[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/zLmcB5Q.png[/img] [b]&[/b] [img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/180804/59e33c13301c63b568e5eb178a837406.png[/img] [b]&[/b] [img]https://i.imgur.com/z6cC6JC.png[/img][/center] 7 pm. Thursday. The fire station roof. Sporting her magical girl outfit, Alicia found herself seated on the edge of the low roof as she waited for Lily Lightning to arrive. They had worked out this meeting during the eternal vacation, and now that they were back she intended to follow up on it. The question was whether the presence of the Ascendancy had caused her to change her patrol route or not. Her legs kicked with an idle energy, the magical girl distracting herself with the small clouds of whitte that appeared in the cold air from her breathing. Some things you never outgrew, and with things as they were the little pleasures became a bit more important than ever, For now she waited. She was here, now it was just a matter of Lily doing the same. Soon enough, Alicia would hear the sound of a whirring engine, and saw Lily driving a motorcycle, jumping off a roof and landing right on top of the fire station. The impact caused the back of the vehicle to lift and the front wheel to grind against the concrete as Lily braked, lifting up a small black cloud before the vehicle stopped completely. Lily waved the smoke away, smiling widely. [color=fff200]“Whoops, a bit less space than I thought. You okay there, Alex?”[/color] She looked behind her to check on her boyfriend. She then noticed the other magical girl. [color=fff200]“Hi Alicia!”[/color] Alexander grumbled “[color=aba000]Eh, I’m used to your crazy driving.[/color]” Rising to her feet, surprise flashed across Alicia’s face as she eyed the duo. "You didn’t mention the flying motorbike when we met during the eternal vacation,” she said to Lily as she stepped over. She also hadn’t mentioned that she’d be bringing company, but that was fairly easily adjusted to. "But it’s nice to see you again,” she added with a smile. It was a dynamic arrival, but better than her not showing up at all. Lily smiled widely as she came over and took Alicia’s hand, slightly shaking it. [color=fff200]“I wanted to leave something as a surprise, tee hee~”[/color] She joked, though her smile didn’t last. [color=fff200]“Yeah, same here. It’s crazy what’s happened to Penrose. I mean, not only did we skip right to winter, the city’s crawling with creepies; and not just monsters, either.”[/color] She put her hands to her sides. [color=fff200]“There were some girls who helped us out with monsters, only to immediately turn on us the moment we won! Isn’t that just mega rude? They said they were the Ass-”[/color] Lily’s eyes widened upon realizing her spelling mistake, and she put a hand to her mouth to cut herself off from giggling. “-Mmh, Ascendancy, and they sound just like you Beacon people. Do you happen to know something about them?” Alicia held back a sigh as Lily revealed that she had run into the Ascendancy already. Not that she was surprised by that fact, but it was a bit disappointing to hear. At least it looked like things had worked out that time. “They sound similar because the Ascendancy is Beacon,” she replied after shaking Lily’s hand. “Up until now you’ve only had to deal with Beckoners from the local Penrose branch. The Ascendancy is a part of the central administration.” Hands clasped behind her back, she slowly paced around the rooftop. “When the eternal vacation happened, there weren’t enough magical girls left to keep the monsters under control. So Beacon deployed the Ascendancy to get a handle on the situation.” Turning, she looked between Alex and Lily while shooting them an apologetic smile. “They mean well, they’re just very...orthodox.” [color=fff200]“That’s what you call it?”[/color] Lily looked dumbfounded, and made a pouting face. [color=fff200]“They tried to kill Su and Silhouette right on the spot. They’re acting like some kind of inquisition!”[/color] She crossed her arms. [color=fff200]“At least they do hunt monsters too, but I think they’re going too far.”[/color] She then blinked, as if she remembered something. [color=fff200]“Hey, can you do something about it? I think you mentioned being pretty high-ranking in the organization. Or did they ‘assume direct control’ Mass Effect-style?”[/color] “[color=aba000]The fact that you consider [i]that[/i] orthodox doesn’t really say good things about your organization. I mean, the locals seemed to have chilled out compared to that...peace rally? Truce meeting? That...thing where one of your’s got brainwashed into suicide bombing the girl holding the thing.[/color]” Alexander added. Lily nodded to that, looking wide-eyed as she remembered the event. “I’m not sure what else I should call it,” Alicia admitted with a wince. “The mindset that I’ve worked under isn’t actually the norm for Beacon. I’m as frustrated with it as you are.” For the moment she refrained from mentioning the trial. It likely wouldn’t help her case. Instead she focused on the request made of her. “Nothing that drastic. For the moment we do our own things separately, and I’m supposed to stay out of their way while they restore order to Penrose. Not that that’s going to stop me from having our people out patrolling too from now on.” Now that she was the one in charge, she intended to do whatever she could to uphold those beliefs of hers. Alexander sighed “[color=aba000]Well if these guys [i]are[/i] from your HQ, then I guess it makes sense that you wouldn’t be high up enough to tell them to fuck off. Because I guess that would be too easy for us.[/color]” [color=fff200]“Bleh...”[/color] Lily stuck her tongue out, and caught a snowflake. [color=fff200]“At least they’re not running the whole show. Anyway, want to go grab a bite somewhere? Doesn’t look like there’s trouble, so we could take a break.”[/color] “Food sounds good,” Alicia agreed with a nod when it was suggested. “Getting promoted and having to manage this crisis, it really builds up an appetite.” Walking back over to the motorcycle, she eyed it for a few moments. “Will three people fit on this? I can fly if I need to.” The more she thought about it, the better a break sounded. Especially with a friend. Lily leaned her head to the side as she examined her motorcycle. [color=fff200]“Maybe if you sat on the wheel cover on the back...Nnnnnah, too dangerous. We’ll go slow enough for you to tag along.”[/color] She hopped on the bicycle, waited for Alex to get in, and then took off, at a speed a regular motorcycle would move in heavy traffic. [color=fff200]“You’re also not the only one to have wings. Check this out!”[/color] She announced, and drove off the rooftop. A second later, Alicia saw Lily and Alex gliding thanks to metal fins that flanked the vehicle, allowing it to descend at a much slower, if still dangerous, pace. [color=fff200]“By the way, did you mention something about a promotion?”[/color] She asked as she parked before the Pit Stop. While many businesses were closed thanks to the mass evacuation, some fast food joints such as this one were still operational. She untransformed, only to turn to Alicia and giggle, blushing a bit. [color=fff200]“Oh yeah, this is how I look out of costume. It’s a bit embarrassing, heh.”[/color] Alexander raised an eyebrow as he too untransformed “[color=aba000]How is it embarrassing? I think you look fine.[/color]” he asked as they entered the diner. “Or...do you just feel kind of exposed like this? I mean, I can kind of understand that, since we can’t use our full power like this” Ah guessed as they all grabbed a seat. The flight was easy enough, especially with Alex and Lily slowing down to allow her to keep pace with them. Glowing wings carried her through the evening sky until they reached their destination at last. She came in for a landing before joining the others in reverting back to normal. “It certainly is vibrant,” she agreed with a small grin. After a moment she glanced down at herself. “I always feel a bit plain when I’m like this. I guess I could dress up if I wanted to, but it comes down to finding the right occasion for it.” Lily sat next to Alex, fidgeting in place with her hands clasped on her lap. [color=fff200]“No, you look really pretty, Alicia. Meanwhile here’s Miss Disaster...”[/color] She mumbled the last part to herself, and then covered her face with the menu. They moved inside then, Alicia taking a seat across from the couple before reaching for a menu. “And yeah. When you mentioned me being high placed, as of a couple days ago I’m actually in charge of the Penrose branch of Beacon. It’s taking some getting used to.” She then leaned a bit closer to Lily, almost conspiratorially. “Though admittedly I’m more interested in hearing how you got him to come along for this. I figured you’d be on your own.” Alexander scoffed “[color=aba000]Like I would let her wander around on her own with crazy zealots crusading here, no offense to you[/color]” He quickly added “[color=aba000]Lily has a berserk mode that makes her a little bit beastly. One of the Ascendancy girls became almost hostile to me after I healed her because she saw my beast magic form and my tentacles which look like fluffy tails, and thought I was a monster boy. If Lily gets caught like that by them, I fully expect them to try and put her down like a rabid animal.[/color]” Lily felt a bit better hearing Alex grumble about how much he cared for her. [color=fff200]“You’re so tsun, Alex. It’s super adorable.”[/color] She also got hype upon hearing Alicia’s story. [color=fff200]“Wow, congratulations on the promotion!”[/color] She yelled, and called for the waitress. [color=fff200]“Three milkshakes for this table, please!”[/color] She then sipped on her own milkshake, having scooted a bit closer to Alex. [color=fff200]“My treat, tee hee~ So how’s it like being big boss? Do you have to shove the meanie Beacons away with a stick?”[/color] She asked with a giggle. Now holding on to a strawberry milkshake, Alicia thought for a moment whilst sipping at the dessert. “Well, obviously there’s some hard parts, like the Ascendancy and how everyone else feels about them. Since I do have to work with them after all.” After all, those who were already hostile probably wouldn’t mark much of a difference between the local branch and the Ascendancy itself. Lest they think it was all bad, she went on. “But at least now I can try to promote my personal philosophy and try to extend that change beyond just Penrose.” That was the hope anyway, and she would do her best to make it happen. “It’s just a matter of dealing with the current problems,” Alicia mused while glancing out the window. “I’ve been thinking on things we could do besides just fighting, but it’s still a bit of a work in progress.” Lily listened intently, her eyebrows furrowing at the mention of the Ascendancy. [color=fff200]”Yeah, you talked about doing more pre-emptive work back at the beach. I think what you really should do is raise more awareness of Beacon and it’s goals.”[/color] She sipped, thinking about it. [color=fff200]”Oh, I know! Hold another one of those public announcements, like you did with the White Coin. But this time, extend a hand of friendship to the magical girls in town. If you could form a proper peace treaty with Cindy, I bet that will improve the lives of everyone! Isn’t that right, Alex?”[/color] She turned to look at Alex with an excited look; she didn't seem to notice that her glasses were a bit crooked on her nose. Bothered by the sight of her crooked glasses, Alexander reached out to correct them “[color=aba000]The problem is...[/color]” He began, mid glasses straightening “[color=aba000]...The new girls, not the local Beacon. I feel like the last few huge events have kind of mellowed out the locals enough to live with. I mean, [i]I’m[/i] not worried about them trying to kill me if I use my Beast magic and look kind of like a monster boy. The new girls however, don’t sound like they answer to the local Beacon. Which kind of handicaps Alicia’s ability to do anything. Since they might just piss away any goodwill you manage to build. They might call themselves the Ascendancy, but they’re still clearly Beacon. I feel like you’ll only be able to make any real progress on PR stunts once the new girls stop Crusading around here.[/color]” “A peace treaty? I didn’t realize we were at war,” Alicia noted with a lofted eyebrow. More of her milkshake vanished, slowly eaten up as Lily and Alex provided their viewpoints. “Still, a general callout could work. The Ascendancy will leave once they feel order has returned to the city, and I doubt Cindy is as eager to have monsters running around attacking people all the time as we are.” Lily blinked as Alex corrected her glasses, and then blushed afterwards. [color=fff200]”Geez, Alex...Even when I’m like this...”[/color] She then continued listening quietly to Alicia’s thoughts; though she normally hated politics, she found Alicia’s thoughts on it interesting enough to follow. Of course Alex had a point, but Alicia knew that already. It was part of what she was struggling with when thinking about how to proceed. “I could always appeal to the Beckoners directly, though things will probably have to get better in Penrose first.” She gave a small wave out the window. “And a lot of my ideas were also not with this kind of situation in mind. Like tutoring. Not much use in that when the schools aren’t open.” After a moment she regarded Alex again. “Still, I’m glad that you’ve gotten over what happened at the hospital. It was an accident, and things were hectic enough as it was that we didn’t really have the time to explain.” [color=fff200]”It’s fine, it’s fine!”[/color] Lily interrupted, looking a bit tense. [color=fff200]”I told you already that it’s fine, Alicia. No need to bring it up. Just promise that something like that won’t happen again, okay?”[/color] She took hold of her cup with both hands, taking a long sip while glancing at Alex to see how he thought. Alexander shrugged “[color=aba000]Honestly, what [i]really[/i] soured my opinion of Beacon was when back at that peace rally when one girl’s Patron suddenly appeared out of nowhere to threaten her to stop thinking that maybe peace with the more beastly magic users was a possibility. [i]That[/i] was what made me think of Beacon as new age Nazis, and I’m probably not the only one. The incident at the hospital only just confirmed what I thought.[/color]” A hand rose in a modest ‘stop’ gesture as Alicia looked between the duo. “Alright, alright. I get it,” she agreed. Better to just drop the issue, and let the bygones stay that way. They hadn’t come here for an argument. “It won’t happen again.” Returning to normal, more of her milkshake vanished as she let the sugary taste provide a momentary uplift for her thoughts. “Anyway, before I forget we should probably trade phone numbers. Since we didn’t get to back at the beach.” Not that she minded repeating this meeting, but they might as well get to it while it was on her mind. [color=fff200]”Sure thing! Let me show you mine!”[/color] Lily seemed to jump a bit too eagerly at the chance to change the topic as she scrambled to get her phone out. It was a flip phone with a yellow case, decorated with stickers, sparkles, and with a heavy set of keychains dangling from it depicting various anime characters and imagery. [color=fff200]”Ta-daah! Isn’t it super cute? Now let me get my number...Here!”[/color] She showed the number to Alicia, energetic thanks to the milkshake she had. “It definitely fits its owner,” Alicia agreed. She pulled her own phone out of her pocket, though it was fairly tame in comparison. Looking between it and Lily’s, she wrote down the phone number and saved it before turning the device around so the duo could do the same thing. “If you guys ever run into monster trouble, feel free to let me know. The Ascendancy has their own information collecting methods, but they won’t be around forever. I’d like to be able to find the bad guys before they become world ending threats once in a while.” Alexander scoffed as he pulled out his own, plain looking, phone “[color=aba000]But that would get rid of the only thing that makes us special[/color]” His voice was drowning in sarcasm “[color=aba000]Penrose: Doom capital of the world! Come take a trip to the place that reality keeps trying to destroy! See the sights, fight the monsters, save the world, visit the gift shop![/color]” He sighed “[color=aba000]This entire place is nuts.[/color]” Lily’s thumbs tapped away, quickly collecting Alicia’s number. [color=fff200]”Got it! And you can call us too, whenever you want!”[/color] She took Alicia’s hand, about to say something else, when Alexander commented on the unique state of Penrose. She sighed. [color=fff200]”It is a bit nuts, hah.”[/color] She let go, and sipped on the last of her milkshake. [color=fff200]”But that’s why we’re here, right? To prevent things from getting even more loco. But we’re gonna bring peace back to Penrose, right Alicia?”[/color] Numbers were quickly exchanged, Alicia returning the phone to her pocket once she had both of their contact info. That would be useful, or at least she hoped that it would be. Even just hanging out wouldn’t be that bad. "I’ll keep that in mind,” she agreed, before sitting back in her seat. "That’s the idea. How does that curse go, ‘May you live in interesting times’ or something like that? Her milkshake was nearly finished as well, and she limited herself to one or two sips at a time to try and prolong it. "And I’m certainly not going to argue with peace. We just have to take things one step at a time.” [color=fff200]"Yeah!"[/color] Lily lifted her fist up into the air. [color=fff200]"One step at a time!"[/color] But as she said it, it only then occurred to her what she repeated, and she slumped back to her seat, adjusting her glasses. [color=fff200]"...But maybe not, like, every step? Skips and hope should be fine, too?"[/color] She took a look at her phone, and pouted. [color=fff200]"What, it's that late? That sucks-a-tromboni."[/color] She smiled at Alicia. [color=fff200]"Let's meet sometime again, okay? Give me a call, and I'll be there!"[/color] "Skips and hops are fine. You need to take advantage of opportunities when they arise,” Alicia assured Lily as the other girl sank into her seat. She could understand the sentiment. After all, she wanted this over fairly quickly too. But if they moved too fast they were just setting themselves up for failure. Glancing at the clock, Alicia held back a snicker of amusement at Lily’s exclamation of annoyance. "That sounds good. I’ll be in touch," she agreed with a nod. Alexander simply waved goodbye as he and Lily left the building.