[hider=Important Flashback 1]
[h1]About A Week Before the Beach Began[/h1]

Shion sat alone in the back of a warehouse, waiting for two of her clones to return to her. She fiddled with her phone as she waited before nearly dropping it in surprise.

A hole in reality stood open before her. Floating in mid-air, a portal to darkness, just utter black on the other side. Then, a girl stepped through, a pale girl with long white hair, dressed in an elaborate dark dress, eye-patch over one of her eyes and arms around a white stuffed bunny.

[color=1462ba]‘I am Mariette Pedersen,’[/color] she said. [color=1462ba]‘Shion. I have an offer for you.’[/color]

[color=0076a3]Uh… Right. Okay, I can handle a random girl appearing from nowhere and wanting to make an offer. Not exactly the form I expected the devil to take, but…”[/color] She laughed. [color=0076a3]I’m just joking about that. I’d be interested in hearing how you found me though.”[/color]

[color=1462ba]‘Suffice to say, I have scouts scouring Penrose at all times, and one of them happened to overhear a very interesting conversation in the Pitstop,’[/color] Mariette told her, assuming that to be enough. [color=1462ba]‘Your gems. I command the ability to traverse dimensions, you see. Within my reach I have many worlds filled to the brim with mana, which your gems could collect plenty. You can even request the type of mana you’d like them to be filled with. Leave them with me, and I assure you they will be filled far faster than if you left them with the likes of Penrose Independent,’[/color] so Mariette claimed.

[color=1462ba]‘In return, I want a portion of the gems. A third of them should do,’[/color] Mariette told, gazing at Shion.

[color=0076a3]... That’s… quite the offer. I’m certainly interested, but I wonder if an individual can manage what a group like the Independent can. Each gem requires a one and a half Silver Coin investment. That’s why I went to them, because they can supply not only the bodies but the investment to grow perpetually. If you can afford the upfront cost, I’d be more than happy to take up your offer. A third of what you collect is more than fair if you’re telling the truth.”[/color]

Mariette stood silent for a second, squeezing her little stuffed bunny, considering it. While she had a large amount of money, she did not gain any new coins from her patron, and it was as such a limited amount, not to be spent on a potentially limitless amount of these gems. [color=1462ba]‘Hm. My scout failed to inform me about the coin requirement. Very well. Before I confirm anything further, then, how large a quantity over how large a time-span are we talking? How many would want to have us work with?’[/color] 

[color=0076a3]”The more the better. If you really can fill them like you say, it wouldn’t take… probably a month to fill up a full hundred or more gems, assuming we could afford that many. If I could just wish them into existence, I’d have you take... [/color] Shion paused for a moment to calculate. [color=0076a3]At a third of them for you, I’d say getting three hundred would pretty well set you up for life at a hundred, and would probably finish my goal as well.[/color] Shion laughed. [color=0076a3]But it’s obviously not that easy, and it’s costly. But keep in mind that the gems are reusable; once they’ve been emptied of their storage, you can refill them. I’m honestly surprised we’re getting away with it as cheaply as we are.”[/color]

[color=1462ba]‘Hm. I may not be prepared to make quite that big of a monetary investment. While my group has an excessive amount of magic, we’re not as intent on profit. Tell me, then. Would a deal of some form still work if my party simply stood for the magical charging of the gems? I promise that the speed and quality will be superior to anything the Independent can offer. If not… I suppose I could provide the funding for 80 gems, out of which I’d like 20,’[/color] Mariette suggested, looking noticeably less happy.

[color=0076a3]”Of course. We’d be able to get you some gems to charge and you could keep a third, but if I may be selfish, I’d prefer to just give you twenty-five of the eighty you could afford. Twenty seems like a lowball to me, or maybe you could consider the five extra as compensation for charging some of the other fifty-five?”[/color]

[color=1462ba]‘How generous of you,’[/color] Mariette said with a nod. [color=1462ba]‘Very well. In that case…’[/color] Mariette waved her hand in the air, and a portal opened in the air. A girl that’d been on stand-by jumped out, a blonde girl in a purple dress that immediately turned to Shion and smirked, waving a draped-over hand at her.

[hider=her appearance, in case a reminder is needed][url=https://i.imgur.com/4rEtFz1.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/ajlGdGZ.png[/img][/url][/hider]

[color=1462ba]‘This is Suzette Laderoute. She is the one that will be in charge of ensuring the right sort of magic is put into each gem, and is also the one who will be meeting up with you when I am busy in other directions,’[/color] Mariette explained.

[color=ffd230]‘Yo~! Pleased to meetcha!’[/color] Suzette said, in an amused tone.

[color=1462ba]‘The funds will be…’[/color] Mariette said, and then a portal opened basically right by Shion’s side, and an amount of coins just fell out of it. Somehow, it was the perfect amount of coins to pay for the deal that had just been agreed on. [color=1462ba]‘… That should do. I suppose you don’t have the gems at this moment. Shall we plan for when to meet up again?’[/color] So Mariette asked.

Shion’s eyes lit up. [color=0076a3]”Wow… sort of expected it to take you a while to gather those up. Yeah, we can meet up again in… does two days sound okay? We can meet back here again, same time? Or would you prefer some other place and time?”[/color]

[color=1462ba]‘This place will be fine. And if it isn’t for any reason, we’ll simply [i]pick you up[/i]. So you’ll provide the gems to Suzette, she’ll fill them with mana of the different types you request, and then we’ll give them back for examination. After that, you can give us our share. Deal?’[/color] Mariette asked.

[color=0076a3]”Absolutely. Deal.”[/color] Shion held out her hand.

Mariette took a step or so forward, separated one hand from the bunny she was clutching, and took Shion’s hand, sealing the deal.

[/hider]
[hider=Important Flashback 2]
[h1]Minutes Before Leaving the Beach Dimension[/h1]

Summer took her Ruby Coin, sat down on a beach-chair, and sighed. To be honest with herself, she had sort of wasted the vacation. Dark thoughts filled her mind until Shion suddenly walked up to her. [color=00aeef]"Hey."[/color] Summer looked up at Shion, who was moving around somewhat nervously. 

"What's up?"

[color=00aeef]"Uh... I was wondering if I could have that coin you just got?"[/color]

"What?" How selfish of her! Not only did Shion just get one of her own, but she had the whole vacation to make money through events!

[color=00aeef]"Look, I... I'm not the best at asking for favors. But I'd be eternally grateful if you would give me that coin. You aren't going to need it here, you know? And I could really use it..."[/color]

Summer thought for a moment. "Why do you want it so bad?"

Shion flinched. She had hoped to get away with not needing to explain. [color=00aeef]"I... I lost my brother a while back.[/color] Her voice grew somber. [color=00aeef]"I think that... with enough magic, I might be able to bring him back to life. That's my goal in life, now."[/color]

Again, Summer took a moment before responding. "I know what it's like to lose someone you love. I lost a brother too, before I became a magical girl. Well, he was my cat, but he was a brother to me. So I get the feeling of wanting to bring someone back... Do you really, honestly believe you can do it though?"

[color=00aeef]"I do. Absolutely."[/color] A moment passed in silence. [color=00aeef]"I'm sorry about your loss."[/color] Shion added genuinely.

Summer sighed and let out a small laugh. "I spent my whole time here sta-... I mean, doing something important to me, so I didn't really have time to just relax. Besides, I'm... not really that important to Beacon. I was sent to Penrose mostly to get out of everyone's hair, I think. Sure, I offered to go there to help out when I heard the situation there, but... I think it was only approved because they didn't want me anymore. And all I really did in Penrose was manage to destroy a landmark with a stupid use of my powers, so... I think I'll just hang out here for a while. As for you..." She flipped the coin towards Shion, who caught it. "Dan said these are made from our wishes, right? I guess I can lend my hope to your dream. Just promise me that you'll remember this and be generous to people when you can, okay?"

Shion stared at her in disbelief. [color=00aeef]"Y-yeah. Okay, I promise."[/color] With that, she turned away and walked towards the exit, turning and waving at Summer before going through it.

[/hider]
[hider=Present Time]
[h1]A Conversation Over the Phone[/h1]

... ...

[color=00aeef]Yeah, there were a bunch of events where we could get magical coins for entering. You should've been there."[/color]

... 

[color=00aeef]"Well, I personally spent the time relaxing. The only way to get a [i]gold[/i] coin was to participate in a lesbian's wet dream sport of some kind, and weaker coins weren't worth the effort. I had my duplicates take pictures and video for the P.I., and it turns out that I now have profiles on most major players in Penrose. At least, before everything went to shit."
[/color]

... ... ... ... ...

[color=00aeef]"Yes, I know your were worried. But you knew I was safe. Besides, you should learn to trust me more."[/color]

... ... ...

[color=00aeef]"Well, [i]that's[/i] uncalled for."[/color]

... ... ... ... ... ... ...

[color=00aeef]"[i]THAT'S UNCALLED FOR!"[/i][/color]





[/hider]