[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/NgWhiMr.png[/img]

[color=cfff04]”My brother in Christ, I need a new patron.”[/color]

[color=888888]— Tonya “Mac” Murphy[/color]

[hider=Tonya “Mac” Murphy]
[b]Age: 24/11 | Gender: Female/Female | Illusion, Gravity
Body | Power of Friendship, Regeneration, Third Eye | Moirai
Coercion, Soul Jar, Martial Training, True Sight, Parasite, Gifted, Awareness, Overcity Shift, Mystic Artifact

Magical Overload, Paragon, Blessing, Gifted Item | Monster Form, Big Brother, Arrogance, Vendetta
Redirected Magic, Second Specialization | Non-Standard Limbs, Destroyer[/b]

STR: 05 | AGI: 04 |  VIT: 05 | MAG: 03 | LCK: 03

STR: 10 | AGI: 08 |  VIT: 11 | MAG: 17 | LCK: 05

Earnings this post: Zilch

Total: 7 Gold, 118 Silver, 130 Bronze
[/hider][/center]

Typically, the shower was a place for relaxation, silent reflection, and unwinding. For a bit of amusement, Mac had started taking her spool into the shower with her so that she could observe future events. She could look and see what sort of events were waiting for her favorite people and magical girls. Though ever since Mac had returned to Penrose, well, there haven't been too many happy moments to gleam.

A lot of her favorite places had simply been destroyed. Garrow park had an impressive playground that use to draw in children from all over the city, but now it was a heap of twisted metal. Michigan square was also nothing but rubble, and the thousands of people who walked past there were no longer present. Penrose had become a barren wasteland, and it was just starting to sink in that the city might be lost. 

And the rave, that was going to happen before long, wasn't it?

With a shrug, Mac sunk to the floor of the shower, allowing the water to pelt the top of her head. Maybe she needed a bubble bath after this. 

[hr]

[center][h1]A Trip Into Spaaaaace![/h1]

Featuring: Mika, Hilaria, and Dan
[@FamishedPants][@Ariamis][/center]

Mika groaned. There was nothing fun to do. Helga and Su were managing the hotel, and there wasn’t anything interesting happening on Glimmr or the Penrose Independent’s website. She had beaten all of her video games and her monthly allowance was spent. She was still in bed, looking at the soft glow of her phone. There had to be something she could do.

[color=tomato]“I wanna go some place fun, and warm.”[/color] It wasn’t until muttering it that Mika realized she had access to a place that was both of those. [color=tomato]“Wait, I know!”[/color] She jumped out of bed and dove into the closet. The impact alone was enough to make its contents erupt outward like a volcano. She’d have to clean that up at some point, but having fun was more important right now. After pushing past a few boxes, she found it. 

[color=tomato]“Gotcha!”[/color]

Mika shut the doors to the closet and started to get changed. When she emerged, she was wearing her cat themed bikini. Now she was ready to have a blast! Mika began dancing around the center of the room like an Indian praying for rain. [color=tomato]“Gimmie, a fun place, gimmie, a warm place!”[/color] Mika repeated like a mantra before a portal opened up in the center of the room.
[hr]

Her present location was not one she recognized. It appeared to be one of the thousands of islands, with a few palm trees and some star fish scattered about. [color=tomato]“Oh Daaaan! I’m Baaaaaack!”[/color] Mika called out. [color=tomato]“Are you arouuuuuund?”[/color]

Some sparkles appeared in the sky, like stars that were raining down. The stream hit the ground, causing a small splash of water from which a small, huggable dolphin leaped out of. 

"Mika!" Dan squeaked, and flew up to her with a big smile; he had a goofy fish-themed cap one could find at any aquarium's gift shop. "You're back here at Isla Paradiso! Did something happen?" He floated around her. "Wait, let me guess: party time?"

[color=tomato]“Ummm.”[/color] Mika looked out at the vast ocean. [color=tomato]“I got hurt, and one of my friends left Penrose not too long ago.”[/color] She looked back at Dan with a smile. [color=tomato]“ I just came here to see you. We always played a lot of fun games and- GAH!”[/color] She hugged Dan’s head against her chest. The dolphin's bottle nose was forced between her mounds, and Mika unknowingly covered his blow hole through his hat. [color=tomato]“When did the titty monster get here?!”[/color] She pointed at Hillaria, who was reclining in a beach chair eating a hamburger.

The burger that Hilaria was eating soon became little more than a memory, aside from the little bit of ketchup that fell upon one side of her sizable chest. Of course, since the girl was not in the business of leaving loose ends when it came to food, she soon scooped it up with a finger and disposed of any evidence by sucking it away. [color=F65772]"~!"[/color] the little squeal of delight was an obvious tell that it had been to her liking, and only after all of this did she look to Mika and Dan. 

[color=F65772]"Hello~!"[/color] she waved, getting up from the beach chair. She jogged over to the two. Hilaria was not in her magical girl form, but it wasn't hard to tell who it was given certain aspect(s) she had. She was currently wearing a bikini that did no disservice to displaying the parts of her that certain individuals would find larger than average, but it looked to be one someone on a budget would get. She was also wearing sunglasses. [color=F65772]"Did you come here to eat, Hilaria wonders~?"[/color] she smiled.

"Mmphh!" Dan's muffled voice could be heard as he flailed his small blue body, currently stuck in Mika's loving but unintentionally lethal embrace. His antics turned more frantic, until he slipped right out of the girl's arms like a piece of soap, flying up. "Phew, finally I'm fr-MMMPPH!" Before he realized it, he had nosedived right into Hilaria's roomy cleavage, once again stuck.

[color=F65772]"Oh~!"[/color] Hilaria yelped in surprise as a bottle of sunblock and her phone were knocked out of the 'pocket' they were in. She took a hold of Dan and gave him a gentle pull, releasing him of his prison. [color=F65772]"Hilaria thinks Dan's a bit clumsy~"[/color] she said, allowing the dolphin to regain its composure. Once she didn't need to worry about holding him, she bent down and collected the two objects that fell, returning the phone to it's domain, while keeping the other in her hand.

That finished, she looked at Mika. [color=F65772]"Oh, but don't forget to wear sunscreen~"[/color] she presented the bottle. 

Mika crept towards Hilaria, her eyes constantly darting between her face and the sunblock. Then, with a careful hand, she trapped the lotion bottle between her thumb and fore finger before pulling on it. It took Mika a few seconds to remove the bottle from Hilaria’s grip.

[color=tomato]“So you’re not going to....”[/color] she squeezed some out onto her arms before rubbing it in. [color=tomato]“Then I don’t have anything to fear.”[/color] Mika stood up a bit straighter. [color=tomato]“Thanks Hilarious!”[/color] She tossed what remained of the bottle back to her before turning to Dan. [color=tomato]“Got any games we can play?”[/color]

Dan gasped as he was pulled up like an uprooted vegetable, looking a bit dizzy with cartoon stars circling his head.. "Woo wee, you girls really take my breath away." He then shook his head to focus, and squeaked in an amused tone, having floated up to eye level with Hilaria. 
"I am a bit of a klutz, but fortunately you caught me." His eyes turned bright and lively upon being asked about games, and he nodded his nose rapidly. "I sure do! I got football, lacrosse, tennis, paragliding, slalom, triathlon, waterskiing, all the sports games!" As he listed the activities he summoned the various pieces of equipment, scattering them around like a comedian genie. "And if you want to take a break, you can fiddle with sticks and press lots of buttons with video games and buggies and starships!" He followed this up by summoning an actual spaceship, though it was just a two-seater. He bounced up to Mika. "Let's have lots of fun!"

[color=tomato]“Yay! Fun!”[/color] Mika seemed to have forgotten her request to play a game, because she ran right up to the spaceship. It didn’t look too spectacular, just a white tube with gray fins on the back. But it looked out of place on a tropical retreat. The girl scrambled up the side of the ship and sat in the cockpit. There she was greeted with a dizzying number of flashing buttons and lights.  [color=tomato]“Hilarious, did you wanna explore space?”[/color]

By the time Mika asked, Hilaria was already there. [color=F65772]"Hilaria is usually the one sending others to space, but sure~!"[/color] she agreed, looking then at Dan. [color=F65772]"Does this work, Hilaria wonders~?"[/color]

“Of course!” Dan appeared between the girls with a poof, now wearing a space helmet. He pointed with his fin, and also changed the girls’ appearance: they now also wore space helmets, as well as spacesuits colored a silvery gray that tightly hugged their skin, conforming to the shape of their bodies. Dan smiled, and squaked: “Let’s go on a fantastic voyage!”

Mika pulled on a lever, and the spaceship’s engine rumbled as the vessel first turned up towards the sky, and then launched. “To Infinity, and behind it!” He proclaimed, now sitting in Hilaria’s lap as the spaceship had reached outer space. The girls could see that the planet they left was mostly blue, dotted with islands of various sizes. A hologram showing a map of the galaxy then appeared, showing various locations. “This spaceship can travel to any planet with a blink of the eye! We could go to the Planet of Hats, or the Planet of the Apes!” He pointed out. “The galaxy is in your grasp!”

[color=tomato]“Hmmm, I know where everyone would like to go!”[/color] Mika tapped a few buttons. Each one made a series of boops and beeps before Mika pulled the lever. All occupants had their heads thrown backward as the ship accelerated towards their destination. After just a few seconds, they were hovering over a planet with many rings. When they got closer, the rings appeared to be made out of thousands of onion rings, while others were condiments like ketchup and relish.

[color=tomato]“Whoa!”[/color] Mika opened the cockpit and grabbed an onion ring as they cruised by. [color=tomato]“It exists!”[/color] She extended the onion ring to a layer made of ketchup before sitting back down. [color=tomato]“Where should we start our adventure?”[/color] She said while looking at the planet. It looked to be a mass of different colors. Some of the oceans were made of cola, while others could have been soft drinks or fruit juice. The ice caps were giant Popsicles, And the world's many continents appeared to be split up into different foods. There was a pasta land that bordered bread mountains, The cold north seemed to be made out of ice cream, and there was also a jungle made out of vegetables. [color=tomato]“That jungle looks kinda scary, I dunno if I wanna go there.”[/color]

Meanwhile, Hilaria took the development in stride, gazing in awe at all the different foods that the planet was composed of. This was mostly due to the fact she was convinced she'd just been drugged, perhaps the burger being the culprit, and that what she was now experiencing was a really big trip. 

But this was not a first for her, and she was determined that it wouldn't be her last, either. 

[color=F65772]"Astonishing~!"[/color] whereas Mika only grabbed one onion ring, Hilaria had enough to constitute a meal, which she happily munched away on. [color=F65772]"Mmm~"[/color] she glanced around the planet, looking for a suitable place to land. [color=F65772]"T-there~!"[/color] as if she couldn't contain the excitement, she thrust her finger out towards a volcano, which appeared to be blasting nacho cheese into the sky, which then collided with the nacho-chip clouds that flew above it. 

“Whoah! This is too saucy for me!” Dan squeaked as the spaceship got close to the nacho volcano. But regardless of his worry, the girls managed to successfully land the ship on the mouth of the volcano, the delicious nacho cheese only a stone’s throw away.

“Careful with the nachos, girls!” Dan warned as the spaceship opened, holding a silly-looking blaster in his fin as he first left the ship. “And keep an eye out on munchinoids; they have an endless appetite.”

Mika did not seem to be especially worried about the “munchoids” as she took in the volcano they were standing on. It was made out of tortilla chips stuck together with refried beans. There were a few black beans here and there, as well as salsa with giant chunks of tomato and pepper floating in their surface. The base of the volcano was covered with lettuce and ranch dressing, while the mouth of the volcano was oozing with nacho cheese after the last eruption. 

[color=tomato]“Forget the munchoids, I’m pretty hungry myself.”[/color] She broke off a tortilla chip and dipped it in the cheese. It didn’t appear to be as hot as lava, and Mika confirmed as much when she took off her helmet to take a bite. [color=tomato]“What have you guys been doing?”[/color] Mika chewed on the chip while walking higher up the volcano. [color=tomato]“I didn’t expect to see Hilarious here.”[/color] The holster holding her water pistol jiggled when she jumped over a pool of salsa.

The silver-haired girl was simultaneously going to town on the volcano and keeping pace with the other two. [color=F65772]"Mmm~!"[/color] she let out another delighted squeal. [color=F65772]"Hilaria's been eating with people~ It's great~"[/color] she replied to Mika, simply walking around the pothole of salsa, but dipping one of her chips in it and taking another bite. 

[color=F65772]"Dan has a lot of good food~"[/color]

Dan looked pleased with the compliment. "Why thank you, Hilaria. I'm glad that you think so highly of my culinary skills. Once we get back I'll cook up some delicious lasagn-Aah! Munchoids!" He pointed his blaster at a rocky cliff, from which a strange alien creature began appearing via climbing. It looked goofy, with googly eyes at the end of short stalks, a round green hairy body, and a big mouth on the abdomen from which a big tongue hung out. They hopped around like monkeys as more appeared, about a dozen in number. They sniffed the air, and made slurping noises as they saw the girls. "Mm, munchy munchies!" The biggest munchinoid grumbled, and began traipsing closer. 

"Munchinoids!" Dan yelled, and aimed with his blaster. "Should we try to reason with them? They don't look too hungry compared to the ones I've seen before."

Mika drew her water pistol and aimed it at them. [color=tomato]“If they want to eat us, they can’t be reasoned with.[/color] She cocked her gun. [color=tomato]“If we kill them, they’re going to bleed over all of this good food. So we only have one real choice.[/color] She grabbed Dan. [color=tomato]“We run!”[/color] Mika took off towards the top of the volcano. The tortilla chips made a satisfying crunch under her boots with every step. But her destination was in sight. She turned around to see if the munchoids or Hilaria were following her, but it didn’t matter. Mika had made up her mind. She fell into the volcano. 

The walls of the volcano weren’t smooth, but they were coated in nacho cheese. Mika was able to slow her descent by riding the walls. It felt a bit like riding down a really steep slide, only way cheesier. 

[color=tomato]“Visor up!”[/color]

Before landing in the liquid cheese below, Mika put up her visor and plunged into it. When she surfaced, she was coated head to toe in nacho cheese.

 Hilaria wasn't entertained with these aliens, not in the least. There was so much food here, why did they need to eat her, Dan, and Mika? That was absurd. The people who said they wanted to eat Hilaria were always delinquent boys and occasionally girls, so that must mean these things were no better. [color=F65772]"Hilaria is not munchies~!"[/color] she stated sharply as she finished her last nacho and followed shortly behind Mika, resisting the strong urge to continue picking up more as she went. 

As she reached the peak of the volcano and glanced down into it, she couldn't help but smile. Her pupils turned into hearts and she dove right in, with no hesitation, snagging one last chip as she did so. And much like Mika, her visor was closed as she fell into the hot nacho cheese, but immediately after she surfaced, she opened it to eat the chip that was now covered in deliciousness. [color=F65772]"Mmm~!"[/color] yet again she squealed, then closing her visor. [color=F65772]"Mm, so are we swimming now~?"[/color] she nonchalantly floated on her back, unconcerned about the aliens, apparently.

[color=tomato]“I didn’t think this far ahead.”[/color] Mika, Dan, and Hilaria were all coated in cheese. Due to the tight nature of their swimsuits, it was hard to tell if they were wearing anything at all. Save for the giant globes around their head. Mika folded her visor back so that she could get a look around. [color=tomato]“We probably should swim in cheese, being on an adventurer is all about doing things you’ve never done before!”[/color] Mika did the backstroke until she reached one of the walls. [color=tomato]“Doing the same stuff over and over again gets boring.”[/color] She examined her water pistol. [color=tomato]“Do you ever get bored of saving people?”[/color]

Dan and Mika would notice that Hilaria was nowhere to be found. But soon an area of the cheese began bubbling more than the rest. The bubbling became more intense until a small eruption revealed the other girl. She rocketed out of the cheese almost like a torpedo, and then fell back into it. Surfacing after that, she looked to Mika. [color=F65772]"Yes~"[/color] she replied to the cat girl, apparently hearing her question somehow. [color=F65772]"A long time ago~ Hilaria finds a lot of things boring, too~"[/color] she said, then dove back under for a second.

[color=tomato]“Really?”[/color] Mika raised an eyebrow. [color=tomato]“I don’t know why you’d do it then.”[/color] She shrugged. [color=tomato]“How about you Dan? Are you enjoying yourself?”[/color]

“I am now, haha!” Dan swam around in the nacho cheese as if it was water, spurting out a small fountain of liquid cheese from his blowhole. The munchinoids watched from the shore, not daring to touch the nacho cheese. “Sticky stickies!” They grumbled, and soon bounced away, looking for something else to munch on. After the coast was clear, Dan hopped out of the volcano, now covered in the cheese. He found it hard to move around, sluggishly floating until he dropped back down. “Uhh, girls? I think I need some help here.”

Surfacing after the munchoids left, Hilaria watched Dan helplessly try to float. Pulling herself out of the cheese and moving to the dolphin, she opened her visor and picked the patron up. With a curious gaze, she licked some of the cheese off of him. [color=F65772]"Mmm, too salty~"[/color] she then carried him like a bride, looking back at Mika. [color=F65772]"Hilaria wants to try other things, too~"[/color]

It took Mika a bit more effort to climb out of the Volcano. She wasn’t transformed, and her spacesuit wouldn’t have accommodated any of her animal transformations anyway. With one last heave, she pulled herself out. [color=tomato]“Like what?”[/color] Though as is likely to happen, Mika lost her train of thought when she noticed something was off with Dan. She sprinted in front of Hilaria to get a closer look. [color=tomato]“Is Dan frozen? The cheese must be cooling down!”[/color] Mika leaned in and trapped Dan between herself and the abominable magical girl. [color=tomato]“If we raise his body heat, maybe we can free him.”[/color]

Dan squeaked in a higher pitch as usual when Hilaria cleaned his sticky situation “Hey now, I didn’t mean-” Then he squeaked again as he was caught between the two girls. “Oh no, this is bad!” He shook, and turned from blue to red. Just as Mika predicted, the cheese melted off of him. “Oh no, I’m gonna-” And just like before, he was launched out of the girls’ hold, hitting the spaceship with a comical clang sound, and leaving an imprint the shape of a small dolphin with hearts in his eyes. Dan then slowly slid down; he was knocked out cold.

Mika approached the dolphin’s prone form and lifted a finger to her lips. [color=tomato]“Uh...”[/color] She scooped him up, hoisting him over her shoulder like a fireman. [color=tomato]“I think Dan’s had enough adventure for one day. ”[/color] She turned to look at Hilaria. [color=tomato]“We should probably go back to the beach planet.”[/color] Her eyes rolled down towards the volcano. [color=tomato]“After we eat a few more chips.”[/color]

Hilaria cast a glance out in the distance, looking at all the food that could be had. Solemnly, she turned back to Mika and Dan, but nodded her head. [color=F65772]"Yeah, Dan seems tired~"[/color] she agreed. [color=F65772]"But a few more won't hurt~"[/color]

[hr]


[center][h1]A Trip Into Penroooose![/h1]

Featuring: Su and Helga
[@Ariamis][/center]

Su gazed out the window. The gray sky denied the sun it’s return once again, Its army of snowflakes descended on Penrose, and Su was powerless to do more than watch the siege unfold. It was hard to believe this would be Su’s first winter in Penrose. It felt like an eternity ago when she arrived here with Amber. She didn’t know anyone, she didn’t have a hotel, and she only had one friend. Her short time here had some pretty big ups and downs, but she was stronger for it.

If only she had more to show for it than personal strength. 

There weren’t a lot of things to do in Penrose anymore. Before the beach vacation Su would enjoy walks through the city. It was large enough that she could always find something to discover. Odd shops that sold strange gadgets, Parks with interesting vistas, to graffiti that even Su could enjoy. But with so many people gone and Beacon patrolling the streets, it was hard to find a reason to go outside.  

[i][color=PeachPuff]“Why are we even here?”[/color][/i]

Boteg had yet to come to a decision regarding his stay in Penrose. He came here to have Amber beat the terrible one’s champion. But their champion had been defected, so Su was unsure why he chose to remain. But the dragon would make his plans known when he was ready. For now, Su had to wait. But she did not have to wait alone. 

The hotel manager stepped away from the window and descended to the lower floors. Helga should have been staffed at the entrance, even if it was unlikely they would be receiving guests today. 

Su ran her hand through her hair before approaching Helga. She gave herself a quick examination in the reflection of a window before stepping forward. [color=PeachPuff]“There you are.”[/color] She smiled. [color=PeachPuff]“We haven’t done anything fun recently. Would you like to watch a movie with me? We’ll have the entire theater to ourselves.”[/color] She folded her hands behind her back and swung side to side.

Helga was going about her daily routine when Su came over; her dreary mood brightened up almost instantaneously, and she turned to take Su’s hand in her own. “Sure. PenKino is still running, right? I think it’s the only one in the entire city. Just a sec, gonna change out of my work uniform.” A moment later, Helga returned wearing a poofy pink winter jacket and blue jeans. She also wore a pink woolly cap. “What do you think?”

[color=PeachPuff]“Oh! Um. PenKino?”[/color] In her brooding, Su had forgotten about PenKino Cinema. She was actually thinking about her own theater within the Golden trove. Of course there was no comparison between the two. Golden trove’s theater was at best an auditorium with an outdated projector. The movies they had on hand were at least twenty years old, and if not, were direct to TV releases. There was simply no comparison to a real theater, which played new movies in resolutions her projector just wasn’t capable of. That said nothing of her speaker set up, which was simple stereo sound. She also had to look into why the rightmost speaker emitted so much white noise. Su was reminded every time she chose to do something at the hotel, another struggling business didn’t get her support. 

[color=PeachPuff]“You look good Helga, and, wow, you got dressed fast.”[/color] Su chuckled. [color=PeachPuff]“Just, just give me a moment.”[/color]

[hr]

Su’s choice of ware contrasted heavily with Helga’s. Though it wasn’t because of an attempt to stick to a Chinese motif. That might have been her magical girl uniform and even her work uniform, but for outings like this she preferred to dress more casually. Like Helga, she wore jeans, but that was where the similarities stopped. Su’s overcoat was a maroon color with giant black buttons, and had a hood lined with fur. Though she opted to leave the hood down and wear earmuffs. The hood was strictly for emergencies. Since the snow had let up a bit, it wasn’t necessary. 

They hadn’t arrived at their destination yet, which suited Su just fine. There were a few things she wanted to talk about before they saw the movie.

[color=PeachPuff]“Mika’s been distant recently.”[/color] There was no question what caused this behavior. It started when Lupa left Penrose early in the week. Since then she had been retreating to the beach dimension rather frequently. [color=PeachPuff]“I’m not sure what to do. I want to shower her with affection until she’s happy, but I don’t want to coddle her too much.”[/color] Su shoved her hands into her pockets. [color=PeachPuff]“I’m also worried about her joining us in fights. She’s not experienced enough to make her own choices. I’m sure you remember the time we found her during that skeleton army raid, or more recently when she agitated a forest troll. She’s becoming more combative too.”[/color] With a huff, Su looked to Helga. [color=PeachPuff]“It might just be her way of dealing with grief.”[/color] She looked ahead. [color=PeachPuff]“But I’d really like to see her mature a bit.”[/color]

Helga was quiet as she listened to Su’s worries, nodding to acknowledge the conversation.

“Yeah, I’m sorry for her. Lupa was one of her only real friends here. Even when she had amnesia, Mika was still by her side.” They stopped at a street corner, where Helga handed out some money to a street musician. “The only way she can overcome her grief is by getting out there and making new friends. Remember those girls I mentioned? Mika seemed to like them.” The two now reached the PenKino courtyard. “We should give her more chances to meet with people. I’m sure she’ll hit it off with them.” 

Helga’s suggestion made sense. That was essentially how Su dealt with Amber’s passing. But letting other people interact with Mika ran the chance that it could make her increasingly distant. Could that be avoided if she spent time with her friends too? This mom thing was hard to figure out.

The two then reached the lobby. “Have you decided on the flick?”

[color=PeachPuff]“You know I haven’t had time to look at any movie reviews? I have no idea what any of these are.”[/color] She looked between her watch and the showing times. [color=PeachPuff]“Looks like there’s only one time slot playing soon.”[/color] Su turned to the movie posters. The poster has two school girls who were clearly young adult actors. They were gazing deeply into each other’s eyes while a myriad of things were happening around them. One corner of the poster featured an explosion, while another a sinister looking group of dudes, and… a spaceship? Was that a little green alien? All punctuated with the tag line “They don’t know what to expect… And neither do you.” Su didn’t even bother to look at the name of the movie. 

[color=PeachPuff]“I get the impression this will be the best movie in history, or a future cult classic that is ahead of its time and will go woefully misunderstood by moviegoers of today.”[/color] She took Helga’s hand and stepped inside.

“Fine with me. As long as it’s entertaining, I don’t care if it’s good or bad.”

[hr]

“Soon” might have been a bit of an overstatement, as it was going to take some time to get through all the previews and adds before the movie started. Helga was nodding off, trying to not fall asleep. She had removed her jacket, revealing a simple white blouse underneath.

[color=PeachPuff]“You don’t talk about your past much, Helga.”[/color] Su was in the process of removing her coat before sitting down. This revealed her red tank with spaghetti straps. [color=PeachPuff]“I mean prior to being a magical girl. I know Justine rescued you after Beacon left you for dead, but what about before that?”[/color]

Helga snapped awake at the question, and averted her eyes. “Oh, that. I guess I could talk about it. Don’t expect an epic story or anything though.” She sighed, before continuing.

“Before I was a magical girl...I was a rich kid. Like, super rich. My father owned a massive financial conglomerate, and my mother was a movie star. Phah...” She leaned her head back on the theater seat. “Sounds like BS, right? Well, as it happens. So did I, back then. All my life, I was told I’d need to grow up and inherit the family business, to not fool around. I wanted out of that life.” She paused to grab some popcorn, stuffing it in her mouth.

“So, the first chance I got to blow the popsicle stand, I was already there hitting the detonator.”

As far fetched as Helga’s story sounded, it did make sense. Su felt that Helga embodied many of a maid’s attributes. Her attention to detail, how she dutifully completed her tasks, it wasn’t hard to believe this was instilled in her by her parents. [color=PeachPuff]“Wait.”[/color] Detonator. Su remembered that Helga almost blew up a hospital. She did that during her time with Justine. [color=PeachPuff]“N-not a literal detonator right? Because that would be movie worthy.”[/color]

Helga facepalmed. "It's a figure of speech!" She suddenly moved closer to Su, touching her shoulder. She smiled sweetly. "You can be really silly sometimes, Su. That's what I love about you." She gave her a kiss on the cheek. "If it turns out to be a scary movie, promise to hold my hand?" She asked in a joking tone. However, her eyes told a different story.

[color=PeachPuff]“Heh.”[/color] There wasn’t much to say. The screen got dark, and Helga and Su looked on in anticipation. The intro credits played, and the two girls on the poster appeared on screen. That was when it all started to feel familiar to Su. 

[i][color=PeachPuff]“Have I seen this movie before?”[/color][/i]

[quote]
[i][color=PeachPuff]“Is it going to be scary? B-because I don’t think I can take that right now!”[/color]

[color=#bd71e8]“Relax, Su. It’s a thriller, not a horror flick. You can just hold my hand if it bothers you.”[/color]

[color=PeachPuff]“Hold your hand? I feel more secure in your lap.”[/color]

[color=#bd71e8]“Could you please transform into a human? The movie isn’t that long.”[/color]

[color=PeachPuff]“I could get spotted!”[/color]

[color=#bd71e8]“I’m talking to a bird I snuck into the theater. Is this somehow less suspicious?”[/color][/i]
[/quote]

A half hour into the movie, and Su felt like she had it all figured out. 

The plot was simply a fantastic journey. The two main heroines were visited by budget yoda who takes them across the galaxy to collect “galaxy seeds” before an evil emperor can get them. The writing fell below Su’s modest expectations, and the heroines were the only decent actors in the movie thus far. But the special effects were good. The girls weren’t hard on the eyes, and the fight scenes were gripping and interesting. Presently the heroines were gearing up for the next planet. This involved the actors undressing while talking about things that didn’t hold Su’s interest.

[color=PeachPuff]“So the party, we got invited right?”[/color] Su looked away from the screen. [color=PeachPuff]“Did you want to prepare anything for that? It’s technically a business trip.”[/color]

Helga was more interested in the "preparation" scene than Su, but she did turn to answer her.

"Yeah, we did. I prepared some PR material including an info booklet and a PP presentation on a USB stick. Also gonna bring my laptop, just in case. Aren't you excited?" She lightly nudged Su. "We get to meet the biggest celebrities of Penrose. But I wonder what the dress code is...Probably something for a rave. Do you think torn fashion would fit me? Or maybe punk?"

[color=PeachPuff]“Well, I think you make everything look good.”[/color] Su chuckled. [color=PeachPuff]“But if you want to look your best, I’ve got an idea for that.”[/color] 

[hr]

After the movie, Su and Helga headed off to a clothing store. There weren’t many still open in Penrose, but there was a thrift store not far from the theater. When it came to torn fashion and punk, those were the types of places you went shopping. Or at least that was what Su believed. She liked those kinds of places not because the prices were low, but because they had a lot more styles to choose from. 

[color=PeachPuff]“You’re likely not going to find anything super torn here, but you can always tear it yourself once we leave the store.”[/color] Su started looking through some shirts on a long rack. [color=PeachPuff]“I’m not sure what I want to wear yet. I’d like to represent the Hotel, so I’m thinking of something a bit cleaner. I’ll look cool though, given who we’re trying to impress.”[/color]

"Hmm…" Helga took a bright purple shirt with a yellow and real blotch in the middle and compared it to herself against a mirror. "Eh. It's not my style. Oh, maybe this?" She took a puke green hoodie with the hood shaped like a shark's maw, the sides lined with gills resembling bloody gashes. "I like this one! And not a bad price either! You found anything, Su?"

When helga turned around, Su was wearing a 10 gallon hat with a poncho draped over her shoulders. [color=PeachPuff]“Settle down partner. I just got here.”[/color] Su drew a squirt gun and pointed it at Helga. [color=PeachPuff]“Stick ‘em up, we’re gunna take you in for questioning.”[/color] She stood behind Helga and walked her towards the change rooms.

Helga had the biggest smile on her face as she lifted her arms up. "Oh no officer, I didn't mean to steal anything!" She spoke in fake-sounding higher pitched voice. "Please, I'll tell everything, just don't punish me, tee hee~"

Su inhaled sharply. She wasn’t quite sure why Helga insisted on acting like this in public spaces. At least this wasn’t the beach where they were clad in swimsuits. Just remembering Helga talking about that made her blush. But they were alone right now, so there was no harm playing around.

[color=PeachPuff]“We’ll take you in for questioning. Just don’t make me bust out the fuzzy cuffs, because I left those at home.”[/color] Su had Helga half way in the dressing room when she noticed a store clerk was staring right at them.

[b]”I’m sorry, Only one person can enter a dressing room at a time.”[/b]

Without uttering a word, Su eased Helga into the change room and closed the privacy screen. [color=PeachPuff]“We weren’t actually going to do anything. I just got carried away because, I mean, look at this hat.”[/color]

[b]”It’s okay ma’am. If you want to fool around, use the bathroom.”[/b]

Su blinked. [color=PeachPuff]“Excuse me?”[/color]

[b]”You just can’t take any merchandise in there.”[/b] The clerk grinned. [b]”But if you’re really into roleplay, just purchase the items. There’s no rule against taking your own effects into the restroom.”[/b] 

[color=PeachPuff]“O-oh, thanks?”[/color] Su took a step backwards before sidestepping into a change room. The first thing she did was hang up her Poncho. [color=PeachPuff]“Alright, let’s see now…”[/color]

[hr]

Su got back in her old clothes and stepped out of the change room. [color=PeachPuff]“How did you do Helga?”[/color]

Helga swept the curtain aside dramatically, revealing her [url=https://i.imgur.com/sQ2cSMk.jpg]new clothes[/url]. “Yass queen! Helga is now ready to rock out and make the family business bloom!”

Su examined her outfit thoroughly. It was a Japanese school uniform with really dark colors. There were some other alterations, like fingerless gloves and netted stockings that gave her a more punk look. This type of fashion wasn’t Su’s thing, but she felt it would be appreciated at the party. Mostly, it was just nice to see Helga having fun. It was easy to get swept up in the gloom of present day Penrose, but it was times like this that Su remembered why she was here. [color=PeachPuff]“Looks good. I’m torn between two different looks. Wait right here.”[/color]

Su briefly departed for the change room. She emerged a moment later with a simple [url=https://i.imgur.com/aYg6xoa.jpg]camisole[/url] and jeans. [color=PeachPuff]“I could probably tear the jeans a bit, but. I dunno, I don’t think it shows enough effort. Also....”[/color]

Su departed for the change room again. This time when she returned , she looked like a [url=https://i.imgur.com/BQadhxj.jpg]Demon lord[/url]. [color=PeachPuff]“Is it too much? I just reached into the seasonal bin and got some halloween effects.”[/color] She sighed. [color=PeachPuff]“Am I overthinking it?”[/color]

Helga's brows furrowed, thinking hard about Su's choices. "Hmm...It might be a good call to put on a menacing vibe, but there is a risk of scaring off customers." She nodded to herself. "The camisole would be better. We need to use the assets we have, and eye candy is the best weapon in advertising!"

[color=PeachPuff]“I feel like you might have ulterior motives.”[/color] Su squinted her eyes, causing Helga to avert her eyes with playful whistling. [color=PeachPuff]“But you’re right. Most magical girls tend to enjoy skin, don’t they? And there’s no point pretending to be something I’m not.”[/color] She removed her horns. [color=PeachPuff]“In a pinch, I could always wear that [url=https://i.imgur.com/uTmTJtK.jpg]black kimono[/url] I was saving for the chinese new year.”[/color] Su walked back into the change room one last time to get back into her normal clothes.

[color=PeachPuff]“This was a fun outing Helga. If Beacon wasn’t all over the place, I’d do it more often.”[/color] She chuckled. [color=PeachPuff]“I’m really looking forward to the party now. Hopefully Mika will be willing to come with us.”[/color]

Helga paid for the clothes, and the two left the store. “Yeah, it was great, Su. And that place will be great for Mika to find new friends.” She stopped, giggling to herself for a moment.
“I just realized...Mika is like a daughter to me, with how much I’m caring for her. And with us, like a family…” She had a shocked face.

“...Who’s the father?”

Su’s head poked up. The situation Helga noticed hadn’t been missed by her. They were clearly the adults of a family, and Mika was their daughter. Naturally one of them had to play the role of father while the other of mother. One worked and the other supported them. One made the family money while the other saved it. It would have been easy for Su to state how progressive things had gotten, and gender roles in a family likely didn’t mean anything anymore. But that felt cheap. Even if you have a group of women together, one will undeniably be the “alpha” that the others look up to. Just because they were both women did not mean that one was not the father. [color=PeachPuff]“I have some fatherly responsibilities. I make most of the decisions in terms of what direction we take the Golden Trove in. I also feel like I give Mika more tough love than you do. But I cook dinner for us most of the time, and you make us more money since you work longer hours than I do. You were even the one to purchase my clothes, which is something the father would do.”[/color] She held her chin. [color=PeachPuff]“I might be more fatherly. But we’re a couple, and that’s probably all that matters.”[/color] She looked at Helga with a smile. [color=PeachPuff]“Though Mika has started calling me mom. So if she calls you daddy, that’ll answer that.”[/color]

Helga laughed out loud, and kissed Su on the cheek. “I’d rather die than be called that. Let’s just both be the moms of the family. No need to over-analyze it.”

Su gave helga a light squeeze. [color=PeachPuff]“Sounds good to me.”[/color]