better them becoming friends than enemies."

“I g-guess that’s t-true…” Connie conceded, although her voice still sounded a bit uncertain. Being the victim of bullying herself, she didn’t like to see it happen to anyone else, especially a friend, but if Eliza thought they were just playing around then maybe it was okay? “S-So, um, h-have you b-been enjoying t-things so f-far, Eliza?” she asked the witch.

"I-" Eliza paused to think. Connie could see her brows furrow, before she returned to a neutral expression. "I've been better. I'll leave it at that."

“O-Okay…” Connie replied, frowning once again as her efforts to create a more positive atmosphere continued to fail miserably. Eliza seemed to be going through a really difficult time, and although Connie didn’t really understand the girl’s situation all that well, she very much wanted to help her. Unfortunately, there didn’t seem to be anything she could do.

It was about then that Dan announced that the next event would be soon begin- downhill racing. While Connie had wanted to try all the various events, she found herself a bit hesitant to participate in this one. Still, she had made a promise to herself that she would work hard on overcoming her many fears, and this was a good opportunity to do that… “S-So, uhh, a-are y-you g-guys g-going to p-participate in the r-race, or w-were you p-planning on s-staying h-here?” she asked the members of their (no longer quite so little) group.

Leaning over to her sister, Rose would whisper to her. After a moment Iris would nod and Rose would turn back. "We have to take care of something. We could meet up with you after the racing event." She would offer.

“O-Oh, uhh, o-okay,” Connie replied, looking a somewhat uncertain. “S-See you l-later,” she added, giving the the twins a shaky wave as they departed.

"Depends on what Kayli wants to do, for me. I feel like Amanda's gonna be stuck for awhile." Eliza looked over to the aformentioned, who was being carried like a favorited plush by Maribel.

Kayli would look off in the direction of the race. She would cross her arms and tap a finger on her elbow. "Well, we can head that direction. Maybe do something more casual than racing. But a nice slope like that would be good for some sledding."

“O-Okay,” Connie nodded. “L-Let’s d-do that.” She was somewhat hesitant to leave Amanda alone with Maribel, but Eliza didn’t seem to think the dream magician was in any real danger, so Connie followed Kayli as the white-haired girl led them up the slope to where the race was taking place.

---

When Gaia and Shane arrived at the slope, they discovered that the racing would not begin for a while yet, but Dan told them that they were still free to do some skiing, sledding, or snowboarding in the meantime. Choosing a pair of snowboards (with their outfits changing to more suitable attire for such activities), they raced down the slope’s various paths, doing a few tricks along the way. The pair had thoroughly enjoyed having the mountain all to themselves, and by the time the main event was getting ready to start they had gained considerable knowledge of the terrain.

“I do hope our practice runs have not given us an unfair advantage,” Gaia said with a playful smirk.

Seeing where everyone else was popping up for the race, Shane shook his head a bit. ”It looks like they’re using a different slope. This should be fun.” The two would make their way up to join the others. They were given the rules which made it sound a bit harder than one might think to win. ”Hm. Well, should we use a sled so we can go together?”

Gaia pondered Shane’s suggestion for a bit, before smiling. “Well, it does allow us the chance to win as a team,” the verdant girl noted. “And it would also allow us the opportunity to get closer to one another,” she added with a wink.

After picking out their sled, the pair took up their positions, Shane in front, and Gaia behind him. Soon enough, Dan gave the signal, and they were off. Due to the somewhat peculiar victory condition for this particular race, it wasn’t necessary for them to be the fastest racer, just faster than half of their opponents. Of course, since it was hard to tell just how many racers were participating, Gaia knew that all they could really do was try to remain in roughly the middle of the pack and hope for the best. As it happened, even that was easier said than done, as most of the racers had apparently missed the part where crossing the finish line first wouldn’t give them first place, and so were now hurtling down the slope as fast as possible. Thankfully, there were still a few who were moving at a more leisurely pace, relatively speaking.

“Looking good, you two!” Gaia called out to Ronin and Miko as she and Shane pulled up beside the twins. “I hope you don’t mind if we get ahead of you!” she added playfully.

Casting out a long, green tendril, she wrapped the vine around a nearby tree and used it to slingshot their sled around it, granting them considerable momentum. It wasn’t long before they’d raced past the twins, as well as the squabbling Mayra and Victoria. Meanwhile, Shane had been using his Earth magic to help guide the sled through a series of banks and curves, not to mention creating the occasional ramp with which to avoid some particularly nasty obstacles. After several exhilarating minutes had passed, the pair finally found themselves at the finish line.

“Well, that was certainly enjoyable!” Gaia said with a melodious laugh. “In fact, I wouldn’t mind taking another shot at it, and try for a more traditional first place finish. But first,” she added, as she helped Shane up. “I am most interested to see who the winner of this competition shall be.”

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

Melisa, bolstered by the adorable army at her command, marched her forces, intent on hunting one of the Harebrigners of the Bunnypocalypse. Fortunately they didn’t have to march far, as they soon found what they sought; a large frozen lake, covered in clear ice that resembled a mirror in its reflectiveness. Regular street lights illuminated the lake, and a chain link fence bordered it. And there, in the middle of the lake, a Harebringer could be seen; the silver-furred Snowbun was in an ice skate, much like Mario would ride an oversized shoe, and used it to figure skate around the lake with incredible grace. The Harebringer was accompanied by three other Snowbuns, following their leader in a line, and creating the illusion that a many-segmented caterpillar zigzagged across the ice.

Looking out over the ice the doll girl began to survey the area. It had been a while since she’d ice skated. Thankfully her tiny stature should prevent the opportunity to fall through the ice. After a bit she put together a plan. Firing some magic into the chain link fence she would take control of it and make it fold away and lay down by the lakebed.

Whirling around she would raise her cane. ”Alright everyone, let’s get their attention!” Acting as a conductor she marched them a little bit close and directed the snowbunnies in an orchestral number.

The Snowbunnies nodded, the ones with doll hand harnesses having performed a salute, before they began to play in unison; they played a bombastic marching song that roused the attention of the Harebringer and its followers. It wiggled it’s cute little nose, and slowly approached as it formed an 8 on the ice, though still keeping its distance from Melisa.

Seeing that the Harebringer wasn’t going to get much closer Melisa began to move her marching band further down the bank to give the hare more space and hopefully closer to the bank where the fence was laying on the ground.

The marching band moved as Melisa wanted them to, advancing down the bank as trumpets blared and drums resounded. The Harebringer raised an eyebrow, and slowly followed after; it seemed that it was unaware of the chain link fence lying on the lake shore it was now close to.

As the four puffs got closer the chain link fence popped up like it was spring loaded. Acting like a metal net it tried to wrap and ensnare the lot.

The Harebringer reacted with amazing agility, performing a jumping pirouette to dodge Melissa's trap, followed by two of his followers. However, the third one was not as fast, and ended up ensnared by the net, chittering loudly as it wiggled in a panic. The Harebringer only shook its head slowly, purposefully ignoring the Snowbun's pleas as it retreated back to the center of the lake.

”Aw man.” Stopping their march the doll turned around and ran back to free the bun that had been caught. She would give the fluffy creature a big hug. ”Don’t worry, it’s okay.” She would pet it gently. Seemed like her prey was swifter than she'd anticipated.

Looks like she was going to have to go after it herself. A few ideas crossed her mind, but she really wasn't the greatest tactician. Still, she had to capture the floof. Taking a small amount of the fence she would create blades for ice skates on her feet. Taking to the ice she began to move closer while the chain link fence began to work its way under the ice.

With the skates and a bit of practice, Melisa found herself capable of swiftly moving across the ice, with little wind resistance to slow her down thanks to her diminutive size.
A couple of Snowbuns attempted to follow her, but they ended up slipping and sliding around the smooth ice like hockey pucks. The rest of the Snowbuns decided to surround the lake and watch Melisa. The Harebringer giggled as it watched the bumbling Snowbuns, seemingly unaware of the metal that approached it from the depths.

Melisa would begin to circle and would form one of her cannons. She began to fire in order to try and take control of the metal blade of each skate. The fence would stay hidden for now.

The Harebringer avoided the cannon shots, leaping and hopping with deftness. However, one of the skating Snowbuns following it was hit in the skate, allowing her to control the metal. The Harebringer then realized what Melisa was planning, and turned angry with furrowed eyebrows. It now picked up speed as it skated around Melisa in turn, its skates glowing blue. That’s when Melisa noticed a line the Harebringer left behind, followed by a cracking sound as the ice under her began to split, opening up from the exact pathways the Harebringer took; he attempted to cause Melisa to topple off the broken piece of the ice and into the water below.

The skate she managed to tag would turn off and in the direction of the snowbuns waiting on the bank. It would lightly bump the few that had slid out onto the ice. As for Melisa, on the bottom of her feet the skates morphed into spiky cleets to give her grip on the ice. The fence would make its move and come out of the cracking hole to make another attempt at catching the Harebringer.

The fence snapped up like a hungry alligator, and caught the last skating Snowbun protecting the Harebringer. With the other one having been led to the bank and surrounded by her Snowbun forces, the silver-furred Snowbun was now alone. In response, it chittered loudly in frustration, and stomped on the icy lake, causing countless cracks to spread and break the ice into tiny pieces, including the very island Melisa had clung to; a desperate final move to attempt to send Melisa sinking to the bottom.

With the ice breaking up, Melisa would indeed lose her footing and drop into the water. As with last time she had essentially no buoyancy and immediately began to sink. Waving a hand she would release the adamantium claws she'd been hanging onto. The small objects darted upward and began cutting away at the ice around the Harebringer to trap it on a small piece where the fence could make one last pass.
The Harebringer was taken by surprise as the adamantium claws sawed the ice around him. He jumped, attempting to escape, only to be caught by the very last piece of the animated fence Melisa had prepared. Melisa climbed back up to the bank, where the Harebringer was dragged to, and successfully petted the creature; it turned docile, and restored the ice back to its former splendor, sitting there with a tired expression. The Snowbuns hopped and bounced in cheer for their victory.

"There there, everything will be okay." She would scoop up the silver bunny and cradle it gently. After a little while she would begin to lead her little troop back in the direction of the cabin. "C'mon, let's go somewhere where it's warm."

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

@BrokenPromise@Ponn

Moving along with Mai, Shane listened to the information on how the game worked. So the text he got wasn't necessarily from Regina. Or it was but perhaps compelled given that there were texts coming in from people that couldn't have sent them. That considered he began to lose interest in whatever it was going on. "I think I'll pass and leave spots open for others." Were circumstances different he might have tried to see how his friend was doing. She was still around in the real world though so push come to shove a call or trip would remedy that. Those that were lost did not have such a luxury.

Being taken outside to the battle, Melisa looked around at the madness. There were a number of groups flinging snowballs at each other. And then there was the one girl army that was Penny. Watching the ruthless efficiency of Penny was something of a turn off for the doll girl. Pummeling an opponent into submission didn't sound fun. She was also beginning to pick up a pattern to the robotic girl's behavior. "I don't like this game. I think I'll try and catch one of those cute bunnies." Taking the reigns she would turn to walk off with her turtle. A magical girl she may be, but her driving motive wasn't really combat.

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

As everyone was coming in, Ruby was going to each and getting a guest list made up. As well she was taking down signups for the various events they would be having. "Welcome everyone, I will be your assistant event coordinator for the day. Please check with me if you would like to sign up for any of our events. We have White Elephant, Snow Fort Battles, Sledding, and Snowman Contests." As more and more arrived from various places she began teleporting around in puffs of purple smoke. Everyone could choose to participate in any event they would like.

As guest made their gift wishes for the White Elephant exchange, boxes of varying size and shape would appear on a table in the back of the lodge. Once all the gifts and guests had arrived they would be allowed to pick one at random and receive whatever it was inside. Guests would be free to trade gifts in the end if they so chose.

@PlatinumSkink

Mariette would arrive and hand Ruby a Mouse plush. Before the portal girl took off she would reach out and put a hand on her shoulder. She would say in a lower tone. ”Hey, do you mind if we talk for a moment or later. I have something important to tell you as a friend.”

@AtomicNut

Entering through another portal three figures would look around at the beautiful lodge. Suddenly finding herself in a lovely red dress Kayli would take stock of those present. Justine's presence was something off a surprise. There seemed to be a number of patrons here as well that she should perhaps speak with.

Rose and Iris' clothes changed in a like thematic fashion. Excited for such an event things were looking like they would be a lot of fun. It was then that Rose spotted Odin. Gasping she ducked behind her sister. "Eh? What is it?" The girl would look around confused, looking for a threat.

Pointing over her sister's shoulder the small group would follow the invisible line. "I-It's the Odin. Hilde's patron was Huginn and Muninn. They served the Allfather." She squeaked out. Sucking in air she would hold her breath as Kayli turned made her way to the Norse god. _{"Kayli, what are you doing?"} After a few moment the twins would follow after.

Approaching the patron, Kayli would give a polite curtsy. It was what she could provide for respect in such short notice. While she didn't have as intimate memories of the Norse, Cindy had still been well aware of them and their exploits. "Allfather. It is both a surprise and honor to meet you. I assume you patron one of the girls in attendance." She would open.

There was a brief interruption as they received plushes. Kayli with a Owl, Rose with a bat, and Iris a Goat. They each thanked the girl for the gifts.

@Ponn

With their first date going well, the two love birds decided to arrive at the Christmas party together. Shane would come by Mia and Connie’s place to meet up with them.

“Look at you, showin’ off,” Mia teased the magical boy as he used his Earth magic to elevate himself up to the two friends’ window. “Y’know, if you texted us, I would have had the tree bring ya up.”

”Ah well… Too late I guess.” He could see the portal to Dan’s place was open inside. ”May I come in?” He would ask.

“Of course!” Mia told him with a laugh. “We were kinda startin’ to worry ya might not make it,” she added as she helped him through the window.

“H-Hi, S-Shane!” Connie called from where she was sitting on the bed, filling a large drawstring sack with some wrapped presents. “I-It’s n-nice to s-see you a-again!”

”Nice to see you too Connie. Have you been doing alright” Last he checked the nightmare girl had a little trouble with her magic and such. He didn’t completely understand how all that worked but it sounded like it could be difficult.

“O-Oh, y-yes!” Connie told him with a bright smile. “M-Much b-better, t-thank you f-for a-asking!” she added. “T-Thanks to Mia’s help, I-I’ve f-finally b-been a-able to g-gain c-control of my m-magic,” she explained, looking positively elated. “L-Like, j-just the other d-day, I was able to p-paint a picture w-without anything c-creepy appearing in it! I-Isn’t t-that great?!”

Grinning he would nod. ”That’s awesome.” He would look at the sack. ”Bringing along some gifts for friends?” He would assume.

“Y-Yeah!” Connie would confirm happily. “H-Hopefully t-they’ll all b-be a-able to m-make it…” she added, frowning slightly.

“I’m sure they’ll be there,” Mia reassured her. “In fact I’m positive that at least one of them is gonna show up,” she added, giving Shane a grin.

Seeming to catch the clue he would nod. ”I’m sure they’ll all be there.” He would smile. Since this was the first time here he took note of the decor from where he stood.

Shane would notice that the room in which he found himself was a bit on the small side, but still decidedly cozy. Dominated by a rather sizable bed, it also contained a small table and kitchenette. A large tv covered much of the wall opposite the bed, while scattered about on the other walls were various colorful landscape paintings, along with a single illustration of a pink-haired girl fighting several robed figures. He would also notice that the bed itself was covered in dozens of stuffed animals and other cute plushies of various kinds.

“Shall we be going now?” Mia asked, having just finished changing into her magical girl form. “I wouldn’t want them to start the festivities without us.” she added with a wink.

“A-All set, Mia!” Connie replied as she gently closed up the sack, having ensured that everything was packed up nice and snug. “I j-just know this is g-gonna be s-so much f-fun!”

”Yeah. I think it will be. Might be a bit odd in swimsuits but whatever.” He would chuckle.

Stepping through Dan’s portal, Connie, Gaia, and Shane would find themselves in a veritable winter wonderland.

“Oh w-wow!” Connie gushed as stars seemed to fill her eyes at the sight of it. “E-Everything looks s-so pretty and f-festive!”

“Including us, or so it would seem,” Gaia noted, while taking an approving look at her new, holiday-themed outfit.

“O-Oh, g-gosh!” Connie exclaimed with a slight blush as she finally took note of what she was wearing. “Y-You’re right, Mia! A-And y-your hair! I-It l-looks like a C-Christmas tree!”

“How appropriate,” the verdant girl said with a grin. “And you look like you’re ready to hit the slopes for some snowboarding,” she added, turning to Shane. “The goggles are an especially nice touch.”

Reaching up he would check the goggles on his now apparent hat. He would look over his outfit. ”Wow. This is a pretty nice outfit. I approve.” He would look over to Gaia. After a moment he would blush a bit and then poke fun at himself a bit. ”Well, I think we have the red and green theme down pat.”

A moment later, a cheerful voice called out, “Ta daaa~! (giggle!) Magical Dream Princess is heresie, along with the super duper adorable worable Melisa Wisa~! (giggle!) Wowie zowie~!” the whimsical girl exclaimed as she bounced out of a nearby portal, with Melisa at her side and several sparkly clouds piled with presents floating behind her. “This placey wacey is, like, sooo super duper Christmasy Wistmasy~! (giggle!)” she added, spinning around with her arms extended, before whirling outside and trying to catch some snowflakes on her tongue.

Some girls that enter into Dan’s dimension went through some more dramatic changes, especially if they were rather unique. This time however, the two foot magical girl kept her physical form while she was now clad in the garb of a nutcracker soldier, complete with a big bushy mustache. ”Oh goodness.” Reaching up she removed the stache, apparently attached with a simple magnet. After a moment she would giggle. ”This is adorable. Wow.” Putting the cane over her shoulder she marched around just a bit. ”Haha, oh my. Your dress looks amazing Princess.”

Twirling back inside, MDP squealed with delight at the sight of Melisa’s new outfit. “Like, you look soooo super duper cute, Melisa Wisa~! (giggle!)” the whimsical girl told her, kneeling down to get a closer look. “You can be Magical Dream Princess’s Personal Worsonal Royal Guard~! (giggle!) And, like, super duper thankie wankies~!” she added when the doll girl complimented her own outfit. “Magical Dream Princess totally wotally wuvs it~! (giggle!) It makes her feel all Christmasy Wistmasy~! Oh~!” she exclaimed, her eyes shining even brighter at the sight of some of her other friends. “It’s Connie Wonnie and Gaia Waia~! And somebodywody Magical Dream Princess doesn’t know yet~! (giggle!) Like, what’s your namey wamey~?!” she asked Shane, while bouncing up and down with glee.

Putting on a serious face for effect and replacing the mustache the tiny girl would stand straight and salute. ”Yes your majesty.” The persoana didn’t last as she quickly began giggling.

Spotting the excitable girl inbound Shane would let the girl speak until he was addressed. He would smile and offer a hand to shake. ”Shane. It’s nice to meet you. It’s Magical Dream Princess you said?” He would try and confirm.

“Yeperooni~! (giggle!)” MDP would confirm. “Magical Dream Princess is Magical Dream Princess~! But you can call her MDP, for short~!” she added with a wink. “It’s, like, so super duper nice to meet you, Shaney Waney~! (giggle!) Oh~! And this is Melisa Wisa~!” she said, gesturing to the tiny girl. “Isn’t she, like, the most adorable worable dolly wolly person worsen you ever wever saw~?!”

”Oh man, that’s a perfect Christmas outfit for you.” He would laugh a bit.

”I know right! It’s the best.” She would twirl as if in a play. She had to grab her hat when it almost fell off from stopping.

“O-Oh m-my g-gosh!” Connie gushed, her eyes sparkling as she knelt down next to Melisa. “Y-You look so c-cute!”

“Most appropriate indeed,” Gaia added with an approving smile.

It was around then that Mariette appeared and handed each of them a small plushie.

“O-Oh, w-wow…!” Connie said with surprise as she was handed a colorful butterfly. “T-Thank you s-so much!”

“My most sincere thanks as well,” Gaia told the white-haired girl as she received a butterfly of her own, in a color scheme that complimented Connie’s. “These are very lovely.”

“Like, super duper thanky wankies, Mariettey Wetty~! (giggle!)” MDP cheered, giving the probably very embarrassed girl a big hug after receiving a pink unicorn. “Magical Dream Princess will totally wotally cherish werish this for ever and ever~! (giggle!) Oh~! That reminds her~!” she added, reaching over to one of her floating clouds and taking a wrapped present to give to Mariette. “Heresie~!” she told the portal girl with a happy smile. “If you open this thingie wingie right before you go beddy bye, it’ll give you the sweetest weetest dreamy weamies you can imagine wagine~! (giggle!) Merry Christmas, Mariettey Wetty~!”

Shane would get a bunny plush which he would tuck into one of his coat pockets where others could see it. ”Thank you Mariette. That’s very sweet of you.”

Getting a turtle plush half her size, Melisa would hug the soft plush. ”Aww, thank you miss. Hmm, how am I going to carry this? Oh!” Placing a hand against the fabric some metal strands would flow through the threads and form a sort of skeleton inside. Setting the plush down she would begin walking around and the turtle would start to plod along behind her.

“Awww~!” MDP squealed at the sight of Melisa’s turtle. “He’s, like, the perfect werfect friendy wendy for you, Melisa Wisa~! (giggle!)” she told the tiny girl. “Like, you’re so little wittle, you could probably wobably ride him, if you wanted to~!”

Pink eyes lighting up the doll would gasp and look back at the plush. ”Oh my gosh you’re right!” Hopping on the turtle she would use a little more metal to create reigns and begin riding around at a comically slow pace.