[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/jEwlaTZ.png[/img]
[sub][@Vocab][/sub][/center]
In the back rooms of the warehouse, segregated from the rest of the party area, the aggressive bass was somewhat subdued. Only the occasional drop would rattled one's organs, and the chatter of dozens of corrupted magical girls gradated into a meaningless veil of noise, nothing distinct enough to make sense of. The preparations for 'receiving' the Ascendancy was already in place; now, all that was needed was the receptacle.

And soon, even that wasn't a problem.

A flickering of the bulbs, a brief moment of darkness, and a girl appeared, her coloration monochrome, her dress gothic. In her hands, she held nothing, and with an unwavering gaze, she regarded Eden. [color=ccddee]"Your product is created,"[/color] came Dolly's voice. [color=ccddee]"The blueprints are, too?"[/color]

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/CkHZy6X.png[/img][/center]

They certainly weren't being stealthy about it, huh?

Was also rather awkward, that they would host it in the same area as that [i]other[/i] warehouse.

Atop a building overlooking the warehouse that the Dark Rave (Dark Magical Rave? Evil Rave?) took place in, the Knight of Rose watched, her Sword needling provocations into the back of her lungs. Tonight, at least, the monsters would be occupied. Her body desired rest, but still, a rejuvenating sleep eluded her every night. There was always a monster to kill, always a plot to foil. The Mint, the Ascendancy, Veronica's cadre, Beacon's misfortunes, and the fifty or more corrupted individuals beholden to no organization at all. The barrier too, still eluded restoration, teasing at the ends of her magical energy like a child reflexively eating whatever was placed before them. She let out a sigh, hugging her knees against her chest. A war. A proper, bloody war, featuring enough individuals that Penrose's landscape could be changed in a single instant.

Was she ready? Her Sword always was, but she, no matter her vows, wasn't.

With a [i]shunt[/i], her backpack popped into her hand, and Amaryllis retrieved a flask of warm soup, as well as the oils, cloths, and whetstones that her Sword enjoyed so very much. She wasn't one for dressing up, but her Silverlight may as well be in tip-top shape before everything went to hell.

Sharpening silver and sipping soup, Wielder and Sword enjoyed the beauty of the winter moon and the tranquility of solitude, as magical girls continued to congregate under the night sky.

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

Where there was trouble, there was Lei Zi, and in this case, she was looking out for trouble of the 'drunk magical girls' type. Against their better judgment, whoever organized the rave had decided to bring in alcoholic drinks for a crowd that definitely couldn't be checked up. Already, there were corrupted girls getting shit-faced and going absolute bonkers; those cages were particularly distasteful, reminding the priestess of all those trafficking dens she used to bust back in Macau. She sighed, pulling her robes closer around her, even as the temperature in the basement continued to rise. How many of these magical girls were middle aged men, stalking about in search of an indecent time? How many of these magical girls were literal children, too dumb and naive to know exactly how vulnerable they were? The lightning-eyed priestess could see security going around, of course, but it was obvious that they were focused [i]outwards[/i] rather than [i]inwards[/i].

Didn't take a genius to figure that the Ascendancy was going to try something out.

She leaned against the back wall, sipping from a Dixie cup. A storm was brewing, and unfortunately for her, Tian Rong always did like pointing her towards the center of such storms. 

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/Z9J2FSG.png[/img]
[sub][@Majoras End][/sub][/center]

After cleaning up that Tree Horror infesting the Overcity, Fine wanted a drink. No, fuck that, she didn't just want a drink, she wanted to sample a dozen different cocktails and then end the night in the arms of a red-haired babe after two intense hours of love-making. A rave wasn't the best way to achieve the latter, of course, but considering how the human side of Penrose was still evacuated and the magical side of Penrose was wholly concentrated, this was her best bet, huh?

...

Sucked that the whole city went to shit in the last couple of months. Sucked even more when she visited a couple months ago, only to find out that Cassie got purified and turned into a total prude. No handholding until marriage; that whole package. Brought a frown to her face, really. Fine let out a hiss as she settled into the bar stool, a cigarette in one hand and a flute of champagne in the other. Could've always called up one of her co-workers to hang with, instead of risk getting caught in the Ascendancy's crossfire, but if things got too intimate...yeah, there was no timeline where she would risk a co-worker relationship after that time with Jyu-Ni.

Enough reminiscing. The handsome lady took a sip of her champagne, before her rubellite eyes slid upon a prospect. Wavy, blonde hair and skin as pale as snow, with a mystic artifact in her hands and a friend that just left to go after someone else.

[b]"Hey there,"[/b] Fine said, sliding over with a lop-sided smile. [b]"Not much of a seer myself, but I can see myself in your future, darling. What's your name?"[/b]

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/JoD9XRG.png[/img]
[sub][@Ponn][/sub][/center]

Askefye was accustomed to loneliness, especially after the Ascendancy came and started their war on the residents of Penrose. But even firecrackers like her occasionally wanted to let loose in a group and with winter slowly warming up into spring, the red-haired monster girl definitely wasn't going to pass up on a chance to just have fun. Yeah, fuck the Ascendancy! Fuck Beacon! Fuck all the organizations that went around trying to control magical society!

Flames spontaneously burst out of her ethereal form, lukewarm enough to not cause damage, but warm enough to heat up the already riled up crowd. Others were going berserk too, the aggressive music drawing everyone into riot. A drake-girl soared the ceiling, iridescent scales lighting up like a disco ball. A dark magical girl screamed out with a megaphone, popping the eardrums of everyone within five meters of her. Lightning, wind, ice all crackled out. A rave, especially when meant for magical girls, was always just one step away from blowing everything up, after all! Amongst the crowd, the ash-born child laughed, sparks dancing as her ethereal body pulsated with the destructive rhythm.

Didn't matter if the only person interested in her was the Mint; in a dance party, you could feel part of the group without even knowing any of them!

Another plume of flame surged out of Askefye, and a magical girl could only fire off so many shots before they hit someone. As Connie and Mia navigated the increasingly frenetic rave, a brilliant burst of fire blanketed them, comforting heat enveloping the two for an instant before fading into a myriad of sparks.

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/QN3bCGL.png[/img][/center]

While those magical girls partied, Liss had trained in the way of the fist, and like that, years had passed by, each defeat getting closer and closer as she became accustomed to the rhythm of a no-holds brawl. Her hair had been cropped first. Then she got accustomed to wearing what was essentially just a bikini. Somewhere along the way, she pawned her staff off to a shady Puchuu for a pair of padded gloves. Gone was her flabby chest; that just got in the way, and she got firm abs in return. Her boyfriend broke up with her, of course; a relationship that constantly got interrupted by her deaths to the Contender was never going to last, but she didn't mind much. After all, Liss was close now, so close to finally eking out a victory against that burning man! This year would have been the year, if she had simply drawn the lottery to go up first!

...but she didn't. Some no name Trixy won instead, and now there was a full year before Liss could see the fruits of her labor again.

She wasn't mad though, not at all. She was happy, even! She was at this party just to party and have fun and do normal magical girl things, even if it meant fraternizing with magical girls that were definitely evil in one way or the other. It was time to go party hard! Time to celebrate!

[b]"Uggggh,"[/b] Liss groaned, having already downed seven extra-large mugs of beer, [b]"Why didja have to [i]hic[/i] die so fast, Contenderrrrr. I wanted my [i]sniff[/i] shot this year tooooo. Waaaagghhhhhhhhhh."[/b] Red-faced and definitely not crying at all, the definitely not depressed girl slapped her hand against the counter again, cracking the wood as she sobbed out, [b]"Another r-round! Where's my other round?!"[/b]

As proven by a certain lightning genie, even being a Genki Girl didn't stop one from wanting to cry after suffering immense disappointment.

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

Myria wasn't a thief, nor a scavenger.

She was simply an opportunist, and only dumbasses would attend a powder keg like the rave, anyways.

In the slick Bentley she procured through wholly legal means, Myria drove through the quiet streets of Penrose, the whispers of spirits in her ears, telling her of every little hidey hole in this sad little city. Not every magical girl was gifted with a Hammerspace, after all, and when so many eyes were on the schemes and dreams of dark and light magical girls alike, people like her could run amok with little worry. Someone was bound to start a world-ending ritual. Someone else was bound to try to summon [i]another[/i] Horror. Compared to those maniacs, all Myria was doing was...picking up what careless people left unattended, with the intent of returning such precious items...for a price, of course.

Happy times, all around. There were lairs for magical girls everywhere, and plentiful organizations too. May as well enjoy the chaos and come out on top, no?

In the backseat of her car, her manservant rapped about how she had money in the bank, and that pimping wasn't easy. Didn't look like that was one of his skills, sadly; he was getting tongue-tied on the faster phrases. But that was cute too. She liked to see handsome men flustered.