[h1][color=ccddee]Amaryllis[/color] & [color=F65772]Hilaria[/color][/h1][sup][i]Conversations with a Strange Stranger[/i][/sup] [color=778899]“Um...thanks then?”[/color] Amaryllis scratched her cheek awkwardly, still confused about how she should be taking Veronica’s compliments, but deciding to roll with it anyways. [color=778899]“You’re...attractive and powerful too? ...though I guess you already have magical girls being your bodyguards and all so haha, Captain Obvious here…”[/color] The beachside babe wasn’t certain how exactly to take Veronica’s following words either, after hopping down the tree to follow her. A part of her was flattered, sure, to be scouted, but another part was concerned about what the ramifications of joining someone with bad ties to the Mint would even be. And then there was the part of Amaryllis who had never actually thought about severing ties with her Sword. Though she was most definitely a ‘young’ magical girl compared to some of the others, and though her Sword was a Lesser Force that communicate through psychically-inflicted pain, there was still… It was weird. She never thought about her relationship with the Sword all too much. Rina was a solo magical girl who answered to no Patron. Penny had been a monster magical girl who hated her Patron. Annabelle was a dark magical girl who was forced into pure evil by her Patron. With those extreme examples, how should she judge her own relationship with the Sword? Amaryllis mulled over it still, as Veronica left. Her Patron had been sealed before; a sword was meaningless without a wielder. Should she even pity it for [i]robbing[/i] her of her normal life? Or should she be [i]grateful[/i] that it gave her the power to protect the world, and indirectly, her family and loved ones? Was it Fate that made her life a mess, or was it random Chance that she came across that cave in the forest? Questions mounted, building up in her skull, uncomfortable questions that she wasn’t sure she wanted answered. But if she couldn’t answer them, what did that make her? Nothing but an indecisive child who never changed from the moment she grabbed ahold of that silver hilt. Frustrated, she took a step, only to immediately collide with someone else. Amaryllis immediately jumped back, eyes wide. [color=778899]“Oh my gosh,”[/color] she said, genuinely surprised she had lost so much focus of the world around her, [color=778899]“I’m sorry, are you alright?”[/color] The person Amaryllis ran into may as well have been a wall. She didn’t budge an inch, her imposing figure[s]s[/s] unwavering, and she smelled heavily of freshly-applied sunscreen. [color=F65772]“My my~”[/color] the silver-haired girl gave Amaryllis a once over, then continued. [color=F65772]“Mmm, Hilaria is okay so don’t worry about it~”[/color] she gave a warm smile and giggled. [color=F65772]“Hilaria thinks you look a bit troubled~ Is there something she can help with~?”[/color] she set Mars, her board, to the side and leaned on it. Amaryllis couldn’t help but twitch her nose slightly at the stench. Technically, sunscreen wasn’t as bad as the offal of a Horror or whatever, but it was still a different smell, divorced from the norm. [color=778899]“Uh, g-glad you’re alright then,”[/color] she said. There was something odd about this particular magical girl, but she couldn’t pinpoint it exactly...and it wasn’t as if Amaryllis was in the business of profiling anyways; that was what her Sword did. If nothing else, however, this ‘Hilaria’ did tick all the boxes that Veronica pointed out, and she knew that, if she couldn’t figure something out herself, she might as well ask a total stranger for their own opinion. Resolved to this, the beach babe clenched her fists together, willing mental strength from physical exertion. [color=778899]“Oh, then actually...wait, wait, first, I’m Amaryllis, nice to meet you. Anyways, I was wondering...and this is totally random, but would you say that your relationship with your Patron is good, Hilaria?”[/color] [color=F65772]“It’s good to meet you, Amaryllis~ Such a wonderful name you have~”[/color] she softly repeated the name under her breath a few times before continuing with a somewhat glum expression. [color=F65772]“Hilaria doesn’t have a patron anymore…”[/color] she was clearly disappointed she wouldn’t be of help, until her expression suddenly brightened up once again, an idea coming to her. [color=F65772]“Mmm, but Hilaria did have a patron a short while ago~! Hilaria can say with confidence that before they turned on her, that she really enjoyed being a member of the Beacon~!”[/color] [color=778899]“Ugh…”[/color] Amaryllis groaned, the moment that Hilaria revealed that she was basically Solo as well. [color=778899]“Yeah, that always feels like it’s a problem...like, everyone I know is either solo, or seems to have a bad relationship with their Patron, you know? And if everyone has a bad time, it’s hard to view your own relationship with any perspective…”[/color] Wait, no, she’s getting too gloomy and emo now. And you can’t make conversations by not asking questions. [color=778899]“Uh, why did you get excommunicated from Beacon though? I thought they were getting more lax with who they accept? ‘Specially with their White Coin now and all…”[/color] The busty girl with silver hair raised a finger to her lips and looked elsewhere, attempting to recall the event that severed her ties with the Beacon. As she did, her expression noticeably darkened momentarily. She replaced it with a small, but likely hollow, smile afterwards. [color=F65772]“Hilaria has a hard time remembering specifics, but she knows she was a very good Beacon girl~!”[/color] she seemed somewhat proud of this fact. [color=F65772]“Hilaria had a lot of friends back then~! And she had a different name, too~! Ah, but what was it, I wonder~?”[/color] she spent a few moments trying to recall it, but failed to do so, so she continued her story from there. [color=F65772]“Mmm, well anyways, Hilaria was corrupted after she beat a big bad monster, and then that’s when her friends weren’t her friends anymore. Even though she did her best, they tried to hurt her!”[/color] she spoke almost as if she was telling someone about a movie rather than a personal experience of hers. [color=F65772]“Mm, but she doesn’t know about this White Coin though. Hilaria wonders what it is~”[/color] [color=778899]“Eh…”[/color] Amaryllis could sympathize, but couldn’t really understand it either. It was certainly tragic, becoming a dark magical girl so you could slay a monster, only to be backstabbed by your friends for that sacrifice. [color=778899]“It’s like...mm...you’ve heard of those, uh, Dark Coins that the Mint give you? It’s like that, except Beacon, and it gives you like, a super spark? I think it also turns monster girls back into normal girls? Honestly, I sorta just skimmed that article myself, but it’s like, a real big deal here.”[/color] Hilaria took great interest in the conversation, leaning forwards as Amaryllis explained the coin. [color=F65772]"Hilaria wishes she could have had one when she became corrupted, maybe then her friends would have been nicer~?"[/color] she thought about it, but realized she probably wouldn't have rejoined them after that anyways. [color=F65772]"Mmm~! But it's quite the feat~! Hilaria is reminded of when lights were first made, I wonder if it'll have the same impact~"[/color] [color=778899]“If you wanna go back to Beacon, I think you can just ask them for one?”[/color] There was a bit of a shrug there. Amaryllis wasn’t totally certain what the ruling was on excommunicated members of Beacon asking to come back. [color=778899]“But...mm, dunno if it’ll be that big of a revolution, y’know? Not like they can force the coin onto people to convert them…”[/color] [color=F65772]"You are certainly right. The look on people's faces the first time they saw an actual lightbulb -- it was priceless and it’s one of the few vivid memories Hilaria can recall. But even if it's not the same for most people, Hilaria's sure that an accidental dark magical girl may think the world of it~!"[/color] She knew she would have, back then. Hilaria wound up shaking her head when Amaryllis brought up the possibility of rejoining her old patron. [color=F65772]"Hilaria isn't interested in returning to them, just curious. But the information is appreciated, greatly~! Hilaria owes you one, so you can ask anything of her that you would like~! Do you need someone to apply your sunscreen~?"[/color] she definitely appreciated what Mika did for her, so she was thinking she could do the same thing for Amaryllis, if she wanted. She went to reach for where the sunscreen was hidden. [color=778899]“Wait, wat.”[/color] Amaryllis tilted her head to the side, very slightly. There was something about it now that she definitely couldn’t overlook. [color=778899]“Hilaria, uh, like, how old are you?”[/color] The magical girl narrowed her eyes slightly and raised an eyebrow, as if she was trying to discern what the intention behind the question was, her hand stopping short of her chest. [color=F65772]“Hmm~? Is that really an appropriate question to ask, I wonder~?”[/color] she giggled. [color=F65772]“Mmm, but Hilaria doesn’t mind~”[/color] much like when she tried recalling how she was booted from the Beacon, she took a moment to think. After her pause, she raised a finger into the air. [color=F65772]“Mmm~ Hilaria remembers now~! She’s almost ten~!”[/color] she claimed proudly. [color=778899]“Oh…”[/color] Amaryllis said, nodding slightly. [color=778899]“Ok, sorry, that was weird huh?”[/color] She chuckled awkwardly, scratching her cheek. [color=778899]“Yeah, sorry Hilaria, for some reason, I thought you were like, a super old magical girl.”[/color] Hilaria seemed to be at a loss when Amaryllis finished speaking, the last statement being the cause. Soon after, though, a sudden realization, betrayed by the spark in Hilaria's eyes, helped her understand what was wrong. [color=F65772]"Mmm~! Hilaria thinks you're misunderstanding her~"[/color] she shook her head. [color=F65772]"Hilaria measures her age by centuries, not years~"[/color] [color=778899]“Ah...huh?”[/color] Centuries? A thousand years old? A magical girl that actually lived that long? Amaryllis’s jaw practically dropped, agape at how crazy that sounded. Hilaria didn’t have a reason to lie about this, did she? It didn’t feel like she was the prankster type who’d lie to strangers either. So… [color=778899]“Woah!”[/color] Amaryllis cried out, grabbing both of Hilaria’s hands and clasping them together. [color=778899]“Y-you, you were around during the time of Shakespeare and Chaucer? Milton and Alighieri? Holy...geez, wow! Did you like, ever meet them or see them in person? What about like, Elizabeth the First? Wait, no, Beowulf! Was it like, actually a real thing back then? The manuscripts and all? It must be so [i]cool[/i] living so long, wow!”[/color] Giving a strained smile, Hilaria tried to figure out the best way to say she wasn’t so lucky. [color=F65772]“Hilaria was certainly alive, but… the world is a big place, don’t you think~? Hilaria regrets to say that she can't remember everything that’s happened to her, so she can’t say.”[/color] she wore an apologetic expression on her face. [color=F65772]“Oh, but she does remember meeting Leonardo~! Oh, and Lavoisier, too! Isn’t that neat~?”[/color] [color=778899]“Yeah, that’s super neat!”[/color] Amaryllis exclaimed, before her mind caught up to her body and she abruptly let go. One thousand years ago was a lot of time to cover a lot of tragedies, after all. Two world wars, the Black Plague, and all the brutally medieval battlefields to live through. It was easy to enjoy history at a distance, but for one to have lived through it, to be [i]forced[/i] to live through it… [color=778899]“Must be difficult too. Glad you’ve made it this long alive, Hilaria. Like, how should I say it...hm...well, Penrose has lotsa magical girls, so at least you won’t be alone for another big long amount of time. Yeah.”[/color] A thousand years of outliving anyone you’d care about. The more she thought about it, the more Amaryllis wanted to give Hilaria a hug. But she didn’t do that. That was weird. Do it fegt Amaryllis backflips A short bout of silence may have betrayed that Hilaria hadn't entirely agreed with what Amaryllis said, but Hilaria still smiled. [color=F65772]"Mmmhmm~ Until now, Hilaria hadn't seen many, but she did hear about there being a lot of magical girls in Penrose~! So exciting~!"[/color] she clapped her hands together, quite eager at her thoughts. [color=F65772]"Hilaria can save many people, she knows it~!"[/color] She certainly seemed more interested in the latter point, judging by the tone of her voice. [color=F65772]"Hmm~ Hilaria is happiest when she can be of use to those in need, but what makes Amaryllis happy, I wonder~?"[/color] she gazed curiously into Amaryllis' eyes. That was a rather pointed question, wasn’t it. Leaning back a bit from Hilaria’s pointed stare, Amaryllis thought about it for a couple seconds, before saying, with a half-laugh, [color=778899]“Well, probably world peace. Otherwise I’d still be, you know, doing magical girl stuff.”[/color] Hilaria found herself resting an elbow on Mars, but her smiled had lost its warmth. [color=F65772]"World peace?"[/color] she repeated, sounding almost disgusted at the thought. [color=F65772]"Mmm, but then there would be no people to save, would there~?"[/color] [color=778899]“There wouldn’t, yeah.”[/color] Amaryllis blinked. [color=778899]“That’s like, the point.”[/color] Hilaria stopped smiling entirely by this point. [color=F65772]"No people to save...?"[/color] her voice had started to quake. [color=F65772]"Then...Hilaria wouldn't be useful anymore..."[/color] her eyes started to glisten and her bottom lip started to tremble. [color=F65772]"...You wish Hilaria won’t be useful anymore...?"[/color] Amaryllis frowned, confused now by this reaction. No, she wasn’t that confused at all. It must be some sort of ancient magical girl thing, huh. One’d have a thousand years to develop a hero complex, after all. [color=778899]“I think,”[/color] she said, carefully, [color=778899]“It’s, mm, important to think of world peace as a goal? I mean, unless, I dunno, instrumentality happens and we all become a collective consciousness, there will always be bad people doing bad things to good people...so, rather…”[/color] Geez, she felt like she was really going off the deep end with this one. [color=778899]“I’d rather thank you, Hilaria, for your service in the eras before, and in the eras after. You are, after all, one of the people contributing to a more peaceful world.”[/color] Did she get that right? Hopefully Hilaria visited Beacon soon. Amaryllis was definitely not equipped to deal with ten centuries worth of baggage. [color=F65772]"There will always be bad people...?"[/color] Hilaria sniffled, then began to wipe away the tears that had been forming. [color=F65772]"...really? Then Hilaria will still be useful...?"[/color] Wasn’t she a thousand years old? Amaryllis felt as if Hilaria was the one more qualified to make judgments like that, honestly, but she nodded regardless. [color=778899]“And if you ran out of bad human beings to punish, you can always just, y’know, pick a fight with the Horrors. They’re immortal, invincible, [i]and[/i] obscenely evil. I think, like, you’d be saving the future just by keeping them occupied, yeah?”[/color] [color=F65772]"Eh? But isn't that kind of mean?"[/color] she questioned suddenly, apparently recovered from her fit, the evidence of tears nearly wiped away. [color=F65772]"Hilaria wants to save everyone who needs it, to start discriminating against horrors... that's cruel, Amaryllis."[/color] she now sounded like a mother who was scolding a child. [color=778899]“Eh...but a Horror’s just a Horror.”[/color] This girl was seriously weird now, huh. Amaryllis narrowed her eyes slightly. [color=778899]“I mean, you wouldn’t save someone who’s trying to, I don’t know, destroy the world, would you? ‘Specially if you know that they’re just going to try again if you do save them.”[/color] [color=F65772]"You know, ignorance like that was something Hilaria was proud to see fade away with the change in times."[/color] she too narrowed her eyes. [color=F65772]"Horrors need saving just like anyone else. Hilaria doesn't think that just because they have frightening appearances, naughty goals, or are often the reason why Hilaria is asked to help other magical girls, that she should stop saving them when asked. Everybody is equal, Hilaria knows."[/color] She took a moment. [color=F65772]"Mmm, but if Hilaria is asked to save someone trying to destroy the world, then she will do so. But she knows she'll be asked to save the world, so she'll do that too. People can change, Hilaria knows this. She'll save that person, and then they'll change."[/color] she assured. [color=778899]“Well.”[/color] Amaryllis nodded. [color=778899]“That’s a very interesting viewpoint. Ok. Sure. I suppose if you’ll be saving Horrors, you’ll never run out of things to save, Hilaria. That’s great. Did you have those views while in Beacon too?”[/color] Hilaria shook her head profusely, the memories of her immature younger self flooding back. [color=F65772]"No, not at all.”[/color] she denied. [color=F65772]“Hilaria was ignorant back then, and she wanted to rid the world of anything that tried to harm humans.”[/color] a somber air fell upon her, but her tone was somewhat bitter. [color=F65772]“Hilaria isn’t ignorant anymore, though.”[/color] [color=778899]“Hm...so what changed? Did it, I dunno, take being persecuted by Beacon to make you sympathetic towards your former enemies, or?”[/color] Amaryllis trailed off from there. Retrospectively, she was getting off-topic, huh. Gonna have to bring it back then. [color=F65772]“Hey, hey, did you know that Hilaria joined the Beacon because they reached a hand out after her Puchuu betrayed her? Mmm, that’s why her friends doing that to her felt like a super-betrayal, and it really hurt! Most Horrors are less cruel than that.”[/color] she added pointedly. [color=F65772]“But Hilaria would be lying if she said that was what changed her goal. Ultimately, Hilaria’s goal is the reason why she changed her goal.”[/color] [color=778899]“Aha…”[/color] So she just always wanted to save people, only now she just made it apply to everything. A little bit weird, and Amaryllis could definitely imagine a future where they’d clash, but for now… [color=778899]“By the way, Hilaria, you’ve met with a lot of, uh, other magical girls who weren’t solo or Beacon in the past before, right? Do you still remember them or stuff?”[/color] [color=F65772]“Not all of them.”[/color] Hilaria said. [color=F65772]“Hilaria has a hard time remembering everyone and everything she has done. Mmm~ but she does recall a few magical girls like that~ Did you want Hilaria to tell you about them, I wonder~?”[/color] [color=778899]“Ah, sorta,”[/color] Amaryllis said, pretending not to notice all the complex emotions that this ancient magical girl showed so easily. [color=778899]“It’s like, most of the people I know either have pretty shitty Patrons or just not any Patrons at all, so I sorta don’t really have an ‘average’ to work off of, y’know? So if you could tell me what you know about [i]their[/i] relationships with their Patrons, that’d really save me on time and all.”[/color] [color=F65772]“Ah, Hilaria sees…”[/color] Hilaria went silent as she thought about the subject. [color=F65772]“...is there really an ‘average’ relationship like that, I wonder? Hilaria’s met many, many magical girls whose loyalty lie with many, many different Patrons. Horrors, Beacon, Solo, Puchuu, Lesser Forces, and even the Mint.”[/color] she explained. [color=F65772]“But it’s not like every girl has the same feelings towards their Patron, or their Patron towards them, you know? Mmm, but since you want an ‘average’, Hilaria will try to see if there’s trends she can remember for each. Is that what you wanted?”[/color] [color=778899]“Yeah,”[/color] Amaryllis bobbed her head up and down, [color=778899]“Basically I want to see what the trend is n all, so...yeah.”[/color] Hilaria spoke almost immediately, apparently having girls in mind. [color=F65772]"The Horror girls Hilaria has met were all similar in a way, in regards to their Patron. They all expressed one extreme emotion directed at the Horror. Fear was most common, Obsession sometimes, and, unfortunately, apathy occasionally. Hilaria would have to say that generally they did not get along with their Patrons."[/color] She shrugged, deciding to move on to the next faction. [color=F65772]“Hmm~ Hilaria can think of a lot of Puchuu girls. Most of them are really kind~! But also very ignorant. Puchuu are adorable, don't you think? And they'll tell you everything you want to hear~ That you'll help save lots of people~ That the world needs you~ That is until they think you're no longer worth the effort, then they'll throw you right away, like a used bottle of sunscreen~!"[/color] as if on cue, a bottle fell out of the keyhole in her bikini top. She bent down to retrieve the bottle, placing it right back where it had been resting before. [color=F65772]"Mm, where was Hilaria~? Oh, yes, well, Hilaria thinks you can take that however you want. At least most of the girls think that they have a positive relationship with their Puchuu~”[/color] Thinking about the next topic, she recalled something interesting. Suddenly, Hilaria bounced up and down, like an eager child. [color=F65772]"Mm, mm~! Why do you think Hilaria speaks like she does?"[/color] she asked Amaryllis. [color=778899]“Uh...because you’re a thousand years old and still use speaking patterns from that era?”[/color] Amaryllis ventured to guess. Her first thought had been to consider mental disability, but that was a bit rude, to be sure. [color=F65772]"Mi dispiace, Amaryllis, ma si sbaglia di grosso."[/color] she denied in a different language, for some reason. [color=F65772]"Hilaria knows and can speak many languages fluently, but she does tend to favor certain speech patterns over others... Mmm, Hilaria supposes you aren't entirely wrong there, then~ But there's a more important reason: … … ... Hilaria doesn't want to forget her name, so she says it a lot~!"[/color] [color=778899]“Oh. Hm. Guess being a magical girl doesn’t beat Alzheimers, huh…”[/color] There was nothing but soft pity in Amaryllis’s voice. [color=F65772]“That’s not it. Hilaria has always been a bit forgetful, and it doesn’t help that there’s periods where her name isn’t necessary.”[/color] she said. [color=F65772]“Mm, but the reason Hilaria brought this up is because many Deities do the same thing, but not for the same reason~! They just like hearing their name and their voices~! Most of the girls under a Deity that Hilaria has met didn’t care very much for the arrogance their Patron exhibited, but they didn’t ever seem like they truly hated it, either. Hilaria thinks that could be considered a positive relationship, in a way.”[/color] Amaryllis’s cheeks flushed, embarrassed that she let that assumption slip. [color=778899]“O-oh, I see…”[/color] she said, thinking it over. Deities were basically actually gods, right? That sounded like something they’d do. It was like… [color=778899]“Guess you can’t hate someone if it’s just ingrained into their being…”[/color] Then again, if Horrors were born evil, she’d still hate them, wouldn’t she? She crossed her arms over her ample chest, furrowing her brow. Yeah, she still would. [color=778899]“What about, uh, Lesser Forces then? Were they a thing back when you were...a thing?”[/color] [color=F65772]“Yeah, Hilaria has met Lesser Forces too, but…”[/color] she trailed off as she attempted to find a proper answer to Amaryllis’ question. [color=F65772]“Umm, in Hilaria’s experience, they’re… different? As mentioned, other factions have outliers and exceptions so they’re not set in stone or anything, but Lesser Forces… are only that. In Hilaria’s opinion, Lesser Forces are like a “misc” faction and so they do not adhere to any specific relationship with their girls. No consistency from what Hilaria has seen. Each girl could be under the work of an entirely different Force, who acts in a way that could either be pleasant or terrible.”[/color] She tilted her head afterwards. [color=F65772]“Mm, was that helpful at all~?”[/color] [color=778899]“Hrm...so no trend after all…”[/color] It was basically what Amaryllis expected, but her expectations didn’t help her at all in this case. She was disappointed, but it wasn’t as if she could direct that disappointment to any particular person. [color=778899]“Yeah,”[/color] she said, nodding slightly, [color=778899]“Confirmed what I already knew, I guess…”[/color] The silver-haired girl shared in the disappointment. Failure to provide anything deemed useful was a failure on her behalf, after all. Though she frowned, she managed to ask Amaryllis about the situation. [color=F65772]“What sort of issues are you having with your own Patron? Have they been causing you trouble, I wonder~?”[/color] [color=778899]“Hm…”[/color] Amaryllis furrowed her brow and crossed her arms. [color=778899]“Like...not really? It just wants to fight big things, and it fights alongside me when we do stuff like that, so it [i]feels[/i] like it’s good. But it also communicates through like, sensations, and it wants to kill things all the time, so that’s also annoying...but like, it doesn’t [i]brainwash[/i] me or [i]control[/i] me either, so...yeah.”[/color] [color=778899]“I dunno, I didn’t ask to become a magical girl or anything like that and I don’t want to really fight things or kill things or stuff like that, but considering everything that keeps happening, it feels like it’s a good thing that I [i]can[/i] do that, even if I didn’t want to? Like, do you get that? At all?”[/color] [color=F65772]"Mm~ The fulfillment Hilaria has felt from becoming a magical girl is unrivaled by anything else she has experienced. It's most certainly the best~! Greatest~! Wonderful~! But it is also a burden, and one Hilaria doesn't believe should be forced upon the unwilling. Oh, how cruel it is to be plucked from a normal life and to be thrust into a world of magic and monsters with no strong desire to selflessly serve~! Yet it happens anyway and the victims are left with no option other than to accept the unfairness of it all and do what they can."[/color] she sighed. It was a problem she couldn't exactly solve. [color=F65772]"Hilaria thinks it's good that despite all of this, you can see some positivity. That'll help you in the long run, and it does speak wonders about your character, in Hilaria's opinion~"[/color] A "But" came afterwards. [color=F65772]"...Hilaria suggests you determine exactly what it is your Patron truly desires as soon as you can, and do so in a way that leaves no room for doubt. Being tugged in a direction you don't especially care about is something you may regret, but even more importantly is tied to your Patron's apparent obsession. Do they desire to kill because it will get them what they want, or is killing what your Patron wants? The latter has, in Hilaria's experience, never led to anything but terrible experiences."[/color] Amaryllis nodded. It still felt like things that she could have come to on her own, but them again...affirmation was pleasant. Good to see that a one thousand year old magical girl had the same thought processes that she had, even if Hilaria had a bit of a screw loose. [color=778899]“Ok,”[/color] she said, bowing slightly, [color=778899]“That, uh, was helpful. Thanks. I’ll...think about it a bunch.”[/color] Hilaria returned to leaning against Mars, reaching into the valley on her chest and retrieving a bottle of sunscreen. [color=F65772]“Hilaria will always be happy to help if she can~ But if that’s all, then Hilaria needs to get going so she can figure out what to do with all of this~”[/color] she explained as she retrieved yet another bottle. One might question just how much stuff she could fit in her cleavage. [color=F65772]“Wasting things is not good at all~”[/color] holding the huge, certainly heavy board with one hand, and the sunscreen in the other, Hilaria would set off, likely to find people possibly in need of protection from that pesky yellow sun. [h1][color=778899]Amaryllis[/color], [color=ade81b]Betty[/color] & [color=75c159]Tetrad[/color][/h1][i][sup]Saving Private Binky[/sup][/i] The sun shone above as Amaryllis enjoyed its warmth, floating idyllically on top of an inflatable sofa in the pool. It had been a bit terrifying to begin with, seeing all the monster girls and dark magical girls around, but as no fights had broken out and no one seemed interested in destroying the world, the bikini-wearing knight decided that she could take it easy too. When was the last time she had time to herself? Far too long ago, that’s when. Readjusting her position, she laid back, stretched out, and breathed it all in. The salt of the sea, the sweet of the flowers, the verdance of the trees. Ah, could she be getting old, preferring lounging in a pool to any physical activity? Mayhaps, mayhaps… Mulling over such wasteful thoughts, Amaryllis bent her head forwards slightly, lips parting to take a sip of the bubbly drink balanced upon her chest. It was loud in the distance, the vestiges of the stage performances drifting into this isolated section of the resort. Maybe she’ll pay a visit there later. Phantom Boy would certainly have something flashy going on, wouldn’t he? For now, though, Amaryllis was content to recline and relax, drifting nowhere in particular. But Amaryllis would not have much time to relax. Unbeknownst to her, someone had joined her in the pool. She entered the water without making a sound. Her body sank under the surface where she was no longer visible. Underwater she had much more freedom to move. Amaryllis might have noticed her approach, but with her head pointed at the sky there was no hope for her. The knight was vulnerable, merely unsuspecting prey to this underwater predator. She closed the distance between herself and the inflatable chair with haste, but slowed as she got near. The predator was ready to strike. She wasted no time in popping up behind Amaryllis, making a noisy splash as her body bobbed up and down in the water. Her long white hair floated on the surface of the water, and her marble white skin was clad in a black swimsuit. [color=ade81b]”Hi Amaryllis!”[/color] [color=778899]“Buwh?!”[/color] Startled by the voice behind her, Amaryllis tried to push herself up and turn around. But she was superhumanly strong, even if she didn’t feel as if she really transformed, and her platform was, in the end, just a flimsy, inflated thing. Pushing down on one side caused the other side to rise, and a moment later, the buxom girl dunked herself into the water. She came up sputtering, her bubble tea bobbing up and down as well. Coughing water a couple of times, Amaryllis hurried pulled wet strands of hair out of her eyes, before realizing, to her horror, that her top had almost been displaced as well. Pulling her soaked jacket over them, the amethyst-eyed woman fixed her outfit as best as she could, before, for the first time, noticing the white-haired girl that had spooked her to begin with. The predator had been smiling, but the corners of her lips dropped into a troubled frown. Her pale cheeks were also showing a hint of color. She looked away from Amaryllis [color=ade81b]”O-oh, were you trying to sleep? I just got kind of excited when I saw you, and um.”[/color] She fidgeted with her fingers. [color=778899]“Uh...huh,”[/color] Amaryllis smiled awkwardly, [color=778899]“S-sorry, but, do I know you?”[/color] The girl raised an eyebrow. After some thought, she raised her other eyebrow before tensing up her body. [color=ade81b]”Oh gosh! Right, you’ve never seen me transformed.”[/color] She made eye contact just long enough to give her name. [color=ade81b]”Betty Barton, I guess I need to work on my introductions so that this doesn’t happen a third time.”[/color] With a long sigh, she turned to face Amaryllis [color=ade81b]”Want me to grab your flotation devices? I-I mean your chair, or do you want to dry off?”[/color] Betty Barton...woah. It was always weird for Amaryllis to see a magical girl that didn't look at all like their transformed state. It made sense, of course, and her own physical constants between her mundane and magical states were probably a bit of an anomaly, but still. The soaked girl wrung out her hair once more, before finishing her awkward swimsuit adjustments. [color=778899]"Oh, uh, don't worry about it,"[/color] Amaryllis said, reaching over to grab it herself. [color=778899]"I sorta...got it."[/color] She scooped out her bubble tea as well, glad that the straw hadn't gone under. [color=778899]"So, mm, nice seeing you here, Betty. Are you, like, sure you shouldn't be, I dunno, protecting Veronica from, well…"[/color] A vague shrug. [color=778899]"Other magical girls?"[/color] [color=ade81b]”She told me it wasn’t necessary. I guess she wants to meet some people. Sometimes having a body guard can make things feel uneven or hostile, you know?”[/color] Betty sighed. [color=ade81b]”I also think it’s redundant given our circumstances. Dan seems cute enough, but anyone who can make all these magical girls just appear in one spot must be pretty strong. No one’s suffering, so there’s no point in resisting.”[/color] Betty back stroked to the edge of the pool and pulled herself up. She sat with her legs dangling into the water. [color=ade81b]”Do you think she might be in danger? You’re not just saying that to get me to leave are you?”[/color] Betty lifted her fingers to her mouth and bit her nails. [color=ade81b]”N-no, you’re too polite to send me away, even if you didn’t want me hanging around. But you look pretty relaxed.”[/color] She swirled her legs in the pool. [color=ade81b]”You earned it though. I wish I could have been at the graveyard with you.”[/color] [color=778899]“Oh, no no no,”[/color] Amaryllis said, quickly trying to amend the faux pas, [color=778899]“I just didn’t want you to get in trouble for, y’know shirking your duties to talk to someone like [i]me[/i].”[/color] Well, Betty was also right, though it was less politeness that prevented Amaryllis from turning people away and more that she didn’t want anyone else to feel bad, even at the expense of her private time. The mention of the graveyard incident, however, pulled a frown into her expression. For a moment there, the Midsummer Rose struck an image of beautiful melancholy. Even now, it still sorta stung, imagining the what-ifs that always spawned at the heart of such a hollow victory. She sipped at her bubble tea momentarily. [color=778899]“It wasn’t that great,”[/color] Amaryllis said, [color=778899]“The definition of a pyrrhic victory, honestly...but, uh...thanks, anyways. I honestly didn’t do much.”[/color] [color=ade81b]”You did [i]something[/i] though, right? You weren’t stuck guarding someone during an important fight like that.”[/color] Betty hugged herself. [color=778899]“Well…”[/color] Amaryllis glanced off to the side awkwardly. [color=778899]“I was also mostly just guarding someone, so…”[/color] She trailed off from there. The difference between her and Betty, really, was that the one Betty protected was still alive. A bit stuck-up, but alive. [color=ade81b]”B-but on a different topic, I’m looking for a friend of mine. Since we were all placed on islands with people we knew, I’m surprised I haven’t encountered them yet. Everyone I’ve seen so far seems to be from Penrose.”[/color] She raised and eyebrow. [color=ade81b]”You didn’t see a girl with short green hair and red eyes walking around here, did you? She has a tattoo of a bat on her lower back, and wears a cultist’s-”[/color] Betty squeaked. [color=ade81b]”Uh, she’s probably wearing a swimsuit now, scratch that last part. But she’s on the small side and almost never smiles. Her name’s Binky, does any of that sound familiar?”[/color] Amaryllis eyes bounced back to the white-haired magical girl when she spoke up about Binky. Could it be that likely? Retrospectively, probably. [color=778899]“Mm...I’ve definitely heard about her before,”[/color] she said, [color=778899]“But, well...maybe Dan has a PA system or something for the main island? If she’s not there, then she’s either on the other islands or…”[/color] A bit of a dark thought. Amaryllis doubted Sammy wanted Binky to die by drowning either. [color=778899]“...she’s in the ocean, somewhere?”[/color] [color=ade81b]”That’s what I fear, that she never completed the first challenge and is just floating off.”[/color] Betty hung her head. [color=ade81b]”If someone saw her, it would make finding her a lot easier. Normally I can talk to her via, um, telepathy? But I think she’s too scared to respond.”[/color] She buried her face in her hands. [color=ade81b]”She’s suffering out there, and here I am catching up with you. That’s not good, pull it together Betty!”[/color] With a sigh, she stood up. [color=ade81b]”But you didn’t see her since coming here right?”[/color] She bit her fingers. [color=ade81b]”This is pointless, she might have been on an island by herself. No one would have seen her then, and where do I start searching?”[/color] Betty continued to ramble. [color=778899]“Mmm, sounds like Binky’s pretty important to you, huh?”[/color] Amaryllis said, stating the obvious. [color=778899]“If you have no idea how to start searching, why not just, like start searching?”[/color] She blinked, then shook her head. [color=778899]“Sorry, that came out wrong. I mean, hm...stop thinking about how you’re going to do it and just do it. Dan’s giving out free jetskis, so why not just, like, snag one, ask him for a map of the whole place, and then just...going ham? I heard somewhere that ocean currents naturally lead people to land, so it’s probably not going to be the case that Binky’s being swept off into open waters…”[/color] Though all bets were off if, of course, there was another landmass in this strange world, beyond merely the archipelago. Betty nodded, her face hardened in determination. [color=ade81b]”Right!”[/color] She turned around to bolt away when she took one last look at Amaryllis. [color=ade81b]”You didn’t, want to-”[/color] She averted her eyes. [color=ade81b]”Help look, did you?”[/color] Amaryllis felt a tinge guilty about it, really. But maybe she wasn’t as good a girl as she thought, because she said, [color=778899]“Well...I [i]did[/i] plan to go jetskiing eventually, and y’know what they say…”[/color] She did some jazz hands. Didn’t particularly relieve the squeamishness of this particular scheme.[color=778899]”...always safer to do the buddy system if you’re going out into the wild.”[/color] Betty took a step back from the pool edge. [color=ade81b]”Uh!”[/color] The corners of her lips softened. Her eyes were starting to glisten in a way pool water never could. [color=ade81b]”Thank you!”[/color] She bowed. [color=ade81b]”Thank you! I’m going to get us some skis, and head over to the beach, thank you!”[/color] With a deep sigh, she wiped her eyes. [color=ade81b]”You’re getting a hug when you get there!”[/color] Betty turned to face one of the exits, and vanished in a puff of green smoke. For just a moment the cloud resembled her shape before dispersing into nothing. [i]M-Mysterio?![/i] The image of a snowglobe-headed villain popped into Amaryllis’s head in that instant, before she quickly shook it out of her head. Veronica may look like some variant of lawful evil, but Betty seemed like a good enough person. And even if Sammy thought Binky as Satan incarnate, Amaryllis felt like she could withhold judgment of [i]that[/i] rotten apple until after she met them face to face. Oh, but she could do without the hug though. Should have said that, huh… Regardless of the building trepidation, however, Amaryllis made it to the beach with little fanfare. While waiting, she began to collect pretty little shells and shoving them into her big backpack. Would be interesting to see if they were still here after this...dreamworld? Weird space? Ended. She didn’t have to wait very long before Betty showed up again. She was carrying a jet ski on both of her shoulder when she showed up. [color=ade81b]”Okay!”[/color] She dropped to one knee and offloaded the jet skis onto a rubber mat that lead into the sea. [color=ade81b]”You were right. When I stopped worrying about how impossible it would be to find Binky, it dawned on me that what we really needed is someone with deviation magic.”[/color] Betty crossed her arms over her chest and crabbed her shoulders. [color=ade81b]”What’s kind of embarrassing is that I actually had access to someone with that kind of power, but didn’t make use of them because I was panicking.”[/color] She averted her eyes. [color=ade81b]”So I’m starting to feel a lot more hopeful, but also really stupid at the same time.”[/color] With a chuckle, she refocused her eyes on Amaryllis and smiled. [color=ade81b]”But I’m really happy you’re here. We shouldn’t have to wait long before they arrive.”[/color] The sound of a jet ski zooming across the water got the two girls to turn their head. The driver steered their watercraft so that they were drifting sideways towards the beach, and coolly leaned off the side to stop with her bare foot. [color=75c159]”Tetrad: ocean navigator!”[/color] She was wearing a pair of shaded goggles, which she pushed up onto her head after parking. [color=75c159]”I understand you chumps need one?”[/color] Betty turned back towards Amaryllis. [color=ade81b]”She can seem a little intimidating, but she’s not a threat.”[/color] [color=75c159]”Amaryllis right? Saw you talking to boss lady.”[/color] Tetrad folded her arms and leaned on top of her jet ski. If there were any teenage boys present, they would have been very excited. [color=75c159]”Charming, isn’t she? But enough about her, why do you want to tag along on this little trek?”[/color] This new girl...certainly didn’t have the same vibes as Betty, huh? Amaryllis shrunk back very slightly under Tetrad’s scrutiny. Why was it that literally everyone knew who she was? [color=778899]“Uh, yes, very charming,”[/color] Amaryllis ended up saying, [color=778899]“And, well...jetskiing was a thing I planned on doing eventually, so...might as well look out for a castaway while I’m at it? Y’know?”[/color] [color=75c159]”I see.”[/color] Tetrad hopped off of her jet ski and walked closer to the group.[color=75c159]”You’re the heroic type then huh?”[/color] She placed a hand on her hip [color=75c159]”Out to save damsels wherever they may linger. A noble sort, or maybe it’s all part of the adventure. A noble adventurer?”[/color] Tetrad chuckled. [color=75c159]”Well, as long as that’s it, I guess we don’t have any problems.”[/color] Tetrad reached under her shirt flap and pulled out a few pamphlets. [color=75c159]”She had a few admirers back in Penrose, to put it mildly.”[/color] [color=ade81b]”I don’t get it.”[/color] Betty balled her hands into fists. [color=ade81b]”Why is everyone so interested in her-.”[/color] One of the pamphlets smacked Betty in the face. [color=75c159]”Whoa! Sorry about that! It’s windier than I thought.”[/color] Tetrad showed everyone a map on one of the pamphlets. [color=75c159]”By popular request, I have tracked down Binky to this location.”[/color] She tapped a large red circle that covered a cluster of small islands. There was also a green line drawn inside it. [color=75c159]”Now I know what everyone’s thinking, Sure, we have jet skis, a dame to rescue, but how can we make this even more exciting? Well you guys don’t have to worry, because I already did the legwork and figured out how to do that for you.”[/color] She hopped on top of a boulder and pointed at the two. [color=75c159]”It’s also going to be a race! First one to Binky wins!”[/color] [color=778899]“Uh...I mean, what else is there to do?”[/color] Amaryllis shrugged. [color=778899]“With all this power, it doesn’t make sense to use it [i]just[/i] to kill monsters and get rich, y’know? If I can save people even with just a sword and a strong body, I’m sure there’s a whole bunch of more magical girls out there who’d be able to do even more than me.”[/color] There was a half-laugh. [color=778899]“Maybe climate change can be solved with a sufficiently powerful Nature girl.”[/color] Before Amaryllis could dwell too much on the subject of heroic responsibility in accordance to superhuman power, however, Tetrad shot off, white foam shooting skywards. The cold ocean water splashed onto her face, eliciting a short yelp, before she quickly wiped her face clean. Jetski instructions, jetski instructions, where were they… [color=778899]“Ahhhhh, I’ll just waterski instead.”[/color] Before the monochrome cardshark could get too far away, Amaryllis gathered up her magical energy and shot out silvered ivy, hooking onto the back of the machine. In an instant, she lurched forward, and from there, the buxom girl was skidding on water, her posture impossibly graceful as she held on tight. Maybe she’ll even do some flips and shit. Who knows. Tetrad and Betty had both gotten to their jet skis at the same time, but Betty hesitated because she didn’t want to leave Amaryllis behind. She didn’t anticipate her abandoning her watercraft and ended up lagging behind both of them. [color=ade81b]”Wah!”[/color] Betty opened her throttle all the way up, but it would take her some time to catch up to Tetrad. [color=ade81b]”It’s just a rescue, It’s a rescue first, race second.”[/color]She mumbled. [color=75c159]”Hmmm.”[/color] Tetrad looked over her shoulder. [color=75c159]”Yea..”[/color] Her grin widened. [color=75c159]”We might have difficulty splitting up and looking for Binky with you latched on like that. On the other hand, we can have a [i]lot[/i] more fun like this.”[/color] She looked straight ahead. [color=75c159]”Hold on tight, we’re going to go on the expert course!”[/color] She threw the map she had drawn over her shoulder before crouching low. Off in the distance, there was a lone island with gigantic pasta noodles floating around it. Amaryllis could easily discern what Tetrad’s intent was. She wasn’t slowing down, and wasn’t making any attempt to steer away from the giant pasta noodles floating on the surface of the water. A moderate sized watercraft would drive over them without incurring any problems. But human feet skimming across the water didn’t have the weight or shape to allow easy passage over a giant noodle spill. There were so many of them, it would be impossible to make in a single jump. But gigantic pasta noodles were an obstacle wholly inferior to giant lasering tentacles, and though the [i]boring[/i] way would simply be to stay behind the jetski the entire time, allowing the watercraft to plow a path through the soggy pasta, Amaryllis could afford to take some extra risks. Sucking in a breath, she began to kick off water itself, a collection of miniature hops as she danced between the gaps in the weave of noodles. Occasionally, she slid on water like a figure skater, gliding on one foot as her back arched. Other times, she yanked on the chain itself as she leapt up, sailing farther than could be possible with leg strength alone. If she could dodge energy beams, she could dodge pasta noodles. And if she couldn’t? Well, she may be a waterskier right now, but her sword was still in hand, ready to slice into ribbons whatever oversized carbohydrates sought to ruin her day. Tetrad was watching things unfold in a make-up mirror she was holding in her left hand. [color=75c159]”That’s how you use your noodle.”[/color] Betty was able to get closer. Naturally, Tetrad’s jet ski couldn’t go as fast with the weight of a second passenger and long metal chains latched onto the back. [color=ade81b]”She was here!”[/color] [color=75c159]”About thirty minutes ago.”[/color] Tetrad looked around. [color=75c159]”I think we’re going to find her somewhere over there.”[/color] Tetrad pointed at a group of islands. They were two large islands that were side by side to each other. It could have even been one island with a wide river running through it. [color=75c159]”You should drive ahead, it’ll be less awkward if you pass us now.”[/color] [color=ade81b]”Right!”[/color] Betty sped off, but Tetrad wasn’t far behind her. Though it was evident Betty would only get further and further ahead as things went on. The water behind Betty was chopped by the wake of her watercraft, which cause Tetrad’s jet ski to skip along the water. [color=75c159]”Question.”[/color] Tetrad was looking at Amaryllis in in her mirror. [color=75c159]”People tend to find exciting things more memorable. How memorable do you want this expedition to be?”[/color] That felt like a very loaded question, considering how both of them were magical girls. After a moment of thought (as well as a backflip over a high wave), Amaryllis replied, [color=778899]“As long as it doesn’t hurt?”[/color] [color=75c159]”So long as it doesn’t hurt, huh?”[/color] She folded up her mirror and stashed it. [color=75c159]”You look pretty sturdy, and if I’m wrong, let’s hope you’re swift!”[/color] Tetrad Drew a knife out of her sleeve and held it over her head. The weapon arced with energy. It was evident she was dumping her mana into it. Once it was the size of a sword, she threw it at a group of palm trees. The sword cut all the way threw them, causing them to fall just as she was driving under them. [color=75c159]”We’re not done yet!”[/color] A red card appeared in her hand, which she tossed into a tree on the opposing side of the river. Tetrad sped past the tree just as it exploded, sending palm leaves and coconuts towards the water skier. [color=778899]“But why???”[/color] was Amaryllis’s primary complaint as an explosion destroyed pristine beach property, sending debris streaming her way. Did this not count as fighting? Was Dan’s Beach Patrol gonna crack down on them now? Or did that dolphin only care about the main island, with the open ocean being free for anarchy and violence? As those questions pounded in her skull, the waterskiing lady bent backwards, shattered coconut husks streaming above her like slow-motion bullets. She snapped palm leaves out of the air as well and, when a whole chunk of tree flew towards her, Amaryllis detached herself from the chain altogether, leaping up into the air and kicking off the log to grasp onto her ivy-chains once more. [color=778899]“Tetra,”[/color] she called, once the danger had passed, [color=778899]“Look, could we like, uh, do this [i]after[/i] we find and bring Binky safely back to the island? Maybe please?”[/color] Tetrad looked over her shoulder at Amaryllis. Her eyebrows were crossed. [color=75c159]”I mean we could have had a race instead, but [i]someone[/i] thought it would be funny to latch onto me like a barnacle.”[/color] She started to grin, even with her brow being so cross. [color=75c159]”Why did you do that anyway? Were you going to like, jump over me as soon as we got close to Binky? Or maybe, you like the view last place gives you?”[/color] She wiggled her hips side to side. With a sigh, she looked ahead. [color=778899]“Eh…it’s more like I don’t actually know how to jetski, so, y’know…”[/color] Amaryllis shrugged, an oddly difficult maneuver to do when you were skidding on top of salty water. [color=778899]“If everyone was going to be racing, I didn’t want to get left behind and then just disappear, so, y’know…thought I’d just hang behind someone else and take my loss.”[/color] [color=75c159]”You can’t just throw a race, that’s lame! ”[/color] Tetrad groaned. [color=75c159]”Tell you what, how about we find Binky and then you and I go to one of the arenas with me after this. That cool with you? ”[/color] Tetrad’s whole ‘tell you what’ elicited a confused expression from Amaryllis, pure bafflement in her tone as to how the conversation even segued there. [color=778899]“Wait, why? I mean, hm...how? Um, like huh?”[/color] [color=75c159]”I mean, what we’re doing now isn’t a race anymore. It doesn’t sound like you were interested in it to begin with. and you don’t seem to be enjoying this cool obstacle course I’m whipping up as I go along. I’m wounded, really. I’m having a lot of fun with it.”[/color] She shrugged her shoulders. [color=75c159]”But that’s fine. I feel like you owe me though. A race, a fight, [i]something.[/i] So we’ll go find Binky now and then have some fun in the arena when we get back.”[/color] A...fight? [color=778899]“C-c-c-c-cageo?”[/color] [color=75c159]”Is that the one where you get a gold coin for participation?”[/color] Tetrad’s eyes shot open as she looked over her shoulder again. [color=75c159]”I would [i]love[/i] to do that one! Since you don’t know how to jet ski or want to go through an obstacle course with me, we should go for a round of Keijo!”[/color] She grinned. [color=75c159]”You look like you’d be a tough opponent, OH! Or we could go for a two-vee-two and be on the same side! We gotta do it though. You can’t back out of that too!”[/color] [color=778899]“Um…uh…”[/color] For a moment, Amaryllis was seriously considering just plunging into the waters and, like, dying or something. But no, Tetrad had a good point. She ruined the race [i]and[/i] Tetrad’s obstacle course that the girl definitely must have put some good effort into. She was honestly [i]terrible[/i] for doing that. Briefly, the sword-wielding waterskier recalled her younger days, where she was more of a brat who was incapable of appreciating the effort other people put into events like birthday parties and stuff. Briefly, the sword-wielding waterskier recalled her slightly older but also still younger days, where she stuck herself in a little corner because no one else would entertain her own interests and play with her. Briefly, she considered all this, swallowed, and… [color=778899]“O-ok...I dunno if I’ll be good at it, but like, I’ll definitely do it! Oh, but uh, 2v2 [i]would[/i] be good...cause I’ll probably be worse 1v2…”[/color] Tetrad just nodded along. [color=75c159]”We’ll talk about the specifics once we get back. But I’m glad you’re interested.”[/color] Tetrad looked ahead. [color=75c159]”Just keep your eyes peeled for Binky. We’re looking for a giant white bowl the size of a raft. That’s what they’ve been floating around in.”[/color] Looking ahead, she could see that Betty’s jet ski was parked near a far off island. It looked like a dot at this distance, but it wasn’t moving. [color=75c159]” Looks like Betty might have found something. That or she crashed.”[/color] It took Tetrad a minute or so to ride up to the abandoned watercraft, but what also came into sight was a giant white bowl. She pulled up to the island and pulled her jet ski onto land. [color=75c159]”Oh, and while we got a moment.”[/color] Tetrad pointed at the jet ski’s handles. [color=75c159]”The green button on the left handle turns it on, the red one turns it off, and the big trigger-like-thing on the right handle is the accelerator. There’s no breaks, and there’s a safety chain you can attach to your life vest so that it turns off if you fall off of it.”[/color] [color=778899]“Um, right, got it,”[/color] Amaryllis replied, romping through the shallow waters as she allowed her chain to disintegrate. [color=778899]“But, we’re not going to be jetskiing on land or anything, yeah?”[/color] [color=75c159]”Juuuuust showing you what’s going on in case you actually want to jet ski in the future. Not everyone wants magical metal plants tearing into the backs of their jet skis, right? Don’t make me force you to drive us back.”[/color] She chuckled before walking between two trees. [color=75c159]”I’ve got a good feeling about this. Let’s go.”[/color] Further inland, the two could hear the sound of Betty sobbing. When they rushed further into the jungle, they found Betty holding onto a startled Binky. [color=ade81b]”I thought you were gunna die!”[/color] Betty said between sobs. [color=ade81b]”I miss you! It’s been weeks since we last spoke.”[/color] [color=baddab]”Yea.”[/color] Binky didn’t seem to share in Betty’s strong emotional reaction. It could have been because she was tired, but it could have been because she just wasn’t that emotional. [color=baddab]”I missed you too.”[/color] [color=75c159]”See? I knew she’d find her without us!”[/color] Tetrad clapped her hands together. [color=75c159]”The Jet skis should be able to carry two people, and I think we should get Binky back to land as soon as possible.”[/color] Betty dried her eyes and stood up. [color=ade81b]”Thank you! Thank you both of you! I couldn’t have done it without either of you.”[/color] With a sigh, Betty approached Amaryllis [color=ade81b]”I didn’t forget about my promise to you, and I think you deserve every bit of it.”[/color] So this was Binky. Amaryllis looked at the rotten apple girl and committed her face to memory. It was a pity her Sword wasn’t present; it’d have been able to recall her taste and track her at another time. Still, maybe it was the swimsuit, maybe it was the situation, but the girl certainly didn’t LOOK hella evil. At least, not comparatively as evil when put up alongside people like Tetrad. Maybe it warranted a talk or something. Maybe… Before her thoughts could turn too sinister or scheming, however, Betty suddenly popped up in front of Amaryllis, causing her to jump back a bit. [color=778899]“Oh, no, I don’t think I actually did that much at all in the end,”[/color] she said, her hands up, [color=778899]“I mean, like, Tetrad found Binky, and then you found Binky too, so it’s like...why am I even here, outside of getting a glimpse at Penrose’s most wanted girl, y’know?”[/color] [color=ade81b]”You helped me during my time of need though. Tetrad didn’t think to look for Binky until I suggested it, and even then it was only because she gave me… something… the last time we met. But I wouldn’t have been thinking about any of that if you hadn’t told me to just start looking!”[/color] Betty was smiling, even if her eyes looked a little wet. [color=ade81b]”It’s because you were here that I was able to start this journey. Even if all you did was make a suggestion, you were just as instrumental to all of this as we were.”[/color] [color=75c159]”Besides.”[/color] Tetrad placed a hand on Amaryllis’s shoulder. When she looked to see Tetrad, the dark jungle made her face appear entirely black, like the shadows. She looked like the Cheshire cat: a floating pair of eyes and a grin. [color=75c159]”If you’re going to play Keijo with me, you need to get over being shy around other girls. Especially if you like them.”[/color] [color=ade81b]”You like me?”[/color] Betty placed a hand on her chest and blushed. [color=ade81b]”Well, either way. I really would like to hug you. So if you wouldn’t mind…”[/color] Betty closed her eyes and pulled Amaryllis into a tight hug. Betty wasn’t a small girl, but she lacked many of Amaryllis’s qualities, including her height. Tetrad leaned in close to the rose knight’s ear. [color=75c159]”I’ll be waiting by the beach when you’re ready to leave.”[/color] Just like the Cheshire cat, Tetrad vanished from sight. Amaryllis shivered at the ASMR-Tetrad tingle, but it was Betty’s embrace that grabbed her attention. After some hesitation, she returned the gesture awkwardly, keeping her hands strictly on the smaller girl’s upper back. Counting to five in her head, she gradually peeled away from Betty, before nodding. [color=778899]“I mean, I think I like most people as long as they, I don’t know, try to end the world. It’s like benefit of the doubt, yeah? So...yeah...we should go, right? You’ll be riding with Binky?”[/color] Betty’s face became more red. [color=ade81b]”O-oh! Um!”[/color] She looked side to side. [color=ade81b]”The way Tetrad said that, it made it sound like-”[/color] She bowed. Several times. In rapid succession. [color=ade81b]”O-of course! You’re not so shallow that you would just fall for any girl willy-nilly like that. I’m sorry! I’m just a mess right now because I just found Binky.”[/color] She pulled the aforementioned girl to her feet and started to run towards the beach with her. [color=ade81b]”Thanks for everything, good luck on your Keijo match!”[/color] [color=778899]“It’s fine, it’s fine,”[/color] Amaryllis waved. [color=778899]“I’m happy you found Binky too, so, y’know, have a safe trip back…”[/color] With that, the ponytailed girl watched the two head off, eventually following after. A couple moments of silence was pretty pleasant, and the lack of humanity around her even more so. She was tempted to stay a bit longer, but then… Yeah, felt like Tetrad would be the type of person to just leave after an arbitrary amount of time, huh? By the time Amaryllis got to the edge of the island, Betty and Binky were already shooting across the water. Tetrad was watching them shoot off from her seat on her watercraft. [color=75c159]”And there you have it. That’s mission complete for me folks.”[/color] She turned to look at Amaryllis. [color=75c159]”So did you want to drive back, or did you want to water ski some more? I’ll warn you I didn’t carry any rope with me, So I’d have to sit behind you if you want to drive.”[/color] Breaking out from the shadow of the palm trees and into bare sunlight again, Amaryllis squinted slightly, striding up to the jetski. [color=778899]“Mm...I think I’ll try,”[/color] she said, doing what she could to recall the sharp-eyed girl’s previous instructions. [color=778899]“Yeah, I’ll do it. Just, uh...mm, be ready to switch if I lose control?”[/color] [color=75c159]”Sounds fair, if you don’t throw me off too quickly that is.”[/color] Tetrad let Amaryllis sit down before taking a seat behind her. [color=75c159]”Oh, and another thing. You’re going to want to drive fast. You have a lot more control when you’re at higher speeds. It’s not hard at all. ”[/color] Amaryllis nodded, before putting her full attention on the jetski. Breathing in deeply, she gripped both handles and pressed the green button. Immediately, the machine rumbled beneath her, the vibrations reaching into her very bones. No brakes, but she had to go fast anyways. The faster she went, the safer she was. And there was no way that the jetski could actually move faster than Amaryllis did normally, so her reactions won’t fail her either. Everything was good. Everything was fine. Now, it was just...MAX SPEED, FULL THROTTLE, PEDAL TO THE FUCKING METAL. With a gut-wrenching lurch, the machine leapt off the beach and smashed into the waves, hopping up and down with wild abandon as it skipped over the waters like a stone that’d never stop bouncing.