[center] [h1][color=turquoise]E[/color] [i]m i l y[/i][/h1] [img]https://i.imgur.com/VLJOWDk.png[/img] [color=turquoise]"Despite all my rage, I am still just a cinnamon roll disguised as a mage."[/color] [color=888888]— Emily[/color] [/center] It had been some days after her encounter with the knight who had opened her eyes to the injustice that had taken place right beneath her nose and in that time, Lucifer had redoubled her efforts in seeking out the beasts hidden in plain sight, as well as those creeping around at dark. But it was proving a difficult task, as any monster wearing a human disguise would obviously be doing everything in its power not to stand out. She imagined those sorts would only actively break character in the moments just before they struck a victim down, which by then meant it was too late to save a life. Merely one of the unfortunate side effects of having Jonald as her Puchuu. The hate-obsessed little ball of sadism only ever did the bare-minimum when it came to his obligations as her Puchuu, and more often than not, he tried to bend things behind the scenes to impede or otherwise cause Lucifer harm. That is why she kept these actions secret from her patron, even if a patron’s help would be appreciated right now. But that proved to be unnecessary as luck had sided with Emily Ackerson. The form it took was one that normally would never happen. After the event involving Amaryllis, Lucifer decided to ensure that the soup kitchen she volunteered at would be safe from any other attempts like that. So she placed her purifying artifact in the place to ward off what monsters may approach. Only a day later did she witness, by chance, someone acting rather odd as they approached the kitchen. A young man, no older than 20, whose most noticeable trait was his rather large shoes, began to show symptoms similar to a panic attack rather abruptly as he drew closer to the artifact. As if the very building was unapproachable, he paced around before deciding to head back the way he came. Emily, luckily witnessing this event, tailed him. Observing this being, their actions revealed thus: [list] [*]They visited exclusively low-income, rougher parts of Penrose during the day. [*]They never ate lunch. [*]They had what sounded from a distance to be rather lively, casual chats with people for a while. A couple notable facts was that he had a morbid sense of humor and everyone he engaged in conversation to in the day was younger than him, with no exceptions. [*]They agreed to meet with one girl who had this horrible purse with an excessive amount of rhinestones on it later in the day to go to a club. Maybe it would be better to have said it was rhinestones with a purse glued onto them? He stopped by the graveyard for a while, though she temporarily lost track of him and couldn’t confirm what he did there exactly. [/list] The man did not seem to be especially suspect, aside from his random visit to the graveyard and, if that girl’s purse was anything to go by, horrible taste in women. But the girl aside, since she wasn’t able to see what he did at the graveyard, she could only assume he had wanted to go check on a loved one or the sort. The fact he was speaking to younger people might’ve raised some flags were he not so young himself. She’d be surprised if he was older than 21, so it would make sense if he ended up being younger than he appeared. Emily was beginning to feel like this had been a waste of time, but the fact of the matter was that he reacted to what had to be her artifact. She convinced herself at the very least she had to see what happened between this guy and the girl he invited out before she could give up. She couldn’t imagine how detectives or those spies in the movies could actually stand to do this too often. Over the course of this ‘learning experience’, she found out that she had to stick unusually far back to be safe, which meant she had to keep her focus so as not to lose him in a crowd or something of that nature. On top of that, because the man didn’t eat lunch, she too had to forgo the meal, and she was feeling rather hungry as a result. Also cranky. But, for the sake of easing the fear in her heart, she watched as the man picked the girl from earlier up at their pre established rendezvous point, and then they walked their way towards the club. This is where things began to become REALLY suspect. The area they were in had become rather lively as night approached. People, mostly older teens and young adults, flooded the streets around the club as if they’d just been set free from prison. Unfamiliar with these sorts, she wondered if this was a daily occurrence or if something made today special. Either way, there were a lot of people here, which made her tailing from a distance increasingly difficult. She continued to be put further and further behind, until eventually she had lost them altogether. In a panic, she hurriedly pushed her way through the crowd of people and desperately tried to relocate them. Thankfully, the shitty purse stood out among everything else. She managed to catch a look of it as the two of them… disappeared into a nearby alley? With an unsettling feeling taking over, Emily pushed her way through the people in front of her and after about a minute, managed to get into the alley. [color=turquoise]“…Huh…?”[/color] She scanned the area for the two of them, but did not find them. Instead, all that remained was, ironically, the purse that had an effect on Emily similar to the purifying artifact’s effect on that man from earlier. She really did not want to look at it. But since this was all she had to go by, she did anyways. There was a bit of blood on it. That, naturally, gave rise to alarm. Ensuring that nobody was looking inside, she immediately transformed. This man had to be somewhere nearby, there was no way he simply vanished! Since she did not see him come back out of the alley, he must have continued forwards. The alleyway did not simply reach a dead end, but actually led out to the front of the club those two had spoke about going to earlier. So she quickly scanned the area for the man, but failed to find him. She did, however, find the woman. She was entering the club. Confused, but curious, Emily followed the girl into the place, and was assaulted by obnoxious music and more bodies squished together than she could count. Nevertheless, she ignored the sour crowd and searched for the girl, managing to find her dancing after a few minutes. At first, Lucifer merely observed, hoping to spot the man after some time, but when it became clear that he wasn’t going to come back, she approached the young woman. Before she could get a word in, the woman spotted her and… ran right at her! Stopping just in front of her and grabbing the magical girl’s hands, she grinned. [b]“Hey hey! Aren’t you, like, a cutie! And so bold, too!”[/b] she was basically hopping up and down in excitement. [b]“Hey, are you free? You wanna hang out? I’m, like, sooooooooo bored ‘cus nobody wants to play with me! You’re not with anybody else, right?”[/b] Against the forces of evil, Lucifer came off as arrogant and condescending. But against someone who was this pushy, and wasn’t a monster… well, she wasn’t AS confident. [color=turquoise]“U-uh, yeah, that’s right. I didn’t come here with anyone else.”[/color] she admitted. [b]“That’s hella awesome. I’m, like, all alone too and it would be totes great if you could be my besty for the night!”[/b] the girl squeezed Lucifer’s hands tighter and beamed a smile. [b]“Dancin’s much more fun with a besty!”[/b] [color=turquoise]“Oh, well, I suppose I co---”[/color] [b]“Awesomeness!”[/b] she cut Emily off. [b]“We’re gonna have, like, sooooo much fun, just you wait~!”[/b] It bugged her that the man had simply disappeared, but if nothing truly bad happened to this girl, then it was likely that he wasn’t really a monster or anything. That would’ve been the perfect time to strike, after all. Lucifer wasn’t going to be rude to some random girl, so she might as well oblige with this woman’s requests, if only for a little bit. It might be nice to vent some of the frustration that built up over a pointless tail. Some time had passed and the girls had danced a bit. Emily was soon about to call it a night when she accidentally stepped on the woman’s foot. She looked down to confirm that was what she had done and noticed the girls rather… large feet. The other girl noticed Emily staring and merely laughed the event off. [b]“It’s, like, no biggy. Cuties like us, like, don’t need to look so mopey. That puppy-dog face isn’t your appeal. Like, I think you’d rock the bitch look better!”[/b] Lucifer raised her eyes back to the woman with, well, a rather bitchy expression on her face. [b]“See! That’s what I’m saying! Uh, unless you’re, like, taking offense. I meant it in a good way, I swears.”[/b] The two danced for a little longer, Emily’s mood not improving in the last, however, before they eventually decided to call it quits. [b]“Hey, like, you’re not tired, right?”[/b] the girl asked. [color=turquoise]“I’m pretty fired up, actually.”[/color] [b]“Really? You don’t like, look like it, but I mean if you wanna keep this party going, then hells yeah! More clubs, more fun! But, like, you mind if we take a short detour? I’m, like, such a clutz and forgot I dropped something nearby until now!”[/b] she laughed. Lucifer nodded her head and motioned for the woman to lead the way. She did so, heading towards the same alleyway Lucifer had seen her and that dude from before entering earlier. Upon seeing her rhinestone-infested purse, the girl squeed and beelined for it and bent down to pick it up. [b]“So, like, after this,”[/b] she began to stand up. [b]“I know a cool pla---”[/b] The girl’s question was cut short as she turned back to Emily. The cause was Lucifer’s hand, which now covered her face. The girl’s startled expression twisted into that of terror as Lucifer spat [s]fire[/s] her next words out. [color=turquoise]“Let the flames of purgatory be your guide to the afterlife.”[/color] the magical girl’s palm seemed to start glowing. The girl desperately tried to break free of the grasp, but could not do so in time. [color=turquoise]“Begone, wench!”[/color] in the next instant, turquoise flames slithered along Lucifer’s arm until they reached the girl’s head, leaving nothing remaining. The body fell to the floor. [center] [img]https://i.imgur.com/SbnCKDQ.png[/img] [color=75c159]”Dalton forgot this was supposed to be a collab.”[/color] [color=888888]— Tetrad[/color] [/center] [color=75c159]”That’s hot.”[/color] It appeared that Emily had been witnessed. When she turned around to look at the individual, she recognized her as one of the serving girls at the party. She was holding a saucer with a single martini in one hand and a few playing cards in the other. The bright colors on their faces made them look like uno playing cards, but the back had an [url=https://i.imgur.com/VaLX1Hh.png]insignia[/url] that wasn’t standard to Mattel’s best selling card game. [color=75c159]”You guys looked like you were having a lot of fun. I’m almost surprised it turned out this way.”[/color] the serving girl dropped the tray and, while it was falling, snatched the martini glass out of the air. [color=75c159]”Then I remembered you were Lucifer. And really, isn’t sending people to hell just what the Devil would do?”[/color] Every word was delivered from a pair of smiling lips. Lucifer narrowed her eyes at the witness and ignored the odd feeling of deja vu she got. [color=turquoise]“...You know me?”[/color] she questioned. To her, that was a red flag. Few people knew her unless they’d learned of her from Jonald, and that always brought with it complications. Needless to say, she was cautious. The saucer landed with a loud clang, but Tetrad kept her eyes trained on Emily. [color=75c159]”I wouldn’t say I know you. I mean, this is the first time we’ve met right?”[/color] She held the glass up to her mouth. [color=turquoise]“Don’t nitpick at my wording and talk.”[/color] Emily snapped, clearly agitated. [color=75c159]”Sure sure, I heard a few things. You sounded like a pretty interesting character, and if that smoldering body is anything to go by, you don’t disappoint.”[/color] She threw back her head and downed her drink. [color=75c159]”Mmmm, damn we have a good mixer tonight.”[/color] She slid the empty glass into one of the pouches on the side of her outfit before retrieving a handkerchief to wipe her mouth with. [color=75c159]”Anyway, I’m kind of trying to enjoy the party. So I’m not sure how you wanna do this.”[/color] She put her hands together, covering one of her hands with the fan of cards. [color=75c159]”Let’s do the skit where you tell me why you fried her face. Then we’ll address that B-movie one liner, which is the worst thing I’ve heard in a while.”[/color] [color=turquoise]”Ignoring your last comment…”[/color] In her opinion, using the word "interesting" as a description for Lucifer was evidence enough that they got their information from Jonald, in one way or another. Emily did not feel like she stood out, except for maybe her costume, and there were worse girls than her in that regard. [color=turquoise]"I’d recommend you not listen to baseless rumors and go have some actual fun back at the club"[/color] the satanic girl suggested, her gaze drifting to the body of the now-deceased girl. There was a hiss as it began to slowly melt, a black tar-like substance escaping from what had at one point been the girl's head. [color=turquoise]"But wouldn't you do the same if you found out the girl you were dancing with turned out to be a ghoul?"[/color] [color=75c159]”Hmmm.”[/color] She lifted a hand up to her chin in thought. The sarcastic smile she was wearing had vanished in an instant. Her brow was fret in thought. [color=75c159]”Well, I can’t just take your word for it, can I? A rumor is just an unconfirmed story after all. How did you come to such a conclusion? What was your process?”[/color] Lucifer seemed somewhat irked by the question. [color=turquoise]“If you’re gonna try to tell me you’ve seen a human melt like that when they’ve died before, I’m gonna have to take you to a hospital.”[/color] she said dryly [color=turquoise]“But if you must know, well then…”[/color] she turned her gaze away from Tetrad, as though embarrassed. [color=turquoise]“...it’s because she had big feet.”[/color] [color=75c159]”Hmmmm.”[/color] She continued to hold her chin. [color=75c159]” It’s evident you made the right call. I was just curious how you got there. You might have intended to kill a normal human and got lucky with a monster. But I don’t think that was the case.”[/color] She closed her fan of cards and slid them into one of the pockets on her pouch. [color=75c159]”I’m Tetrad, by the way.”[/color] She extended her hand to shake, and her smile slowly returned. [color=75c159]”Did you want to stick around? The DJ is getting set up right now.”[/color] [color=turquoise]"Well,"[/color] Emily looked down at the girl's feet and, satisfied that they weren’t enlarged, finally accepted Tetrad’s handshake with a firm grasp. [color=turquoise]"I suppose a little release isn't too bad."[/color] she agreed with a brighter expression. It wasn’t yet a smile, but it was nowhere near as hostile as it had been earlier. Lucifer probably decided this girl wasn’t a threat. She was still upset she hadn’t been able to save the girl from being eaten, but at least she managed to make there would be no other victims. Emily hoped the girl could rest easy knowing that much. [color=75c159]”Boom!”[/color] Tetrad started to laugh. Emily wasn’t sure why, but she could feel something between her hand and Tetrad’s palm. Once Tetrad released Emily’s hand, she pulled the card that she was hiding in her palm out of her hand and slid it in with the others. The fire girl nearly jumped, having been startled by Tetrad's outburst. Tetrad might’ve even noticed a silhouette of Lucifer made of flames quickly appear and die out just as fast behind her, as though the soul had been spooked out of her. She held a hand to her chest as she regained a steady breath. Once she had done so, her face betrayed her ire. [color=turquoise]"Could you not just do that suddenly?!”[/color] [color=75c159]”Sorry, just lighting up the mood.”[/color] She kicked up the saucer and caught it. [color=75c159]”Anyway, your Puchuu seriously sucks. I’d consider finding employment elsewhere if I was you.”[/color] She walked out of the ally with Emily. [color=75c159]”And I hate talking business on my leisure time, but if you need any help uncovering monsters, that’s something I’m pretty good at.”[/color] She pulled a tablet device out of one of her pouches (how many of those did she have????) and looked at the screen. [color=75c159]”My shift ends in about five minutes. Try not to hook up with any more ghouls before then.”[/color] Emily tried her best not to show that she was impressed with the saucer stunt, instead attempting to focus on the conversation at hand. [color=turquoise]"That isn't a bad idea, I just wasn't afforded such an opportunity until only recently."[/color] she sighed. [color=turquoise]"That, and if he's busy talking behind my back, he probably doesn't have enough time to do it to someone else."[/color] she gave an odd excuse. But it was true she didn't want anybody else to have to deal with this horrid Puchuu. [color=turquoise]"I know you just said you don't like talking about business, but if you could elaborate on how you might be able to help with that sort of stuff, I'd appreciate hearing about it. That's the part I struggle with."[/color] she shrugged. [color=turquoise]"But that can wait until you're done."[/color] [color=75c159]”They know I’m checking up on you and ghouly there. No biggie.”[/color] Tetrad tapped the side of her head [color=75c159]”Let’s just say I have a crystal ball that isn’t really a crystal ball. I can usually tell what something is doing at the moment, and I can tell what someone’s [i]been[/i] doing if I have enough information.”[/color] She gestured with the saucer. [color=75c159]”Just some divining magic.”[/color] Lucifer found herself glancing yet again at the ghoul when Tetrad mentioned seeing into the past. She wondered how that worked, as she had never really looked too hard into that sort of thing before. [color=turquoise]"So you could see things that'd already happened? What sort of information would you need to do that?"[/color] she wound up asking. [color=75c159]”As much as you can.”[/color] Tetrad glanced back at the ghoul. [color=75c159]”Name or visual of the target, both if possible. Beyond that I’d like to know where they were, what time it was, the more specific the better. Unless they were protected by a spell, I shouldn’t have any problems.”[/color] [color=turquoise]"I almost regret melting the ghoul's face after hearing that.”[/color] she said in a way that was difficult to discern whether or not she was being serious. [color=turquoise]"This guy--- err, well… ‘gal’ now, had briefly lost me as they visited the graveyard. Not sure if it matters now, but it has been bugging me."[/color] she confessed. [color=turquoise]"Can't really give you a name or a face, but I can tell you exactly what this ghoul was doing today.”[/color] she paused, and then looked up to Tetrad. [color=turquoise]”If you don’t mind my asking, that is.”[/color] [color=75c159]”I guess I could use a break. Not like boss man’s going to miss me.”[/color] Tetrad leaned the saucer against the wall. [color=75c159]”The idea is to get familiar with the target. Ya know, get intimate with them. Time and space is a big thing, and I need to know as much as I can to zero in on what I want.”[/color] Tetrad walked over to the ghoul’s decapitated body. [color=75c159]”Name and physical appearance works most times, but having the target in front of me is an absolute gold mine.”[/color] She produced a knife and started to cut into the ghoul’s flesh. Under the skin of the girl it had devoured was tar and hair. [color=75c159]”Having the head intact would have made this a lot more appetizing, but I’ve dated uglier, um, things?”[/color] She scraped some of the ghoul’s tar-like blood onto her knife and held it up to her face. [color=75c159]”Then again, I think I’ve dated waaaaaay hotter too.”[/color] she licked the blade. The thought of putting the black tar blood in her mouth and swirling it around like she was savoring it was seriously an unpleasant one. Lucifer had to hold back an instinctive gag. [color=turquoise]"...Geh"[/color] she hoped Tetrad didn't have to do that sort of thing often, but remained mostly quiet as the girl continued to do her thing. After shifting the creature’s bile around in her mouth, she spit it out. [color=75c159]”Alright, let’s try it.”[/color] Tetrad sheathed her knife in her boot while standing up. Then she just stood there with her arms folded. It didn’t look like she was doing anything at all. [color=turquoise]"Umm... hell---"[/color] [color=75c159]”I found it!”[/color] Tetrad smiled. She put her hands on her hips. [color=turquoise]"Hii!"[/color] Emily startled, and similarly to earlier, a flash silhouette of flames escape from her back and she had to calm herself down. Emily cleared her throat. [color=turquoise]"U-uh, carry on..."[/color] she urged afterwards, still holding her chest. [color=75c159]”He’s being very cautious here. I can see why you had a hard time tailing him. Man, the graveyard is still a dump.”[/color] Tetrad moved one of her hands under her chin. [color=75c159]”Oh. Well, that makes sense.”[/color] She turned to look at Emily. [color=turquoise]"What?"[/color] Emily asked. [color=75c159]”You know how ghouls are sometimes the servants of evil spell casters? You know how necromancers are like, super crazy evil spellcasters that are genuinely considered an affront to all life? That’s what your ghoul was going to meet in the cemetery.”[/color] [color=turquoise]"That bastard! If I had seen that, then I'd have incinterated them both on the spot!"[/color] she seemed piqued, and resisted the urge to kick the ghoul's corpse. [color=75c159]”Oh? And what makes you think it doesn’t go any deeper?”[/color] Tetrad folded her arms. [color=75c159]”The necromancer could be one of many working for a Lich. You’ll never get anywhere if you just kill everything.”[/color] she chuckled. [color=turquoise] "I know… It’s just frustrating that I messed up at a crucial moment. But I suppose for now I should be thankful you could show me this. Now that I know it's a problem, I can at least fix it."[/color] she seemed to calm herself down. [color=turquoise]"Is there anything I can do for you in return?"[/color] [color=75c159]”Two things, actually.”[/color] She picked up the saucer again. [color=75c159]”If you do go hunting these guys, I wouldn’t mind tagging along. I’d rather remove all the ghouls from my favorite hangouts, and if I get paid to do it, even better.”[/color] [color=turquoise]"I'd be grateful for the help, actually."[/color] she eagerly agreed. Tetrad stopped beside Emily. [color=75c159]”But something a bit more immediate would be joining me on the dance floor. I wanna see how many boys we can get to chase after us. We just have to make sure they have small feet. Or maybe we shouldn’t. You know what they say about guys with big feet right?”[/color] Lucifer looked away as soon as Tetrad mentioned boys. [color=turquoise]"Ah... uh, I don't mind dancing if that's what you want..."[/color] her face reddened. She turned back to the woman. [color=turquoise]"Um, I'm not exactly sure what 'they' say though."[/color] she replied in a tone that left no doubt that she was being serious. The serving girl just patted Emily on the shoulder. [color=75c159]”Just dance with me, you’ll figure the rest out.”[/color] [color=turquoise]"O-okay..."[/color] [center] [img]https://i.imgur.com/w01cbnt.png[/img] [color=75c159]”If Emily gets to start with a solo post, I get to end with one.”[/color] [color=888888]— Tetrad[/color] [b]A FEW WEEKS BEFORE THE GRAVEYARD INCIDENT[/b][/center] Tetrad never thought death would look appealing to her. The metal pipe sticking through her lung was causing her excruciating pain. Though the real pain came from the fact that Tetrad had been abandoned by her only friends. At this hour, Tetrad doubted anyone would come to the school and find her. The temptation was to just close her eyes and let death take her. It was hardly an escape, as magical girls can come back after a decade or two of being dead. But there was the possibility that resurrection was another lie the puchuu told to make their girls bold and fearless. Regardless of what happened, it was more welcoming than her current predicament. But Tetrad couldn’t give up. She could hear tapping sounds. It could be falling rouble, it could be someone’s footsteps. But to her it was hope. She was willing to endure if it meant she wouldn't die alone. At this point, that was all she could ask for. Just someone to acknowledge her departure would give her peace. Tetrad would endure the pain until she could no longer draw breath. And then she saw it. It was difficult to notice, but someone was looking through the roof at her. It looked a bit like a [url=https://i.imgur.com/UKWgxRJ.png]zombie, only they had a strange growth on their head[/url]. But she wasn’t alone anymore, so she hardly cared how evil they looked. [b]”Trixy!”[/b] The girl bellowed like a demon. [b]”I found her. I don’t know what you’re going to do, but I've wasted enough time on this pursuit.”[/b] She pulled her head away from the edge. That was when a maid dove into the classroom. [b]”Look out below!”[/b] The girl landed a few feet away from Tetrad. The moon wasn’t the best light source, but it was easy enough to make out the [url=https://i.imgur.com/yHPPo3F.png]maid with the toothy grin[/url]. [b]”Hey babe, you-”[/b] Her eyes flew all the way open. [b]”Oh god! Your outfit!”[/b] She pointed her hands at the pipe. [b]”You!”[/b] She spun on her heel and looked out of the hole. [b]”Remedy! Get your cute little butt down here! She’s in critical condition.”[/b] [color=75c159]”T-th-”[/color] Tetrad wanted so badly to speak, but she couldn’t. She was unable to do anything but cry. If only she could smile, but there was too much pain. [b]”Hey! Easy, easy!”[/b] The maid fell onto her knees beside Tetrad. [b]”No need to talk, just listen to me. Stay awake.”[/b] She folded her hands in her lap. [b]”Remedy’s going to be here any second. So we just need to keep you awake. Um, blink once for yes, twice for no. You understand right?”[/b] Tetrad blinked twice, which caused the maid to chuckle. [b]”Good, your sense of humor’s intact.”[/b] The maid placed a hand on her chest. [b]”I’m Trixy. I work with Crimson Cradle. Who do you work for? I’m thinking a Puchuu?”[/b] Tetrad blinked once. [b]”Yea, heh, They make a lot of magical girls.”[/b] Tetrad didn’t know how to feel about Trixy’s response, but she was just thankful she was here. [b]”Here I come.”[/b] The next girl looked like a [url=https://i.imgur.com/YJ2KO7J.png]combat medic from Switzerland.[/url] That had to be Remedy. [b]”Alright ma’am, we’re going to get you patched up.”[/b] Remedy extended her hands over Tetrad’s body, and the pain started to dull around her injury. [b]”If we had a reinforcement specialist, this would be a lot easier, but you’ll have to deal with my water magic for now.”[/b] She gestured towards Trixy, and the maid took a piece of wood and stuck it inside Tetrad’s mouth. A standard procedure if you wanted to make sure your patient wasn't going to bite off their tongue. [b]”Trixy is going to pick you up off that spike. It’s going to hurt, but it’s going to make you better, okay?”[/b] Tetrad blinked once. [b]”Here we go.”[/b] Trixy slid her arms under Tetrad’s back. [b]”Heave, ho!”[/b] [color=75c159]”Eeerph!”[/color] Tetrad could feel the cold steel slide along her innards before it was finally pulled out of her back. The pain spread to her entire body, even down to her legs where she had lost sensation after falling through the roof. It felt horrible and wonderful, She was in pain, but she was alive. [b]”She’s stable.”[/b] Remedy still had her hands stretched over Tetrad’s body. [b]”I wouldn’t recommend any sudden movements until I’m done, but you’re going to live.”[/b] Tetrad still had a hole going through her, but she could breathe with both lungs now. She spit the piece of desk out of her mouth once the pain subsided. [color=75c159]”I’m not sure why you helped me, but thank you.”[/color] She still felt weak, but that was probably because she wasn’t fully healed yet. [color=75c159]”I thought I was done for.”[/color] [b]”Heh!”[/b] Trixy smiled. [b]”What do you mean you’re not sure ‘why we helped you’? If I see a cute babe in the clutches of some monster, you know I’m going to kick it’s butt, find the babe, and take her on a nice date.”[/b] Trixy pushed her fingers together. [b]”Once she’s rested up and has had a nice hot bath of course!”[/b] Remedy rolled her eyes. [b]”Feel free to ignore her when she gets like that. But it’s like Trixy said, being heroic just feels good. It didn’t conflict with any objectives, and you were right there for us to help.”[/b] [color=75c159]”My squad mates.”[/color] Tetrad closed her eyes. [color=75c159]”They just left me here. I could hear them outside, and they didn’t even bother to check out the school. What kind of world is it where strangers have to help you because your friends don’t?”[/color] [b]”About that.”[/b] Trixy scratched the back of her head. She was no longer smiling. [b]”Puchuu are kind of pragmatic. And by pragmatic, I mean that their girls don’t really amount to much in the end. They treat them like an old pair of gloves. Once they wear out, you just get new ones.”[/b] [b]”They can make as many as they need, so if one dies, they're easily replaced.”[/b] Remedy lowered her head. [b]”Your team mates must have shown up to fight after you, right? Your puchuu probably didn’t tell them that you were present. He was probably waiting for you to die before sending in reinforcements. If you haven’t been performing very well, it's an indiscreet way of removing you from his employ.”[/b] Tetrad groaned. [color=75c159]”That makes too much sense.”[/color] It was true she was a bit inconsistent the way her magic worked. Her Puchuu had said as much, but never let on it would have her die fighting a monster she couldn’t possibly take on. [color=75c159]”So, Cradle was it? You guys like working for it? Them?”[/color] [color=#bd71e8]“Her.”[/color] Veronica stepped out from the shadows. [color=#bd71e8]“Why? Are you interested in joining?”[/color] [s]Emily raised an eyebrow, stunned. [color=turquoise]“I can’t believe this story you’re telling me, it’s macabre!”[/color][/s]