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In a quiet corner to the side of the rave, off beside the bar, but far enough away from the drunk and rowdy Dark Magical Girls, Katelyn held a glass of water, watching the sprawl of individuals attentively, sealed into human form. The heat made it uncomfortable to stay untransformed, but with [url=https://i.imgur.com/r32RLuu.jpg]an outfit she dredged up from a number of years prior[/url], she felt as best disguised as she could without magic. Wearing the old suit brought back memories; she could remember the time Joyce had brought her to a similar sort of party once, a long time ago. She still hated them. The warmth, the alcohol, the volatility, it was a constant storm teetering on the verge of a disaster. For a girl like Joyce whose personality had been built on idiosyncrasy, it was the perfect place. So many people, so much tension, the heat, the connection, the disconnection, the noise - Joyce had thrived in such environments.

Sharr would've liked parties, Katelyn imagined. In spite of her Beacon obligations, a rave completely filled with unique individuals felt like the ideal spot for someone as outgoing and energetic as her. She would have convinced Katelyn to go against all her best wishes, and they would both agree not to touch any kind of alcohol. There would be some socialising, which Sharr would inevitably mess up through her competitiveness, but through it Katelyn would sit on the sidelines, nervous and intimated by the sheer breadth of people present, until Sharr attempted to coax her out onto the main floor, and they would dance for as long as they could.

She smothered the slight smile that grew on her face with a drink. Fantasising about the past was unhealthy at best, but it was becoming distracting. For such a big party with so many high profile Magical Girls present, Beacon would be attracted unequivocally, but they wouldn't be the only ones. A number of other opportunistic girls or groups could make a move. And none more so than the Mint. If they attempted something, Katelyn would be ready. That was her sole purpose.

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For all the time she had spent acquainting herself with her new form and abilities, Thalia had neglected preparation for the party, but she still found it within herself to go. Transitioning from one form to another was an ordeal, and learning how to balance without tails had brought its own set of issues, but the clarity that had begun to preside over her mind was more than worth the trouble. With the threat of The Vixen looming over her every thought and action, she had been afraid at times to even go outside, let alone socialise, in case she once again lost control. All around her people died, that was the rule, but the Red Coin had changed that.

She hadn't confirmed whether the Penny's would be attending, but she reasoned that, even if they weren't, it would help her. Thalia's knowledge on the magical population of Penrose was limited at best, but in her new form, nobody would recognise her as The Vixen. It was a chance to meet new people with a fresh slate, free from the mistakes and missteps of her past. But in her wondering, as she entered the venue, she spotted one of the few individuals she could remember. The looked different than the last time they met, with their mannerisms and tone of voice - most people would recognise them anywhere.

[colour=RoyalBlue]"Lily, Alex!"[/colour] [url=https://pm1.narvii.com/7291/a47b7461e677224b0294ca7d62d778f8f475ea1dr1-747-1070v2_uhq.jpg]Thalia called out, as she ran up towards them,[/url] only to slow her pace as she noticed another girl addressing them. [colour=RoyalBlue]"Uh, s-sorry, if you're in the middle of something. You're the only two I recognise here, eheh. You probably don't recognise me at all though, do you? - I'm Thalia, Penny's friend. We met a few months back, you were looking for someone who could get to the Overcity. I was the foxgirl - I-I used a Red Coin recently. I guess the friendship hug probably isn't valid anymore, but I thought I'd say hi~"[/colour]

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Between the party, and one of the many backrooms of the venue, a dozen of Christine's duplicates stood guard. A number of others had been dispersed around the various corridors, providing surveillance, and creating the illusion of blanket protection, but the true density was surrounded around her charge - The Boss, Sasha, and the Monster Queen. They remained stood against walls, and near doors, occasionally patrolling, all to play up the semblance of security. With a room full of volatile Dark Magical Girls, the pretence was less than necessary, but Christine kept it up. Those were her orders.

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Three figures occupied a certain backroom. The door, the only way in, had been reinforced with magic, until the metal was tough enough to withstand most blows, and the lock was unpick-able by mundane, and several magical, means. Sasha Kasparov stood beside the door, eyes closed and arms crossed, retreated into her own thoughts until she was needed. Christine considered herself to be Eden's right hand girl, but in reality she was simply a student, at best her protege. Sasha was her true right hand. Since the formation of The Independent, Sasha had been there. She had watched the birth of the modern organisation, and was one of the few who  absolutely understood its goals, and the trials it had been through to reach them.

Sat atop a sofa, specially pushed against a wall towards the back of the room for the individual in question, [url=https://i.imgur.com/qQ3fS7w.jpg]was a girl[/url], hands wrapped around a glass that she continuously drank from. Dozens of bottles of various liquids surrounded her area, from alcohol to water to soft drinks, as per her request. Her name was Hyun Long. For a Monster Queen in Cindy's ranks, Eden had been surprised by how easy she was to recruit. All she needed was to be kept away from the rave proper, kept readily stocked with things to drink, and provided with magical assistance. A bracelet had been wrapped around her wrist, one much more intricate than the circlet and chain that she had used to subdue Thalia, although it carried a similar enchantment. Her urges were strong, but the connection the bracelet sustained made keeping her calm and docile an easy task for someone of Eden's calibre, especially for the service that the girl provided. Out from within the backroom, Hyun projected her Powerful Aura, obscuring the warehouse in a storm of magical energy.

To deal with the Ascendancy surveillance outside, it was perfect to disrupt any Third Eye users. Eden could feel them, their minds. A group of them had clustered atop a building nearby. No alarms had been raised, which meant they were concealing themselves, but not well enough. She had already confirmed their allegiance; a light psychic pressure was enough to get the Spark to respond, just barely. The rumble of the bass ran across her skin from the floor, trickling into her blood. Nobody made a move as The Gourd representative appeared. Eden remained still, looking in the direction of the Ascendancy through the floor, though her eyes drifted to look at the newcomer.

[colour=BlueViolet]"Yeah, they're done,"[/colour] she replied. She reached into the coat, deep into the leftmost pockets, until her arm nearly disappeared up to the shoulder. With a few moments of rustling, she removed a folder, with a number of blue documents peaking out from the inside. Three pieces of paper, each containing an outline of Mecha-Penny's body, and the three specifications that had been requested; physical, magical, and spiritual. Along with the diagrams were blocks of text, containing Eden's own analysis, observations, and information. [colour=BlueViolet]"Everything requested's in there."[/colour]

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