[center] [h1][color=turquoise]E[/color] [i]m i l y[/i][/h1] [h3]And also the qt Sakura[/h3] [img]https://i.imgur.com/g7NL7MY.png[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/kuMHfHJ.png[/img] [color=turquoise]"Meanwhile, at a completely ambiguous time so as not to conflict with other collabs..."[/color] [color=888888]— Emily[/color] [/center] The noise of the busier streets echoed in the alley, as the hubbub of the populace served as drums of a cacophonic symphony. It had always been like this. There was light, so there was darkness. A cosmic battle for hegemony that would dance and spin forever until time itself died. Such a thing was clear cut to Umukamui, who preferred these kind of places to meet. After all, these were the place where his ilk reigned, and their assigned warriors lived and shed blood for the purposes known. “I can’t say i don’t like this kind of place for a meeting, but do you think a normal broad will purposefully come to a shady alley with the kind of invitation you did, fur ball?” The voice came from a young girl, who was dressed in a striking, bold style. Her infantile appeal was a stark contrast to her cocky, thuggish demeanour as she folded her arms. “They will come, Jonald and I are acquainted.” The creature said to the newest of said girls. And to the newest of his problems as well. Weapons needed to be polished before they were of use. Misshapen and bent blades, doubly so. And to be fair, this newest… agent of his was probably one of the shoddiest jobs he had done as Puchuu. As the sound of a soda can falling from the top of a trashcan undoubtedly grabbed their attention, Jonald made his appearance. Up until he was close enough to reach out and touch, his movement was fast enough to make him appear as a blur. He circled around the girl, before finally sitting before her. Like most Puchuu, Jonald would be considered 'cute' by most. His coat of fur was as clean as could be, he had a nice, lithe look about him. His magenta orbs moved from the girl over to her patron. "I've seen worse, I suppose," he commented. “Let me do the talking.” Umukamui twitched upon seeing Jonald entering. Always for the close up and personal entrance, that one. “Long time no see. I must apologize. I had a last minute setback. The self propelled vehicles of humankind are surprisingly lethal to magical girl candidates.” The small, fluff like creature announced, as the girl visibly flinched upon being inspected by the other Puchuu. “Two of them. Oh God, they’re multiplying.” The petite, bell-like voice of the girl was tainted with heavy snark upon finding this fact. “It begs me to question your whereabouts, Jonald, if something like... this… is considered acceptable. She was built with make-do materials on the spot. Even so, it will have to do, so I cannot have herself being incapacitated due to lack of basic handling.” “Oi I am not…” Sakura blurted out at Umikamui, before he continued his tirade. “A blunt scrap can still cut if it’s … sharpened properly. I suppose you could spare a bit of your time teaching… this...new girl… the ropes. And you, Magical Girl Sparky Heart, do not be an embarrassment to your name and stay put for the time being.” “F$*%& off, or I will punt you into a car.” The girl seemed to have quite the potty mouth, it seemed, coupled with middle finger and raspberry. Jonald narrowed his eyes. "Considering the vast amounts of... 'incidents' around here, Penrose hasn't had the luxury of picking and choosing its girls. As long as she doesn't fall apart, and listens, then that should suffice," he clarified, turning to the new girl. "Vulgar. And I'd wager listening isn't your strong suit? I'm sure you'll get along fine with my girl, Emily." “You wanna tussle, f*ckface?” was the answer of Sakura. “I ain’t listening to small mop aliens who take my manly bits just because of an accident!” The girl stood firm, striking a pose before attempting to drive a fist in Jonald’s face, only for her to trip her legs and slam herself facefirst against a trash bin. “...It’s only a few hours fresh” said Umukamui, as he watched the repurposed girl have her first bout of pantyshot ever. Probably one of many, if she did not wisen up. “A small consolation is that she is no stranger to violence. Nor blood.” As Sakura fell, Jonald darted up one wall and onto a fire escape, now looking down upon the two. "Yeah, I see that." he sneered. "Human parents are the type to discourage such behavior, but I suppose that fell upon deaf ears." he turned back to Umakamui. "Mine should be here short-" Before he could finish, the group would then hear the pattering of an approaching person, who turned out to be scantily dressed. She appeared on guard, quite obviously not happy with being here. "You showed up." Jonald called out without even bothering to turn back to her. The girl ignored Jonald entirely and didn't bother to spare a glance towards the other Puchuu, either. Instead, she focused entirely on Sakura. [color=turquoise]"You're new? I'm Emily, and I'd love to help you figure things out if you'll have me."[/color] Sakura eyed the other girl, starting with the things, then going all the way up, and letting a small wolf whistle. “Bit young, but me likes what me sees.” Sakura said, as she nursed the wound. “I was going to put this bastard under the wringer, but I guess the company and the ropes won’t be so bad after all. I’m Sakura, nice to meetcha. So um, how does this work?Did you just kill a magical girl and lost your dangly bits too?” If Umukamui had long enough limbs he would be facepalming. “Not all girls come from your background, Sakura.” Emily smiled, clearly missing the intent behind Sakura's words. [color=turquoise]"Thank you, I look forward to working with you as well!"[/color] It appeared that as far as Emily was concerned, it was only the two of them here. Jonald, seemingly used to this, remained quiet. There was a small pause once Sakura posed her question. She wasn't told how this girl came to be, only that there was a new one. Her circumstances were... unfortunate. [color=turquoise]"I'm so sorry to hear that,"[/color] she said. [color=turquoise]"I was asked to become a magical girl, and wanted it."[/color] it was only then that she finally acknowledged that Sakura had a patron. Glancing at Umukamui with a lot less warmth, she asked, [color=turquoise]"Has she got a place to stay?"[/color] Umukamui stood still, his beady expressionless eyes peeking at the girl, before tilting his head “Her belongings and mean of transport have been taken as collateral and sold to appropriate investors for the breach of contract this person has caused.” “...you sold...my flat?” Sakura said clenching her teeth. “Indeed, however, I have procured means of transportation. Just concentrate for a few seconds.” The critter indicated, and Sakura, in an amazing display of concentration and restraint, finally relented. A most excellent motorbike appeared in front of them seemingly out of thin air. “A motorbike. Why is it pink?” She added. “It’s a suitable method of transportation for one such as you.” “But why pink?” Sakura insisted. “Sakura is the name of the cherry blossom, isn’t it… it kinda suit…” The critter was interrupted halfway when the enraged young girl grabbed him all of a sudden and with all the strength she could muster, punted the offending hairball into an oncoming truck. “I’ve had enough! You took my dangly bits, You took my life, You took my flat, and now you try to make jokes with motorbikes and my name?! Go to hell!” She yelled, her voice shrill and agitated. After a few tense seconds, she eyed the other girl Emily. The whole realty was sinking in. “Let’s go to your place, then. Hopefully it won’t be a dump.” She added. Emily witnessed the violence towards Sakura's patron with indifference, then eyed Jonald, as if to say, "Maybe I'll do the same to you." He turned his nose up in response, then scurried to the top of the building. "I expect you to get her situated as fast a possible, Emily. And maybe teach her to be less of a brute." he cast a glance towards Umakamui's direction. "I'll be around if you require anything, it's the least I can do." so saying, the Puchuu left, disappearing somewhere on the rooftop. The fire-based girl nodded to Sakura. [color=turquoise]"Oh, um, sure..."[/color] the girl seemed unsure about the idea. [color=turquoise]"Here, I'll lead the way."[/color] .... .... It wasn't too far from where they met up that Emily led them. It was an apartment building, but it was on the cheaper side. The exterior had seen better days, but it wasn't entirely run down either. [color=turquoise]"In here,"[/color] she motioned for Sakura to follow, and then led the girl to the second floor of the building, where her room resided. Emily opened the door with her key and then motioned Sakura to come inside. It wasn't too spacious, a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment with a small living room and an even smaller kitchen. A small couch rested along the wall of the living room, with a table at the other end that kept the TV off the ground. Emily wasn't a very wealthy person, and it did show -- everything was bought on a budget. A few posters of some various characters from different anime were the only real decorations. Notably, the house was extremely clean. [color=turquoise]"I hope it's not too much of a dump for you,"[/color] she smiled. [color=turquoise]"It's all I can really afford right now."[/color] Sakura had calmed herself down after the short travel. Apparently being under a roof and no longer being completely destitute was a good thing for her. She let her slouch set in, and dropped herself on the couch. “It’s nice. Kinda reminds me of mah old place. But it smells way better.” The young girl said. “Got any beer?” She nonchalantly asked. It was then when a presence appeared next to her on the couch. Fluffy, with beady eyes. “Magical girls don’t drink usually.” said Umukamui, which prompted Sakura to flail in surprise. “That was not… as humans said, nice. But we have our ways to fix these situations.” The critter added. “I look forward to your development.” The small thing scurried away, as soon as he had entered. “Hopefully he didn’t raid the cola supply.” Sakura said, in her best effort to get used to this kind of stuff. “So, girl time, huh. What now? You gonna teach me how to use zap zap magical tramp powers to kill motherf*ckers? Tell me there’s no dancing involved.” [color=turquoise]“Um, no,”[/color] she denied to both ‘magical tramp powers’ and ‘dancing’, but then recalled something. [color=turquoise]“Well, actually, you do need to chant to summon your outfit, and unless you’re one of the more blessed magical girls it… takes a little while.”[/color] she sighed. [color=turquoise]“Oh, and it’s really flashy. Here, I’ll show you.”[/color] Emily returned to her human form temporarily, and then took a step back while closing her eyes. With a deep inhale, she began her chant. [color=turquoise]“I am the Star of Morning,”[/color] at this, she thrust her hand out, and flames began coiling around her arm. [color=turquoise]“The Child of Dawn,”[/color] slowly, the flames snaked up her arm, further and further until they reached her shoulder, at which point it engulfed the rest of her body in a brilliant turquoise inferno, briefly rotating her and lifting into the air a couple of feet. [color=turquoise]“The Star thrown to Earth shall obtain victory!”[/color] as she finished her chant, the flames died out rather quickly, and there stood the magical girl Lucifer. Or Emily, she hadn’t been using that nickname for a while now. [color=turquoise]“...I-it takes some getting used to,”[/color] she confessed, a bit embarrased by her chant. [color=turquoise]“And I’ll do my best to help you learn your limits and control your specialization.”[/color] “Right.” Sakura said. She had to do that stupid dance the rat had taught her every single time, did she? A great start, this one was. At least the transformation of her tutor was lovely. Now if she had a few more years… “I guess it’s uuh. worth a shot.” She stood up, her arms proud, and concentrated, gritting her teeth. “Sparksparkloveofmyheart.” She said in a monotone tone, her eyes becoming limp and dead. It was then when a surge was felt, and enveloped her body, electricity beginning to flicker in the flat as the younger girl began to float, her clothes shifting and changing under a pure blue electric light, adjusting her uniform. It was then when Magical Girl Sparky Heart was manifest for the first time since her creation. “Well it wasn’t that…” She said, while shrugging, and unintentionally discharging a mass of electricity that exploded three lightbulbs. “...bad?” [color=turquoise]"Oh,"[/color] Emily stared at the destroyed light bulbs for a second. In hindsight, maybe bringing the inexperienced magical girl to her room and encouraging her to transform wasn't the optimal strategy here. Well, at least she had a few spare ones. [color=turquoise]"You know, starting as a magical girl, I remember control being the most difficult aspect of it all,"[/color] she explained. [color=turquoise]"I sorta burned down a small tool shack one of my first times, so it's all okay."[/color] Emily retreated into the small kitchen, reaching into the space between the wall and the fridge, and pulled out a dustpan and a broom. Once done, she returned and began sweeping up the glass off the floor with the speed of an experienced maid. She spoke as she worked. [color=turquoise]"We should probably find a less... damage-prone area to work on your abilities in."[/color] she laughed. [color=turquoise]"The school would be an okay place if we don't want to go too far, otherwise we could try somewhere else."[/color] she finished cleaning and then dumped the glass in the garbage can. [color=turquoise]"I know that you've just changed, but just how fresh are you, if you don't mind my asking? Did you at least have enough time for your Puchuu to tell you anything about what's going on in Penrose?"[/color] “I dunno, i had one mother of a weird drunk dream where an angry furball berated at me after a traffic accident, and today I woke up as this. So i guess… 48 hours…” Sakura said, after cancelling her transformation. “...tops.” She paused. “Well, I do know about some stuff about this city, but not the part where children can wield fire and thunder and listen to weird fluffy things.” “Oh, how about the junkyard? Nobody ever minds about stuff happening at junkyards. You can easily hide a body there if things go really awry.” Sakura added. “And you can tell me whose balls I am supposed to bust now.” [color=turquoise]"Penrose has been a hot spot for various troubles over the last few months, so things have been quite hectic."[/color] Emily explained. She'd only arrived here amid things, so it wasn't like she was an expert either, but she knew enough. [color=turquoise]"There's essentially a crusade against Dark Magical Girls and the such. Oh, you wouldn't know about those, would you?"[/color] She pressed her index finger to her lips. [color=turquoise]"Mm, I suppose you would say they're not as magically stable as other magical girls? But name aside, they're not exclusively bad or anything."[/color] She looked at Sakura. [color=turquoise]"I think fighting other girls should only be done as a last resort. But the world is home to harmful monsters which magical girls are made to fight. I think those should be your main target since they're a danger to anyone and everyone."[/color] “Alright, alright I get the gist of it.” Sakura said, fidgeting with her hair. “So we have magical crackheads, freaks and law enforcement?” Sakura’s eyes seemed to shine with unabashed glee. “Awesome. Brutal even. And here I was going to think I was going to get bored. So, we stomp on everyone and get our turf to boss level, yes?” [color=turquoise]"S-something like that..."[/color] Emily tried to smile and forget about the more vicious nature of her new compatriot. [color=turquoise]"Usually, your Puchuu will direct you to something of interest, such as a monster terrorizing people. They're also supposed to give you the information you need to succeed if it's available, as well as ensure you're not getting in over your head."[/color] she elaborated. [color=turquoise]"They're supposed to, anyway. Not that it looks like I'll need to tell you this, but their actions aren't always in your best interest."[/color] She seemed like she was speaking from experience. [color=turquoise]"And I'm not sure if there's a 'boss', but most people take notice of people who repeatedly achieve great things."[/color] Sakura eyed her comrade, before throwing a fist in her general direction as a salute. “It’s okay. I’m baptised in fire, even if my body is that of a little girl right now. Corporate furballs got nothin’ on me. If there’s no boss, We will become boss!” Sakura grinned widely, tilting her head. “That’s a nice smile you have, sis. Don’t let that smile disappear. Life is too dark and too short to worry about the small things. If there’s a bunch of corporate slaves telling little girls to fend off monsters and shady organizations, that’s not our fault. It’d be our fault if we did nothing about creeps and idiots. Fortune favours the bold, after all.” The younger girl puffed her little chest, before trying to make a triumphal exit and then stopping on her heels. “Uh… I don’t suppose I could crash by here for a while until i find a new place, do you? I will do whatever work’s needed.” She added. “I prefer bounties, though. Not much of a number crunching m…gal.” Emily nodded enthusiastically. [color=turquoise]"Of course! It would be cruel to abandon someone, especially a sister in need. As you see, it's not exactly a five-star hotel or anything, but you're welcome as long as you'd like."[/color] she looked up and to the side as she tried to come up with something. [color=turquoise]"Um, I normally volunteer at a soup kitchen that needs any help it can get, but its been locked tight since the evacuation, even though there are still people who need it..."[/color] she sighed, but then regained her smile. [color=turquoise]"Well, I don't expect nor want rent from you, so as long as you don't burn the place down, I don't mind. If anything, I'll take you along any simpler monster contracts or the sort I come across."[/color] as if remembering something, she raised a finger. [color=turquoise]"Oh, exactly how familiar are you with Penrose?"[/color] “Had a few jobs in my youth, nice stripper clubs, and there’s this bunch of a**holes who turn people into little girls and rob them of everything, so a few things. None of that matters to this. But I know this Sushi joint that looks shady but it has awesome food.” Sakura added before an ominous growl could be heard. “I don’t think I have eaten anything since…this.” She sentenced. As if bound together by a bond surpassing human comprehension, a low growl also came from Emily's stomach. [color=turquoise]"O-oh, I suppose it'd be good to eat, then. We can go to the place you mentioned, and it'll be my treat."[/color] she offered. “Pity I can’t treat you to booze.” Sakura said. She was in no position to refuse, as much as she wanted to. [color=turquoise]“Alright, let’s head out, then!”[/color] And with this, the newly-formed duo departed Emily's place to begin a quest for good, but potentially lethal, sushi.