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Everything had begun to fall into place. Obstacles had fallen in front of her path, but every obstruction she faced had been cleared one after another. There was only a single issue left - The Mint. Al’s request was achievable, but difficult; Penny’s robot half was Beacon aligned, from what her sources found. The Spark she wielded made extracting the information impossible, and kidnapping her was less than easy. Although it had become the only option available, The Boss hated lying with a sustained and continuous passion. The Penrose Independent had been established specifically to combat lying, to prevent the spread of misinformation as best as physically possible, with what limited resources were available.

But if Penny knew the information was for The Mint, she would never give it up. Eden sighed, stood in the centre of a clearing on the outskirts of Penrose City, phone in one hand, and a Red Coin in the other. Penny had already been informed of the location, and Thalia was on her way, though she would arrive later. A night time chill bit the air of the surroundings, though Eden didn’t feel anything. She just stood, waiting.

[color=4F8092][u]”Question. Has the designated time yet to be reached?”[/u][/color] a robotic voice would call out from behind Eden as the robotic half of Penny crested the lip of the building. Before stopping to survey the environment.

Eden’s head quickly turned in the direction of the voice, the stoic facade she wore as a precedent cracking for a brief moment of surprise. That wasn’t the plan. If she had been paying attention, she would have seen the arrival of both halves coming, but it didn’t cross her mind; she was becoming careless. Her eyes darted across the individual sections of the robot’s body, as she reaffirmed the information she had already gathered. All she could hope was that the data from her [b][i]Third Eye[/i][/b] could fill in enough of the gaps in the mech’s magical construction for Al to be satisfied.

[colour=BlueViolet]”I wasn’t expecting you,”[/colour] she replied in kind, turning to face her as she approached. [colour=BlueViolet]”She’s on her way, although, well, I had hoped to ask - the other one - some questions. About you. But, since you’re here, guess I’ll have to make do.”[/colour]

[color=4F8092][u]“Early. Acknowledged”[/u][/color] Penny would reply turning her flat gaze onto Eden more fully [color=4F8092][u]“What inquires do you have?”[/u][/color] She would ask simply as she watched the other girl her stance and face showing no emotion. Magically there was very little going on that could be traced, There was a constant hum of Lightning magic surrounding her, and her form seemed to have countless lingering traces of Metal magic. But nothing that pointed as to how it was she was operating.

[color=C76689][b]“Questions? Why are we asking questions?”[/b][/color] a familiar voice would call out as the other half of Penny dropped out of the sky. She would look around much as her other half did but had an obvious look of disappointment on her face [color=C76689][b]“Is it to pass the time while we wait for Thalia?”[/b][/color]

[colour=BlueViolet]”Sure, something like that,”[/colour] once again Eden tilted her head to look towards the new arrival. With the Mecha-Penny present, the lie she had prepared wouldn’t work. She needed something new. [colour=BlueViolet]”I’ve been having a special Artifact made for some time now, from an Overcity Artificer called Riley. Recently they… well, kind of fucked me over on a deal, if I’m being honest, and they upped their price. They want to know about how you came to exist, uh… Beacon Penny? Mecha-Penny? - Mecha-Penny sounds good. What you’re made of, how you’re subsisting on half a soul and the Spark, stuff like that. I was hoping you could help me out, one of you, either, both - I’d be in your debt.”[/colour]

[color=4F8092][u]“Penny”[/u][/color] The robotic version of the girl in question would reply firmly “My name is Penny” She would give her head a small shake as she refocused on the actual questions that had been posed.

[color=C76689][b]“Pretty sure that she’s made out of simple steel”[/b][/color] The human half would answer looking at her robotic counterpart with an unreadable look [color=C76689][b]“Enchanted, duh, but otherwise it’s a normal metal”[/b][/color]

[color=4F8092][u]“Correct”[/u][/color] Robo-Penny would confirm [color=4F8092][u]“Soul separation wasn’t done by either of us, so I can’t speak about anything in relation to that”[/u][/color] There was also the fact that they weren’t really subsisting, it wasn’t a natural or even magical Split and both of them could tell that their soul was hampered by it and slowly degrading. That wasn’t something either half was going to go about advertising however.

[color=C76689][b]“I don’t know why she ended up with the Spark though”[/b][/color] human Penny would ponder aloud.

[color=4F8092][u]“Chloe”[/u][/color] The Machine half would answer in a deadpan, even though it wasn’t strictly the truth. [color=4F8092][u]“What specifications are you inquiring about?”[/u][/color]

[colour=BlueViolet]”If this was Chloe’s work then that explains a lot,”[/colour] she commented. After a moment's contemplation, Eden took a step towards the robot half, and another, slowly walking her way towards the entity, tracing her form with her gaze. Compared to Penny’s height, Eden only came up to around her chest, and as she stepped up directly before her, hand slightly outstretched between the two, a pair of inquisitive eyes met the robot’s own. [colour=BlueViolet]”I’m no Spirit Mage, but I know a fair amount about souls. If this is just enchanted metal - it’s a skilled anchoring job. So this is what the distortions in your voice were about, you were coming apart. Whatever happened, I suppose The Spark bound itself to the least corrupted fragment of your soul, but if that’s the case… this must be awful for you, huh?”[/colour]

The acknowledgement of knowing Chloe had both of the Penny’s gazes focusing on Eden in different ways. The Machine narrowed her eyes slightly, as she was reanalyzing her. The human wore a more surprised but happy look. 

[color=C76689][b]“My voice was being distorted?”[/b][/color] The human would ask as she rocked back on her heels as she tried to recall that tidbit. [color=C76689][b]“Don’t recall that, I do recall it feeling terrible as she was becoming more active though. I don’t at the moment however.”[/b][/color]

[color=4F8092][u]“I am curious as to why you believe that I should be facing duress for the separation.”[/u][/color] Mecha Penny would reply [color=4F8092][u]“Is it purely to do with my current housing?”[/u][/color]

[colour=BlueViolet]”Because this was a forced split,”[/colour] tentatively, Eden made a move to place a hand on Penny’s body, if she would allow it. [colour=BlueViolet]”Twin Souls are half and half, but that’s a natural split in a magically enriched environment. There’s no way for you or Chloe to recreate that, so she probably just split the soul into halves, didn’t she?  Even if you don’t feel the side effects, you’re [i]wounded[/i]. A part of you has been removed, believe me I know how that feels and it’s not pleasant. Just tell me what’s going on - you’ll probably explain it to Thalia anyway, won’t you? - I’ll hear it then regardless, but this is important to me.”[/colour]
 
The Penny in question would take a step backwards in relation to Eden’s attempt to place a hand on her. Her features never shifted from dull indifference, but the hum of lightning would gather together, vaguely aimed in Eden’s direction. [color=4F8092][u]“I acknowledge the fact that my soul is damaged, it was such long before this split.”[/u][/color] She would explain slowly as she kept her gaze on Eden. [color=4F8092][u]“The Split itself was rather unpleasant as well, and it is my assumption that Chloe ‘cut’ along the already formed division within us rather than simply carve out halfs blindly. Still your assumption is not in error, but I would not describe it as painful, or aweful. Just cold.”[/u][/color]

[color=C76689][b]“She patched mine up after”[/b][/color] The human Penny would chime in [color=C76689][b]“Spent most of a night working on it. Would that be why I don’t notice anything?”[/b][/color] She would ask a concerned look on her face as she peered at her other half.

[color=4F8092][u]“What are you trying to determine exactly?”[/u][/color] Mecha would ask [color=4F8092][u]“You have more information then we do. Neither of us are versed in souls, yet it seems like you are probing for something specific.”[/u][/color]

[colour=BlueViolet]”Hm, that tracks,”[/colour] despite the build of electricity, Eden made no move to stop approaching, until Penny moved backwards. If she hadn’t, she likely would have continued, even in spite of any voltage Penny might have delivered. But as the robot girl moved away, she retracted her hand slightly, and looked backwards toward the human form. And past her. [colour=BlueViolet]”I wanted to scan the magic in your body. With any luck I could map your soul and the damage in the process, but we’re out of time, it seems.

“This is how it’s gonna work,”[/colour] she turned her back on Mecha-Penny, and began walking towards the human half. As she did, she reached into her coat, pulling out a number of items - a silver circlet, a chain bracelet, and finally, the Red Coin itself. Once they were stood face to face, Eden held them out for Penny to take. [colour=BlueViolet]”The chain is for Thalia, the circlet is for you. I’m gonna head off out of sight so she doesn’t immediately freak out, and you’ll give her the chain - it’s designed so I’ll have an easier time connecting my magic to her mind. Problem is, I’m… not exceptionally great at using this magic yet. The circlet is to keep the shutdown command I’m issuing Thalia from putting you down too. Robot half is fine, as long as she keeps up focus on her Spark, but this has to happen quickly. Tell her the chain is from Cindy to keep her stable, hold her down, do whatever you have to so we won’t have to fight her. Got it?”[/colour]

The more squishy variant of Penny would quickly nod her understanding, slipping the circlet on to her head as she did. Before taking hold of the bracelet and running her thumb over it, she would take a moment to examine the enchantments within the metal of the two objects but would stay where she was, pocketing the Red coin until it was needed.

The less human version would simply move closer to her other half, her platting shifting to hide the Purification amulet she wore within her, near to her heart. Both of them would turn to face the direction that Eden had looked out towards waiting for the moment that they would catch sight of their foxy friend.

Eden nodded. Neither enchantment was particularly complex, but to a Third Eye user, or magically sensitive individual, there were evident traces of a Psychic Specialisation. She glanced back in the same direction she had looked before, through a wall and a little ways into the city, having picked up the trace of Thalia’s mind encroaching on their location. And then she began walking away, quickly vanishing from either Penny’s sight, leaving the two alone.

Minutes passed. Without Eden there to identify how far away Thalia was, neither would be able to tell, until almost five minutes later, when [url=http://orig04.deviantart.net/ea20/f/2016/344/f/a/_4k_uhd__ahri_and_snow_by_assassinwarrior-daqo0db.jpg]the fox girl[/url] emerged from out of the shadows. She was sealed, evident from the lack of her tails, but still a pair of fluffy ears sprouted from atop her head. Her hands were enwrapped in a set of winter gloves, the tops of which bore the design of paws, and had been pushed back to reveal her fingers, which held fast around the familiar white of the Meditation Stone.

[colour=Silver]”Penny..?”[/colour] she asked, somewhat timidly. She was clearly not expecting there to be two individuals, and almost immediately she shrunk back a small amount, drawing her hands and the stone closer to her chest.

[color=4F8092][u]“Evening Thalia”[/u][/color] [color=C76689][b]“Heya Foxy!”[/b][/color] They would both speak their greeting at the same instant before giving the other half a look.

[color=4F8092][u]“I’m glad to see that the stone has been helping”[/u][/color] Mecha Penny would reply with a slight tilt of her head.

[color=C76689][b]“And it’s good to see you again!”[/b][/color] the human half said with a smile, timidly stepping closer to Thalia. [color=C76689][b]“Can I give you a hug?”[/b][/color] she would ask calmly, slipping the bracelet up her sleeve with her magic.

[color=4F8092][u]“Before you get too confused we are both Penny. There was an incident a few days ago that led to us being split.”[/u][/color] The machine half would explain not moving from where she stood but there was a small smile on her face as well. [color=4F8092][u]“We both wanted to be here in a show of support for you”[/u][/color]

[color=C76689][b]“We are still your friend”[/b][/color]  The human Penny would add before tossing a minor glare at her other half [color=C76689][b]“Even if we don’t agree on much else”[/b][/color] 

[color=4F8092][u]“Not the time nor place”[/u][/color]

[colour=Silver]”You’re… both Penny?”[/colour] Thalia asked incredulously. Her retracting seemed to end for a moment, and a vague comfort took over her, but there was still an obvious tenseness remaining, as the sudden rush of anxiety flooded her body. But she took another step forward, meeting the human half partway. [colour=Silver]”S-sure, uh, yeah, hugs. Hugs are nice. Wh-what do you mean ‘split’..? That’s n-not something that’ll happen to me, right?”[/colour]

[color=C76689][b]“No”[/b][/color] The human Penny would reply, wrapping Thalia in a warm hug. [color=C76689][b]“Not unless you want it to anyway. Magic coins are tricky like that.”[/b][/color]

[color=4F8092][u]“Our separation is more akin to those who have a Twinned soul”[/u][/color] Robo Penny would explain [color=4F8092][u]“We are both Penny, or perhaps a better way to put it is that we are each a half of Penny. Such as the logical side”[/u][/color] She would point to herself [color=4F8092][u]“And the emotional side”[/u][/color] She would point to her other half still hugging Thalia gently.

[color=C76689][b]“How have you been?”[/b][/color] The human would ask as she slowly walked both her and Thalia closer to her mechanical half. As she walked them over she would silently slide it across to her far hand so that it wouldn’t be as easily noticed and so that she could quickly slip it around Thalia’s wrist if she needed to or pull it out to show it off, depending on how the next little while went. [color=C76689][b]“Haven't heard much from you since we got back.”[/b][/color]

[colour=Silver]”It’s… not been great,”[/colour] she sheepishly said. As the human half hugged her, Thalia reciprocated warmly, a soft smile cresting her lips as she allowed herself to be walked towards the robot half. But despite the softness in her expression, if the robot half was paying attention, Thalia’s eyes drifted to the side, staring out of her periphery. She had a Third Eye. She could see the magic being used. [colour=Silver]”She broke my new phone, a-and I didn’t have enough money to buy another one. S-so I looked for a job to try and keep her docile, and get enough for a new-new phone. I-I just… didn’t want you to think I wasn’t in control…”[/colour]

[color=C76689][b]“Hey no need for that”[/b][/color] The squishy version would say kindly [color=C76689][b]“That’s what we are here for right?”[/b][/color]

[color=4F8092][u]“On that”[/u][/color] Mecha Penny would continue on giving her less rational half a pointed look [color=4F8092][u]“Why not pass along the gift from Cindy? You’re forgetting she has Third Eye, it’s not going to be a surprise.”[/u][/color] She would go on to say folding her arms across her chest as she did so.

[color=C76689][b]“Huh?”[/b][/color] Human Penny would say before recollection dawn upon her a moment later [color=C76689][b]“Ah dang it”[/b][/color] she would pout as she raised her off hand and let the delicate looking bracelet slip out of her sleeve to hang in mid air. [color=C76689][b]“I was having fun being able to use magic”[/b][/color] She would add sheepishly at being caught out.

[color=4F8092][u]“According to her it will help you stay in control long enough to move on to the next step”[/u][/color] Machine Penny would explain, profusely being vague in case the Vixen was listening in. She did the same often enough back when she had been in the same situation after all.

[colour=Silver]”Cindy agreed to help me?”[/colour] Thalia asked, eyes drawn from the Metal Magic to the Psychic aura the bracelet held. Almost immediately, from the moment she saw the chain, her gaze darted between it, and the two Penny’s. Something was wrong. Despite being Sealed, she pushed away from the hug with uncharacteristically intense strength, and stumbled backwards a few paces, where her hands clasped tight around the meditation stone. It was easy to tell from Thalia’s quickened breathing that a surge of fear had struck her. She scrunched her eyes closed, pulling the stone close to her chest, and stood still, attempting to regulate her breathing. [colour=SlateGray]”I-I’m not gonna run... I’m not[/colour][colour=Silver] gonna run, I don’t [i]want[/i] to run. You can’t make me.”[/colour]

There was a single moment of uncertainty shared between the two Penny’s as Thalia started to panic. Neither had missed the fact that it was seeing the bracelet that caused this incident, but now was not the time to dwell on that. Human Penny would take a large step back as the Machine Penny moved forward [color=4F8092][u]“Thalia I am here”[/u][/color] She would say softly as she took a step closer to the distraught girl [color=4F8092][u]“Focus on the stone and listen to me”[/u][/color] She ordered, her voice still soft, stepping closer once again.

While Robo-Penny was taking all the focus, Human Penny magically killed all sound coming from her and slipped behind Thalia. Once she was hidden from sight she slipped one of the links on the bracelet open, turning it into just a simple chain.

[color=4F8092][u]“Breath. Once in deeply. Hold it. Then out”[/u][/color] Machine Penny would continue walking Thalia through a breathing exercise. To both try and help calm her down and to keep the attention. [color=4F8092][u]“Again, deeply. Hold it. Then out.”[/u][/color]

At the start of the next repetition Penny would throw the small chain with exceptional accuracy while also guiding it with her magic towards Thalia’s exposed wrist. The open length of chain would wrap around her arm and reseal itself the instant it came into contact with her arm.

Both Penny’s were ready to rush Thalia if needed as a backup plan, but neither of them wanted to hurt her.

Eyes still held shut, Thalia leant into the robot half as she approached, following the breathing instructions to the best of her abilities. In the brief moment of recognising the Psychic Specialisation on the bracelet, The Vixen reacted in fear, but Thalia had no intention of letting that happen. All she had to do was concentrate, she had been cultivating the skill since returning from the beach. Taking time to meditate had helped immensely, but she was sick of being controlled by something other than herself. Even if it was just the emotion driven half of Penny, one of her first asks had been to hug, and Thalia missed it.

In the temporary state between consciousnesses, focussing on herself, and the stone, and Mecha-Penny’s instructions, she only just felt the chain encircle her wrist. In a half second’s loss of focus, her eyes opened, and her full gaze fell upon the bracelet. And then she unsealed. A charred black, sprawling mass of fur erupted from her back, and her clothes fell away to be replaced with her dress. The Meditation Stone fell from her hands, and Thalia leapt back, immediately attempting to distance herself from the Penny’s.

[colour=SlateGray]”So that’s what this was?! You were just trying to trap m-”[/colour] A clawed hand reached out to tear the bracelet free from her wrist as she shouted, but her words were cut short. A sudden looseness struck her body, as every muscle untensed and her limbs went slack, and her eyes unfocussed, until she began to fall forwards. Without being caught, her body was aimed to hit the ground face first.

The machine was prepared for the reaction that came and was right along with Thalia as she tried to gain distance, her eyes glowing from within due to her Spark. One of her spider legs lashed out and caught the meditation stone from mid air as the rest of the all snapped out as the Machine lunged at her to restrain her.

She didn’t halt that action in retaliation to Thalia suddenly dropping, but Robo Penny did catch her with much gentler than she was originally intending to do.

The human half could only watch as everything resolved itself in a few heart beats. She would rock back on to her heels as she looked off in the direction that Eden had vanished in waiting for the enigmatic girl to reappear for a moment before striding closer to Thalia, pulling out the Red Coin as she did.

[colour=BlueViolet][i]”That went better than expected,”[/i][/colour] came a voice from within the human half of Penny’s head. It was easily recognisable as Eden. [colour=BlueViolet][i]”Give me a moment, she’s fighting back a little more than I thought. I’ll have her back in a sec.”[/i][/colour]

A moment passed. Then a minute. For a moment it almost seemed like she wasn’t waking up at all, but Eden gave no word about any complications or issues. But after two minutes the fox girl let out a groan, reaching up with a gloved hand from wherever she was sat or leant to rub her forehead. Her eyes flitted, as if she had just blinked open into the blazing sun.

[colour=Silver]”Owww, owowowow… did you hit me with something?”[/colour] Thalia asked openly, attempting to focus on something, but only vaguely making out the shape of Mecha-Penny.

The Human Penny would be thrown for a loop at hearing Eden in her head and jumped in surprise and nearly pulled the circlet off, before understanding was reached. She would let out a breath and mutter to herself “A little more warning next time would be appreciated.” before moving to sit next to her other half.

The robot half would carefully turn Thalia over so as she sat down so that Thalia was cradled against her softly as they waited. The squishy half would barely make it past the one minute mark before she would once again be up but also currently pacing as well.

The Machine Penny would simply sit still and wait but would quickly reply once Thalia started to come back to her senses [color=4F8092][u]“No, but I think that Vixen tried to make an appearance before the bracelet did what it was designed to do.”[/u][/color] She would explain as she leaned back a little to give Thalia a bit of space as she tried to focus.

[colour=Silver]”Bracelet..?”[/colour] she blinked a number of times more, until the light bled away into colour, and her gaze fell onto her wrist. For a moment, Thalia attempted to hold herself on her own weight, struggling briefly against Penny’s grasp, but almost as quickly as she began, she slumped back into the hold, still visibly reeling from some kind of headache. [colour=Silver]”What happened, what do you mean she tried to - a-are you both okay? I-I didn’t… hurt you, r-right?”[/colour]

[color=4F8092][u]“They panicked at the sight of it”[/u][/color] Penny would reply making no move to stand, and simply let Thalia continue to rest against her [color=4F8092][u]“But before anything could happen It seems to have knocked you out. Not long, a pair of minutes.”[/u][/color]

[color=C76689][b]“If it did that to you however it likely did the same, or worse to the Monster.”[/b][/color] Her Human half would add as she stopped pacing and came over. [color=C76689][b]“Might be the best time to use the Coin. You feeling up to it?”[/b][/color] She would ask as she offered up the Red coin that Eden had given her to hold.

[colour=Silver]”I-if I use that, it’ll… change me, right?”[/colour] despite asking, and looking towards the human half and the Coin, the question didn’t appear like one that Thalia needed an answer to. It was affirmation, asking herself if she was ready for it. If she was okay with leaving behind who she was to become something, and someone else. A visible aura of anxiety seemed to wash over her face, a sheen of water glossed over her eyes, and her gloved hands clenched as she stared at the coin with her Third Eye. [colour=Silver]”I-I’m gonna miss the tails, eheh… if I do it, then me, I’m never going to see you again, a-am I? It’ll be somebody else… I want her gone, I-I want this to be over, but… I’m gonna miss you…”[/colour]

[color=4F8092][u]“Shh it’s not going to be like that”[/u][/color] Penny would sooth the girl gently, surprisingly it was the mechanical one speaking. [color=4F8092][u]“It shifts and changes your magic. Not your memories or personality. You are not going anywhere. Vixen is a product of your magic, it changing around will cause her to go away but that is it.”[/u][/color] She would explain giving Thaila a light hug [color=4F8092][u]“I’ll still be here when you get done with the change I promise.”[/u][/color]

The other half of Penny would just be watching her other half with a strange look. But she would agree with her [color=C76689][b]“One of my friends at Beacon used a Red Coin. She looks completely different, with completely different powers and specializations but she is still who she was before the change.”[/b][/color]  She would smile at the fox girl warmly as explained Jannet’s transformation [color=C76689][b]“So you’ll still be our friend on the other side of this coin, it won’t change that”[/b][/color]

[colour=Silver]”You promise..?”[/colour] Thalia asked, directed towards both of them. The warmth that both of them shared with her was a far cry from how things were back on the ship. Penny had been reluctant to even get too close, but now both halves were more than willing to deal out embraces. It made her happy, to still have friends in spite of everything, though it didn’t completely dissipate the nervousness that had set it. She reached up and wiped a tear from her eye, and then looked towards the human half. [colour=Silver]”A-alright, how… How does this work? I-is there an activating thing? Pass-phrase? D-do I need a safeword?”[/colour]

[color=4F8092][u]“Promise. You just grab hold of it, and focus on what you want it to do”[/u][/color] The machine would say to start [color=C76689][b]“The Coin will take care of the rest”[/b][/color] Finished the human.

[colour=Silver]”Hold it, focus, sure, I-I can do that,”[/colour] with one hand, she gently released herself from the Mecha-Penny’s hug, and with the other, reached over to take the Coin from the human half. In her hand she could feel it, the cold of the metal against her fingertips, but equally the odd power that it contained. With a smile towards the two girls, she took a few steps back, and clutched the Coin tight within her palm. [colour=Silver]”Guess this is it… Um… I-I’m sorry, for how much I hurt you. But, th-thank you. For helping me, for, for not giving up on me, I-I… I’ll see you later, Squishy Penny, Optimus Penny,

"I-I love you both,"[/colour] was the last thing either of them would hear, before the space Thalia occupied was engulfed in red lightning. A brilliant, crimson hue radiated out from the centre as Thalia clenched her fists, focussing, holding onto the essence of herself while the Coin shattered and bled into her hand. The space seemed to exude a fervent heat, causing the air around it to ripple, obscuring visibility even further than before. But through the arcs of electricity the silhouette of Thalia could still be seen; the tails that spread and fanned out behind her receded until they were no longer visible, as did the ears atop her head. With every second she seemed to grow thinner, and shorter, losing at least four inches within the span of seconds.

Externally, Thalia could feel nothing. The changes to her height and extra appendages barely registered, but internally, within her anatomy, mind, and soul, she was wracked with pain. More pain than she could describe. Even from within the whirlwind of magic and electricity, it was possible to hear Thalia cry out in agony. A deep seated inferno had lodged within her chest, searing every nerve ending with magic, and feeding back into her soul, rending to its absolute limit. And then it all seemed to stop at once. The pain in her chest transformed into a warm, pulsing calm, spreading to every corner of her body and back, and a strange sense of clarity fell upon her, while in response, the violent surge of energy surrounding her collapsed to a standstill.

Stood where Thalia had been before, was a [url=https://i.imgur.com/oKJSN3L.jpg]girl[/url], several inches shorter than her original form. A blue school uniform enshrouded her, covered over with a darker blue jacket, and a red, striped scarf, which caused her shoulder length white-blonde hair to puff out at the sides. She looked around confused, blinking back the light after opening her eyes after what seemed like an eternity. Every breath she took was shaky, and shallow, and she looked like she might fall over or vomit at any second, though she tried her best to remain composed, and upright.

[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/200321/807ec84b51c7ca6f1b89ba14c875ff6a.png[/img][/center]

[colour=RoyalBlue]"Is... is it over? Did I do it?"[/colour] she asked, her voice notably rattled, but calmer, and slightly higher pitched than Thalia's used to be.

In lieu of a normal response a small round drone popped out of Robo-Penny’s shoulder. It would float around the mechanical girl's head for a moment before focusing it’s camera lens on Thalia. A moment, and a few beeps, later it would project a small holographic image above itself of Thalia as she was currently. It wouldn’t take long to learn that it was a real time capture of the girl either.

[color=4F8092][u]“I believe that is sufficient enough for an answer”[/u][/color] The still sitting Penny would reply with a small smirk.

[color=C76689][b]“Woah..”[/b][/color] the squishier Penny would say as she let out a large breath. She had been somewhat worried about how it was going the moment that Thalia started screaming out, but quickly that would be replaced by a wide smile now that her friend was okay. [color=C76689][b]“How do you feel?”[/b][/color] She would ask, stepping closer to get a better look at Thalia's new look.

[colour=RoyalBlue]”I… I’m okay. I think? You’re a lot taller than I remember,”[/colour] she commented, eyeing the drone nervously. As the holograph appeared, she took a step forward towards it, trying to look at herself as best as possible. [colour=RoyalBlue]”Why did I get fetish wear as my new outfit? Whose idea was?! - ah, ow, ow, that’s really weird, it feels like there’s something, I don’t know, in my chest? Everything feels [i]strange[/i], how am I meant to get used to being short, off balance, and having something in my chest?!”[/colour]

[color=C76689][b]“Practice”[/b][/color] came the pragmatic response from the human Penny as she walked over and poked Thalia in the side [color=C76689][b]“Might also want to try out your magic so that you have an idea what it is now as it might have changed”[/b][/color] She would add as she walked around Thalia. Silently she would slap the links on the bracelet as she went and pull it back to her.

[color=4F8092][u]“I fail to see how this would constitute fetish wear”[/u][/color] the Machine penny would add as she stood up. [color=4F8092][u]“Also said embedment could be part of your new physiology”[/u][/color] She would offer up as a possibility. After all she had been a fox girl before, what she was now was not yet known. 

Either way the drone would hover around Thalia so that she could also get an idea of what she looked like, even as it continued to project in the same location.

[colour=RoyalBlue]”My magic… sure, okay, let’s see how this works,”[/colour] Thalia echoed, partially attempting to psych herself up for the task. When she first became a Magical Girl under Lothreen, she had known instinctively what kind of magic she had been granted. But this time, she had no idea what to do, except for one thing: summoning her weapon. Thalia concentrated for a moment, focussing on bringing the signature she knew she possessed to her hand, and then released it with a burst of wind enough to blow both Penny’s hair back. With a flex of her palm, and a brief burst of light, [url=https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/646110604876316692/646110800347529238/60f7fa1fb0f40c91ad8480bd69669cc3.png]a sword[/url] formed within her hand, the blade shining faintly with a white and red hue. The length of the metal crackled with electricity, but before she could take it in fully, her free hand clutched at her chest, as a strong, burning pain formed at her core. [colour=RoyalBlue]”Ow, owowow, that really hurts… why does it hurt so much? I-it’s not meant to, ah, right?”[/colour]

[color=C76689][b]“I don’t know…”[/b][/color] The squishy Penny would reply as she slipped off the circlet now that it was no longer needed.

[color=4F8092][u]“Try focusing on the point of pain with your magic, and see if that helps”[/u][/color] Offered the machine half as she drew her gaze away from the intricate weapon.

[colour=RoyalBlue]”A-at least I’m not losing control to some animal, huh?”[/colour] Thalia joked, cracking half a smile at her own poor comedy through gritted teeth. The sound of air being sucked through a small space filled the air and she breathed deep, regulating herself as best as possible amidst the pain in an attempt to halt it. She could feel the warmth - a searing heat deep within her - but as she focussed, even the Penny’s could feel it. The air around her wavered as though on a hot day, in spite of the Penrose cold. [colour=RoyalBlue]”That helps… I-I think, it’s my magic - causing the pain. It feels like I’m, getting rid of excess heat? This is super weird… U-um, h-how do I look? Dressing like a schoolgirl again, it feels really strange, eheh…”[/colour]

[color=C76689][b]“I’d say you're looking good”[/b][/color] The Penny still subject to hormones would say with a smirk. [color=C76689][b]“I’m not placing what magic would do this though”[/b][/color] she would say, more to herself then anything though.

[color=4F8092][u]“It’s possible that you have acquired an OddBall set.”[/u][/color] the more rational side would offer as she stood up, she had noticed an odd sensation brushing against the Spark. It wasn’t hostile, yet it was still notable as a memetic effect. [color=4F8092][u]“Seems that you have a fair amount of work to do to get acquainted with your capabilities.”[/u][/color]

[colour=RoyalBlue]”An Oddball?”[/colour] she echoed. Sword in hand, she turned it over, looking over the blade, and the brilliant shine that surrounded the edge metal. [colour=RoyalBlue]”Are those the weird abilities that some people have? Must be pretty rare - guess I’m special in some way, right~? Wish I could’ve kept my tails though… I haven’t used pillows in years, there’s no way any of them are as comfy. Um… what, should I do now? You two are my only real friends, s-so, I don’t know what I’m meant to… [i]do[/i], after this.”[/colour]

[color=4F8092][u]“That’s up to you”[/u][/color] The machine would say with a small shrug.

[color=C76689][b]“You should come with me back to the sanctuary! I can introduce you to Chloe”[/b][/color] The human would say, overriding whatever it was her other half was going to say.

[color=4F8092][u]“I would advise against that Idea”[/u][/color]

[color=C76689][b]“She’s not that bad!”[/b][/color]

[color=4F8092][u]“Yes. She is.”[/u][/color]

[color=C76689][b]“She took us in!”[/b][/color]

[color=4F8092][u]”And look how well that’s gone for us!”[/u][/color]

[color=C76689][b]“Why don’t you want me to be happy?!”[/b][/color]

[color=4F8092][u]“Because she doesn’t care about us, especially you!”[/u][/color]

And like that the air between the two halves became nearly hostile, They had shown a united front for Thalia while she needed support, but now that reason was gone, and they still held a grudge against each other.

[colour=RoyalBlue]”H-hey, what’s this about?”[/colour] Thalia asked, incredulously, half stepping forward to put herself between the stares of the two halves, and glancing between each confusedly. A shock of concern crossed over her face as she did, evidently unsure of how to address the situation at hand. [colour=RoyalBlue]”Who’s Chloe? Is she why you split? C-can you not fight? - I-I can do stuff with both of you, you’re both my friend, but you, you need to explain it to me, okay?”[/colour]

The Penny’s would step away from each other neither willing to try and go through Thalia. [color=C76689][b]“Chloe is my girlfriend”[/b][/color] The human penny would reply as she started pacing, her agitation easy to see even if she did a good job at keeping it out of her voice. [color=C76689][b]“She was the first person that I met that was friendly in the community. She’s not the reason for the Split.”[/b][/color]

[color=4F8092][u]“She’s a manipulative self serving witch”[/u][/color] Fired back the machine half who stayed rooted to her spot, the blaze of red in her eyes told everything that they needed to. [color=4F8092][u]“She left us without any word or warning and hardly apologized for it either. But no, she’s not the core for the Split but she is one of the sticking points”[/u][/color]

[color=C76689][b]“She also helped us split without hurting us further!”[/b][/color] 

[color=4F8092][u]“Because she wants something from us!”[/u][/color]

Rather than responding, the human half would just scoff and return to her pacing.

[colour=RoyalBlue]”You have a girlfriend?”[/colour] she turned to the human half, a sudden smile having sprouted across her lips. [colour=RoyalBlue]”Then [i]obviously[/i] I wanna meet her~! She, she can’t be that bad, right? I-I’ll meet anybody you want me to as well, Optimus Penny. Eheh, just doing stuff with you both is enough for me.”[/colour]

The two Penny’s reactions were instant and diametrically opposed. The Human half would giggle and hug Thalia, [color=C76689][b]“Chloe is awesome, you’ll see”[/b][/color] 

The machine half would let out a snarl, and nearly start pacing herself. [color=4F8092][u]“Check. First. At least”[/u][/color] She would ground out. She couldn’t exactly tell Thalia not to go with her other half, but she could possibly delay it.

[colour=RoyalBlue]”It’ll be fine, I’m a tough girl~!”[/colour] she exclaimed, reciprocating the hug warmly. With physical contact, it was easy to tell that Thalia was greatly warmer than before the transformation. Her body seemed to exude heat, substantially more than a normal human body should produce. [colour=RoyalBlue]”If anything happens, I’ll come find you, okay? But I wouldn’t be a good friend if I didn’t even give her a chance. Plus, I wanna see kind of person you’re into~”[/colour]

The mechanical half would simply run a hand down her face before sighing [color=4F8092][u]“Fine. Just be careful, and be aware that getting a hold of only half of us is difficult. We share the same number at the moment.”[/u][/color] Her displeasure at the situation was easy to see but she would back off nevertheless.

Her human half would simply stick out her tongue but not stop smiling. [color=C76689][b]“It might be a few days before you can meet her, she’s going to be busy for the next few days”[/b][/color] She would explain [color=C76689][b]“I’ll text you when she’s free and we can meet up.”[/b][/color]

[colour=RoyalBlue]"Sure!"[/colour]

[hr]

[colour=BlueViolet]"I need a job done. Some patterning. Is that doable, Carpenter?"[/colour]

[b]"Course. Your place?"[/b]

[colour=BlueViolet]"Yeah."[/colour]

[b]"I'll be over in an 'our."[/b]